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Manchester United are keen on signing Algerian midfielder Hicham Boudaoui from INEOS-owned Ligue 1 side Nice.

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• Man Utd show interest in Boudaoui from Nice
• Man Utd scouts attended Algeria's clash against Sweden
• Amorim looking to bulk up Man Utd squad

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• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , United reportedly sent scouts to Friends Arena in Solna as Sweden took on Algeria in an international. The club officials closely monitored the performance of Boudaoui, who featured in the starting lineup and spent an hour on the pitch. The Premier League giants are now thinking of signing the 25-year-old, who has been tipped to leave the French club this summer.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Last summer, the Red Devils were not allowed to sign players from Nice due to their shared ownership and the two clubs were competing in the Europa League. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, at that time, had reportedly agreed not to move any player to Old Trafford from the Ligue 1 side until September 2025, to comply with UEFA rules. This means that a move for Boudaoui can only be possible on the transfer deadline day on September 1.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Boudaoui, who joined Nice in 2019, played an important role in the club finishing among the top four teams and securing a Champions League qualifier slot. He appeared in 36 matches across all competitions and scored two goals and provided four assists.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a nightmare 2024-25 campaign, Ruben Amorim is looking to bulk up his squad this summer. They have already completed their first signing of the season as Matheus Cunha joined the club from Wolves and are now eyeing a move for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

Manchester United are now looking to sell a £10 million-a-year player and have already identified his replacement, according to a new report.

Man Utd receive injury boosts during international break

The Red Devils have enjoyed a rather successful international break so far, as they didn’t have many players away on international duty and have seen striker Rasmus Hojlund among the goals once again, as he helped Denmark beat Portugal 1-0 last week.

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By
Brett Worthington

Mar 25, 2025

United are not back in action until next Tuesday and the break has come at the right time to allow some of the injured players to return to training. Ruben Amorim had nine players out in the game against Leicester City, plus Patrick Dorgu suspended, but he could be set to receive a welcome boost.

Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo are targeting a return to the matchday squad for the game against Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Ayden Heaven is also in contention for that game at the City Ground after coming out of his protective boot. Manchester Evening News report that their chances of playing against Forest rest on how they come through training this week.

Meanwhile, winger Amad Diallo teased supporters on Monday evening that he could be available sooner than expected. The Ivory Coast international damaged his ankle ligaments in training last month, and it was suspected that he would be out until the end of the season, but Amad could be back before the campaign comes to a close.

Man Utd desperate to shift Harry Maguire's wages

As Amorim prays that he has some of his key players back for the final run-in, INEOS are looking ahead to the summer transfer window and are keen to offload several players. According to TEAMtalk, Man United are now ready to sell Maguire and replace him with Jarrad Branthwaite.

The report states that the Red Devils have been trying to move the 32-year-old on over the past two transfer windows, but due to him earning £10 million a year at Old Trafford, clubs have backed out of any potential deal.

It goes on to add that United are now ‘desperate’ to sell Maguire, as they want to get his wages off their books and bring in money which can help them sign Branthwaite, who has been dubbed a “monster” by scout/writer Jacek Kulig.

Maguire and Branthwaite – Premier League 24/25
	Maguire	Branthwaite
Apps	20	22
Goals	1	0
Progressive carries	6	8
Progressive passes	42	46
Passes attempted	879	841
Passes completed	762	689
Tackles (Won)	24 (13)	31 (17)
Blocks	13	23
Interceptions	35	23
Clearances	66	141
Errors leading to shot	1	3

Branthwaite is high on United’s list of targets, but Everton’s valuation may make it hard for United to sign the Englishman. So, the Red Devils will hope moving Maguire on can clear some money and space to bring Branthwaite to Old Trafford.

Maguire has been a United player since August 2019, and despite the negativity towards him, he has continued to be an important player at the back. He has played 28 times in all competitions this season and has started 12 games in the Premier League under Amorim so far.

With their sights set on promotion, Leeds United are set to be handed the boost of a returning player when they square off against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Leeds recieve fresh injury boost

There may have been a sigh of relief around Elland Road when Leeds overcame Millwall to win 2-0 and instantly got back to winning ways after suffering shock defeat against Portsmouth just days before. Back on track, Daniel Farke’s side now sit two points above second placed Sheffield United and four clear of Burnley in third with just nine games left to play in the Championship.

Those in Yorkshire will be more aware than most that it’s not done until their place in the Premier League is confirmed and, as ever, they face a nervous final stretch towards potential promotion.

With nine finals remaining, Farke will need to use the quality of his squad more than ever. It is a side full of talent, from the likes of Manor Solomon – who has rediscovered his best form – to important midfielder Ao Tanaka. Now, that side must simply hold their nerve.

What will undoubtedly help them do just that is the boost of recent injury news. As revealed by Farke, Isaac Schmidt is now set to make his return against QPR after returning to training. The defender missed the victory over Millwall through illness but has seemingly since recovered in time for this weekend.

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Speaking to reporters about his side’s injury status, Farke said: “As it stands I hope I have that whole group plus Isaac Schmidt to pick from for the travelling squad.

“In terms of the starting line-up and who has recovered, we’ll make some late decisions. This turnaround is a bit more tricky. We had more or less 80 hours to recover for Millwall, this time around just over 60 hours. It will be a bit more tricky. Travelling is involved of course.”

Every player counts for Leeds in vital run

Whilst Schmidt hasn’t been one to steal the headlines throughout the current campaign, often watching on from the bench, he could be thrust into Farke’s side at any given moment and he, like others, must help the Whites in their push for promotion.

Having arrived in the summer, Schmidt has found himself at the centre of Farke’s praise even whilst playing a cameo role. The former Norwich City boss told reporters earlier this season: “Great guy, a bit like I mention also about all our new signings.

“I think still at a really good age because he is more likely still on his way up the hill in his career. Great mentality, also desperate to play for the shirt, desperate to play for us, great character, so really nice guy and really nice team-mate.”

Now back from a brief absence, Schmidt will no doubt have his sights set on putting every minute that he does receive to good use as he aims to leave his mark on Leeds’ promotion push.

Arsenal have a proud history of producing incredible talent through their youth system.

Hale End has been responsible for legends from years past, such as Liam Brady, David O’Leary, and David Roecastle.

That tradition has carried on through the eras, with Cesc Fàbregas, Ashley Cole and even the injury-riddled Jack Wilshere all spending time in the famous academy.

That same system also produced arguably the club’s best player in the current squad, Bukayo Saka, and it looks like there is another wave of promising prospects coming through, including one youngster who is already worth millions more than a former youth player now making a name for himself in France: Mika Biereth.

Biereth's impressive rise

Arsenal signed Biereth from Fulham’s academy in the summer of 2021, and following several loan moves to RKC Waalwijk, Motherwell and finally, Sturm Graz, he was sold to the latter for just £4m plus add-ons in the summer.

Now, it could be said that agreeing to that much money plus a sell-on clause for a youngster who’s never even played for the first team was smart business from the Gunners.

Yet, considering he had racked up a tally of nine goals and four assists in 22 games at the back end of last season, it did feel like they could have asked for more.

This season has proven that to be true, as the Danish youngster was able to chalk up a tally of 14 goals and five assists in just 25 games for the Austrian outfit before the winter transfer window opened, in which he secured a £10.8m move to AS Monaco.

On the French Riviera, the former Gunners’ prospect has simply gone from strength to strength.

In just ten appearances, totalling 688 minutes, the 22-year-old has been able to score ten goals and provide two assists, meaning he’s averaging 1.2 goal involvements per game, or one every 57.33 minutes.

That means that in 35 appearances across both clubs this season, Biereth has scored 24 goals and provided seven assists, which begs the question: was selling him a mistake?

Biereth’s 24/25
Appearances	35
Minutes	2659′
Goals	24
Assists	7
Goal Involvements per Match	0.88
Minutes per Goal Involvement	85.77′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Well, regardless of the answer, Arsenal can at least rest assured that one of their new academy stars is already worth considerably more than him.

The Hale End star worth millions more than Biereth

One of the few positives from this season is that when we are talking about a new Hale End star, at least a couple of players could come into consideration.

However, in this instance, it is most certainly Ethan Nwaneri who has gone from an exciting prospect for the future to an essential part of the first team at just 17 years old.

Granted, the injury crisis in attack has somewhat accelerated his integration, but from how well he’s played this year, you’d have no idea this is his first proper campaign of senior football.

The often “unplayable” teenager, as dubbed by Wilshere, has made 26 appearances for the first team this year, totalling 948 minutes, in which he’s scored seven goals and provided one assist, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 3.25 games, or every 118.5 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this has seen his valuation soar, with Football Transfers pricing him at up to €37.5m, which comes out to around £31m, or just over £20m more than Monaco paid for Biereth in January.

Nwaneri’s 24/25
Appearances	26
Minutes	948′
Goals	7
Assists	1
Goal Involvements per Match	0.30
Minutes per Goal Involvement	118.5′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, with how badly Arsenal need a striker at the moment, there is a strong argument to be made that selling the young Dane was a mistake.

However, any annoyance stemming from that decision should be quickly forgotten, as in Nwaneri, it looks like they could have a future superstar on their hands.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 4, 2025

For everything he has got wrong at Tottenham Hotspur, Ange Postecoglou has made plenty of brilliant signings.

For example, the likes of Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison all improve the starting lineup when fit, while Kevin Danso and Antonín Kinský look like more than adequate deputies.

Moreover, the Australian has also signed some sensationally talented youngsters like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who will surely be key members of the team for years to come.

However, not every signing has been perfect, and it would be fair to say that during his time at the club, Timo Werner has not been good enough, but in good news, another of the team’s youngsters will be the perfect replacement next season, and no, we aren’t talking about Mikey Moore.

Timo Werner's Spurs nightmare

Okay, calling Werner’s time in N17 a nightmare is likely overdoing it, but we don’t think we are all that far off if you look at his performance and impact since last January and consider the fact he’s making £165k-per-week.

At the end of last season, the former Chelsea flop had racked up a reasonable enough tally of five goal involvements in 14 games, and while that’s really not too bad, it certainly wasn’t good enough to warrant the club re-signing him for another season.

Unfortunately, Postecoglou’s gamble has not worked out in the slightest this year, as, despite being given more of a role, the Stuttgart-born forward has fared even worse.

Appearances

14

27

Goals

2

1

Assists

3

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

0.14

For example, in 27 appearances across all competitions, the 29-year-old has scored just a single goal and provided three assists, which means he’s averaged a goal involvement every 6.75 games – talk about ineffective.

On top of lacking to contribute to the attack, the RB Leipzig loanee has also missed 11 games through injury, and while that is not his fault, it is a downside when he’s only at the club for a short spell, and based on reports from earlier in the season, it’s a spell that won’t be extended again.

Now, the good news is that when he leaves, the club will already have an up-and-coming talent who could step into his role as a squad player, and it’s not Moore.

Spurs' perfect Werner replacement

So, when we are talking about the perfect replacement for Werner next season, we are talking about a winger who will play the odd game here and there but ultimately act very much as the third or fourth choice, which is why we don’t consider this to be Moore.

The Hotspur Way gem has already shown in flashes this season that he’s going to be good enough to genuinely challenge the likes of Wilson Odobert and Son Heunng-min for more regular football next season.

So, where does that leave us? Even if they are not going to be playing loads and loads of football next year, Postecoglou and Co are still going to want their Werner replacement to be good enough to make an impact when called upon, and for our money, the perfect candidate for that is Yang Min-hyeok.

The South Korean winger joined the club from Gangwon FC last summer but remained with the K League side until the new year, as their seasons run from February to November.

Moreover, despite being so young, he was a seriously important player for them.

Appearances

38

Goals

12

Assists

6

Goal Involvements *

0.47

He managed to rack up an impressive tally of 12 goals and six assists in just 38 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.11 games.

When he arrived in England, the North Londoners made the wise decision to send the “underrated” teenager, per analyst Joel Kim, out on a short-term loan to Queens Park Rangers, where he has since provided one assist in eight appearances, four of which have been starts.

On top of being capable of scoring and assisting goals, the Gwangju-born phenom is blessed with “power and pace”, according to Kim, which makes him sound like the perfect player to bring off the bench toward the end of games.

Finally, while some might consider loaning him out again next season, there is a strong argument that with him still being quite young, a campaign in which he’s in the first team and making substitute appearances in the Premier League might be just as beneficial for his development.

Ultimately, Spurs will need someone to fill in for the departing Werner next season, and while he’s unproven in the top-flight, Yang Min-hyeok seems like the perfect candidate.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 28, 2025

da supremo： Manchester United avoided defeat in all competitions through March. In fact, Ruben Amorim’s side are currently riding a seven-match unbeaten run.

da luck： There’s so much work to do. However, signs are appearing, sprouting like spring shoots. Maybe the Red Devils have a future under the wing of their Portuguese boss; maybe these interminable years of strife are going to be consigned to the history books, something to look back on with pride at leaps taken since INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrived at Old Trafford.

Chances of seasonal success through the Premier League are negligible. 13th, United’s hopes of salvation lie on the continental front, with Athletic Bilbao awaiting next month in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Amorim must make do with the resources available for the remainder of the campaign, but the wider picture portrays the need for drastic action. A host of players needed to be shipped on, but Rasmus Hojlund is surely one of the most pressing cases.

Rasmus Hojlund's nightmare season

Manchester United have been put through the wringer this season, but there’s surely only one way the club can go henceforth. It really has been the nadir for the prestigious outfit, one of the biggest on the globe.

INEOS must be ruthless, and while he’s still young, Hojlund isn’t cutting it and should be sold this summer to make room for a new and exciting number nine.

Reports suggest that the Denmark international is among the most likely names to depart this summer, with Italian side Napoli named. United might have paid Atalanta £72m for this raw centre-forward, but losses need to be cut.

Hojlund finally broke his duck in the Premier League before the international break, slotting home against Leicester City, but that’s only his third league goal of the term – and across 24 matches at that.

Rasmus Hojlund in the Premier League

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

30 (25)

24 (17)

Goals

10

3

Assists

2

0

Touches*

22.8

17.5

Shots (on target)*

1.3 (0.7)

0.8 (0.4)

Big chances missed

13

3

Pass completion

77%

79%

Key passes*

0.9

0.5

Dribbles*

0.6

0.3

Ball recoveries*

2.0

1.1

Duels won*

2.8 (38%)

2.1 (29%)

Data via Sofascore

Profligacy is one thing, but Hojlund’s dearth of missed chances actually underpins the deeper fissures splitting United’s core. He’s bereft of service, unable to fashion openings for himself, incapable of leading confidently at the bow of Amorim’s ship.

In fairness, the likes of Erling Haaland would have struggled to meet expectations in United’s team this season, but Hojlund still hasn’t pulled his weight. Journalist Sam Pilger branded him “anonymous,” stating his “confidence is on the floor.”

United want to replace him this summer.

Man United lining up Hojlund upgrade

According to Manchester United’s former chief scout Mick Brown – speaking to Football Insider – INEOS are prepared to launch a statement move for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres this summer and are even considered favourites to complete a deal.

That’s in spite of interest from rival suitors such as Arsenal and Liverpool, chiefly because Amorim turned the Sweden striker into a free-scoring machine before moving to England and is the driving force behind the potential deal.

Gyokeres wouldn’t come cheap, but the Devils wouldn’t need to fork out for his full £83m release clause, with the Liga Portugal champions fielding enquiries worth £63m.

Were Hojlund to be sold this summer, things could come together at the Theatre of Dreams.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Man Utd

There’s a reason why Gyokeres is one of the most coveted players in world football. In fact, journalist Mark Ogden has described the 26-year-old as “the hottest striker in Europe.”

Born in Sweden, reared at Brighton, but made under the watchful wing of Amorim. Coventry City’s goalscorer came close (but not close enough) to securing qualification to the Premier League in 2022/23, earning a £20m move to Lisbon.

Scorer of 83 goals, placer of 25 assists, winner of the 23/24 Liga Portugal title – all across 91 appearances. Not bad at all for a Seagulls reject. Is it any wonder he’s been hailed as a “powerhouse” in front of goal by analyst Ben Mattinson?

He’s not restricted his output to any one front this term, notably firing a hat-trick past Manchester City in the Champions League several months back – with Amorim still at the helm.

As per FBref, Gyokeres ranks among the top 4% of strikers across Europe’s top-five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 6% for pass completion and shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90.

He does, after all, boast 40 goals from 41 matches this season. It seems inconceivable that he wouldn’t prove to be an upgrade on Hojlund, whose lack of presence at number nine, his reduced ball-carrying output and ball-striking quality, does make a telling comment on where he should fit into INEOS’s market strategy this summer.

Hojlund might not be the most wasteful forward in front of goal when observing the statistical analysis, but Gyokeres is far more predatory, combining movement, pace and potency to supercharge Sporting’s project.

He takes 4.2 shots per Liga Portugal match this season, missing just 17 big chances despite having scored 28 goals. Gyokeres is everything that Man United need up top and more.

Amorim knows him, loves him. Gyokeres hailed the gaffer back in November, saying: “We’ve done amazing things together.” Why not some more?

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Mar 23, 2025

There are signs that Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United project may yet take off.

The summer transfer window will be crucial. How the Red Devils navigate the market months will no doubt hold sway when it comes to the narrative in 2025/26. Will United turn a corner, or loop back to weary road’s already travelled?

Let’s dig into the most noticeable potential departure. Rasmus Hojlund has had a tough time this season, but there’s evidence that he should indeed be sold.

Man United's biggest winner from the international break

Hojlund scored the only goal as Denmark beat Portugal in the opening leg of their Nations League quarter-final tie in Copenhagen on Thursday night.

His reaction fanned the flames of social media discourse, having copied Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘siu’ celebration.

CR7 got the last laugh, as he so often has throughout his incredible career. Portugal defeated the Danes 5-2 (5-3 on aggregate) to advance to the penultimate stage, with 40-year-old Ronaldo notching his 135th goal for his nation.

It served as a reality check for Hojlund, 22, who was well-marshalled after scoring on Thursday. Indeed, he managed to strike on goal once but lost five of eight contested duels, as per Sofascore, failed with both his dribble attempts and failed to impose himself on the game.

Such has been the story of his season. Manchester United’s striker, who joined from Atalanta in a deal worth £72m in 2023, has regressed hugely this term, scoring just three goals across 24 Premier League matches.

Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed there appears to be tentative interest from Italian clubs and that the expectation is the number nine will be sold.

However, he’s not the only one, with another United member flattering to deceive on the same pitch as Hojlund on Sunday evening. He needs to be sold.

Man United's biggest loser from the international break

No, we’re not talking about Bruno Fernandes; the Portugal star is the linchpin of Amorim’s project, posting 12 goals and eight assists across 27 matches.

We are, however, drawing attention to Diogo Dalot, who wasn’t great against Denmark in both legs and may well follow Hojlund out the door this summer.

Journalist Alex Crook commented earlier this month that Dalot, 26, has “regressed” this season, lacking the completeness that United need at right wing-back. With just 22 goal involvements across 202 Man United appearances, he doesn’t have the attacking consistency Amorim would expect either.

Minutes played

66′

81′

Touches

46

48

Accurate passes

25/33 (76%)

26/30 (87%)

Key passes

2

0

Possession lost

10x

11x

Dribbles

0/1

0/2

Tackles + interceptions

2

4

Clearances

1

1

Duels won

1/4

3/8

Errors

0

1

Pencilling down their post-match thoughts after Monday’s win, Portuguese outlet Portugoal handed Dalot a rather flat 5/10 rating, writing: ‘Dalot is not a game-breaker – no shots, no key passes, no completed dribbles, and no surprise if and when Cancelo returns to the starting XI in June.’

Indeed, one careless throw-in after the interval nearly led to a damaging Denmark goal, something which may well have swung the pendulum away from the Iberian nation.

It typifies Dalot’s issues. He’s not sharp enough on the ball, creating little despite squandering possession regularly.

Further, the 26-year-old isn’t strong enough in the duel and doesn’t carry the ball as well as he could.

Man United need to strive for greatness, and selling Dalot will be part of the slow but steady solution.

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Fifteen wickets fall on opening day as Hampshire blink first at Ageas Bowl

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2023Jamie Porter claimed a five-wicket haul as Essex rolled title rivals Hampshire out for 120 in the LV=Insurance County Championship.Fast bowler Porter took 5 for 37 on a bowler-friendly Ageas Bowl pitch, with Simon Harmer assisting with 3 for 26.Essex replied by reaching 145 for 6 before close, to take a 25-run lead into day two, with two wickets apiece for Kyle Abbott and John Turner kept the visitors in check.Essex won the toss and Tom Westley gleefully put his hosts into bat first on a pitch on which appeared to have been prepared to promote a positive result.That outcome is needed for both sides, placed second and third coming into this round of fixtures, in their quests to chase down runaway leaders Surrey – who led Essex and Hampshire by 14 and 29 points with four matches to go.Hampshire are 50 years without a Championship title and is the only trophy Rod Bransgrove hasn’t won in his 23 years as chairman – this will be his last chance after announcing his decision to step down at the end of the season before play.Hampshire openers Ian Holland and Fletcha Middleton were both snared out by Porter before seven overs had been completed.But Essex’s early joy was tainted by Shane Snater – who had replaced the ill Doug Bracewell – limping off after five balls, having pulled out of a delivery just before reaching his stride.The loss of a main bowler mattered little as Paul Walter stepped up and angled across James Vince, and with Hampshire eventually bowled out inside 39 overs it meant fewer miles in the legs.Ben Brown was well caught at first slip by Simon Harmer, Nick Gubbins was loose on the drive off Porter and Liam Dawson top-edged a sweep to fine leg to leave Hampshire 79 for six at lunch.Porter is back to his destructive best this season after a series of lean seasons, by his high standards.Having put himself on the England radar with Championship wicket tallies of at least 48 between 2015 and 2019, Porter claimed 34 scalps in 2021 and only 19 wickets last season, with Sam Cook rising to lead the attack.His five at the Ageas Bowl took him to 42 wickets for the season – only spinning team-mate Harmer and Nottinghamshire’s Brett Hutton have more.Porter was rewarded for his potent accuracy with his second five-for of the season by spearing into Felix Organ’s back pad, before James Fuller advanced and slapped the next ball he bowled to deep cover.Harmer wrapped up the tail with Turner edging to slip and Mohammad Abbas slogged to long on as Hampshire were bowled out for 120.In reply, Nick Browne was bowled by Abbas in the fifth over. as the pitch remained unmoved in its bowling friendliness.Abbott picked up Alastair Cook and Paul Walter in a double wicket maiden to see Essex to 16 for three and in danger of copying Hampshire’s low score.But Essex did something Hampshire couldn’t do; form partnerships.Only Gubbins and Vince’s 39-run stand had topped 20, while Tom Westley and Matt Critchley added 41 before Critchley and Michael Pepper scored 36 together before Pepper and Adam Rossington joined forces for 25.Vince, who managed to negotiate his way to three replacement balls, only called on Vitality Blast hero Turner in the 34th over.The wait had Turner raring to go as he bounded in to crash into Critchley’s pads first ball before later finding Pepper’s outside edge.Essex edged into a first-innings lead with Rossington and Harmer reaching the end of the day with a platform to secure an important first-innings lead.

Stuart Broad was “amazed that not one senior player” in the Australian team “questioned what they had done” during or after the hotly-debated dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the Lord’s Test.Writing in his column for the two days after a heated fifth day at Lord’s, where England lost to go 2-0 down in the Ashes, Broad brought up the cultural review Australia had gone through in the aftermath of ball-tampering scandal involving sandpaper in Cape Town in 2018.”What amazed me, and what I told the Australians I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them — and I very much understand in the emotion of the game that the bowler and wicketkeeper would have thought ‘that’s out’ — questioned what they had done.”Especially given what their team has been through over recent years, with all their cultural change. Not one of them said: ‘Hang on, lads. I’m not really sure about this.’ Not one of them thought: ‘He’s gaining no advantage. He’s not trying to get a run. It’s the end of the over. It’s a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal.'”Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, ‘I got that one wrong’, even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match.”Related

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The incident occurred when England were five down and needed a further 178 runs to win: Bairstow ducked underneath a short ball from Cameron Green, scratched the crease with his boot and walked down the pitch towards his partner Ben Stokes at the non-striker’s end. Before Bairstow had begun to leave his ground, wicketkeeper Alex Carey had gathered the ball on the bounce and, in one motion, under-armed a throw at stumps at the striker’s end. The on-field umpires, Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney, referred the decision to TV umpire Marais Erasmus who gave the batter out – and the dismissal was recorded as stumped. Bairstow glared at the Australian huddle as he walked off and boos rang out around Lord’s. The crowd – who have been largely subdued throughout the first four days of this Test – then chanted repeatedly: “Same old Aussies, always cheating.”Broad said, for him, the crux of the matter was whether Bairstow was “looking to gain an advantage” and dismissed comparisons to previous incidents where England were the team trying to effect the dismissal.