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Injuries to Hayden Kerr and Jack Edwards left NSW’s attack undermanned and out of answers as Queensland fought out a draw in their Sheffield Shield clash

AAP and ESPNCricinfo07-Oct-2023Backs-to-the-wall centuries from Michael Neser and Jimmy Peirson have helped Queensland earn a fighting draw in their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales.After conceding a 270-run first-innings lead, the Bulls defiantly ground their way to 417 for 7 in their second dig at Cricket Central at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday.Neser and Peirson underpinned the gritty rearguard with a 200-run sixth-wicket stand before Jack Wildermuth and Gurinder Sandhu comfortably saw out the last session on day four. Wildermuth made an unbeaten 52 while Sandhu finished 32 not out.”We had to really fight hard for it,” Queensland captain Usman Khawaja said.”We were not in a place to win that game, only NSW could really win the game.”It was a really good fight today and I’m really proud of how the boys went about it.”The Blues, winless last summer and chasing their first Shield victory since February 2022, looked on track for the drought-breaker when they reduced Queensland to 91 for 5 on day three but they could only muster two wickets from the last 121 overs while the visitors added 326.Neser, a genuine allrounder these days, notched his fifth first-class ton and, remarkably, his third in his past three matches following a bumper County Championship campaign during English summer when he plundered 487 runs at 81.16 for Glamorgan. His last eight scores in first-class cricket are 90, 9, 86, 2, 123, 176*, 18 and 140.Peirson raised his seventh first-class century before falling shortly before lunch, trapped lbw when he missed a shorter length from Chris Green that skidded low.Neser’s best-ever Shield knock ended on the last ball of the second session when he smacked a full toss back to Jason Sangha who snaffled a superb diving catch with his right hand.Wildermuth, no slouch himself at No.8 with three first-class hundreds to his name, was unmoved for 172 balls.NSW’s attack was willing but depleted. Hayden Kerr (injured abductor) was unable to bowl after lunch and faces a stint on the sidelines, while Jack Edwards (heel and back soreness) could only bowl two overs in the last two sessions.”Given how well we played for almost all of this match, it’s disappointing to not collect the six points,” NSW captain Moises Henriques said.”On a pretty docile wicket at the end, I can’t fault the effort of any of our bowlers, I thought they tried their guts out.”Edwards had earlier put NSW on top with bat and ball, taking 6 for 36 to skittle the Bulls for 176 in the first innings, before making 87 to pace the home side’s 446 to earn player of the match honours.

As Celtic chase a sixth treble in nine seasons, what is the primary factor behind their continued domination of Scottish football?

Well, of course, the Hoops have more money than everybody else, which certainly helps, but it’s only due to their excellent recruitment, both in terms of buying and selling players, they are able to maximise this financial advantage.

According to the Fair Game Index, the Celts are the best-run club in Britain, and the Premiership champions often get decisions in the transfer market right, certainly striking gold by selling a flop for £2.5m, who’s done very little since departing.

He was signed under Ange Postecoglou who got a lot right while in Glasgow.

The best and worst of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic signings

During two seasons at Celtic, Postecoglou won five major honours, signing a total of 29 players, with Alison Conroy of Sky Sports noting that he ‘tapped into his knowledge…of markets…rarely explored before’, most notably the J League.

Graham Falk of the Scotsman believes that the majority of these signings were major successes, so let’s assess some of the best.

Kyōgo

165

£4.5m

£10m

Starfelt

87

£4m

£4.3m

Abada

112

£3.5m

£8m

Juranović

53

£2.5m

£7.5m

Giakoumakis

57

£2.5m

£8m

Jota

92

£6.4m

£25m*

Carter-Vickers

150

£6m

Current player

Hatate

133

£1.4m

Current player

Maeda

148

£1.6m

Current player

O’Riley

124

£1.5m

£25m

Johnston

102

£3m

Current player

Oh

47

£2.5m

£4m

As the table outlines, Celtic have made an enormous profit by selling players.

Chief among there are Kyōgo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Liel Abada and, Matt O’Riley, while Reo Hatate, Jota, Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are key figures in Brendan Rodgers’ current side.

However, this table does not include all of Postecoglou’s signings, more than half have been left off, with one in particular, who did very little during his time at Parkhead, not impressing since departing either, showing that Celtic did extremely well to sell him for £2.5m.

What happened to Ange's forgotten Celtic forward

In the summer of 2022, Celtic signed wide-forward Sead Hakšabanović from Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan for a reported fee of £1.75m.

Despite having only just celebrated his 23rd birthday at the time, Hakšabanović was already a bit of a journeyman, having been on the books of Halmstads BK, West Ham United, Málaga, Norrköping, the aforementioned Rubin Kazan and then Djurgården on loan before landing in Glasgow.

At his unveiling, Hakšabanović stated he wanted to achieve “something similar” to Henrik Larsson, widely considered the club’s best player of the modern era, and suffice to say he did not live up to those expectations, despite being labelled a ‘great talent’ by Euan Robertson of Football Scotland.

In 42 appearances for Celtic, the Swedish-born Montenegro international scored just five goals, three of which came in November 2022, earning him the Premiership’s Player of the Month award, albeit he did very little after that.

Finding himself not in Rodgers’ plans, Hakšabanović spent last season on loan at Stoke City in the EFL Championship, but scored only once in 21 appearances for the Potters, never able to establish himself as a regular starter under either Alex Neil nor Steven Schumacher.

Despite this, Allsvenskan champions Malmö decided to pay a reported £2.5m for his services, and this move certainly has not paid off for the Sky Blues so far.

To date, the forward has made just five appearances for the Nordic giants, yet to register either a goal or an assist, sidelined since August due to a groin injury. To put his torrid numbers into context, he’s scored three fewer than the much-maligned Greg Taylor. Grim reading indeed for the attacker.

Johan Flinck of Swedish outlet Sportbladet labels Hakšabanović a ‘flop’, adding he is yet to ‘show his skills on the pitch’, underlining that Celtic did extremely well to sell the misfiring winger for a profit last summer.

Wow: Rodgers has already found Celtic's next Maeda in stunning £2m star

The young Celtic forward is a star in the making for Brendan Rodgers.

1 ByDan Emery Mar 10, 2025

Former Roma player Nicolo Zaniolo has been accused of hitting two youth players in a Primavera clash between Roma and Fiorentina.

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Fiorentina beat Roma in Primavera play-offNicolo Zaniolo went to Roma dressing room at FTStatement alleges two youth players physically struckFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

AS Roma have released a formal statement suggesting that Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo barged into the Roma Primavera dressing room, where he allegedly engaged in provocative behaviour that escalated into a physical altercation, leading to two players reportedly being struck.

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Zaniola initially emerged as one of Italian football's most highly-rated young players, although injuries have hampered his career. Now under contract at Galatasaray, Atalanta cut short his season-long loan in January, leading to him moving to another Serie A club in Fiorentina. The alleged incident in question occurred after a Primavera (Italian Under-19 competition) play-off game between Fiorentina and one of Zaniolo's former clubs, Roma, with the first-team player having watched the game from the stands.

WHAT ROMA AND ZANIOLO SAID

Roma's statement regarding the incident reads: "AS Roma announces that, following today’s match, a regrettable incident occurred involving player Nicolò Zaniolo. According to initial reconstructions, the player allegedly entered the Primavera team’s dressing room after the match and engaged in provocative behavior towards some of the Giallorossi youth players. During the confrontation, two players from the Primavera squad were reportedly physically struck. AS Roma cannot but firmly condemn any form of aggressive conduct or behavior that does not align with the values of sport."

Zaniolo, meanwhile, gave his side of the story after Fiorentina released an official statement: "At the end of the match I went down to the locker room to congratulate the Fiorentina boys and then I went to the Roma locker room to say hello and congratulate them on the season, but at a certain point they started insulting me so, at that point, to avoid the situation degenerating, I preferred to leave."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ZANIOLO

Zaniolo will return to parent club Galatasaray while a thorough investigation into the incident is conducted by Italian authorities and the FIGC. Disciplinary action could be taken against all players involved. It remains to be seen where the midfielder will be playing his football next season, with the 25-year-old under contract with the Turkish champions until 2027.

Wharton fifty drives hosts but low-key feel to contest after ECB points deduction

ECB Reporters Network03-Sep-2023Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal impressed with five for 72 during a hard-fought opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Scarborough.Dal’s 20 overs of medium pace limited Yorkshire to 297 after they had been inserted in a low-key Division Two affair.While Yorkshire are bottom of Division Two and definitely out of the promotion race, Derbyshire are just about still alive. But it would take something remarkable to secure a top-two finish given they are 52 points adrift with four games remaining.Dal’s third career five-wicket haul – his second in the Championship this season – stood out during a day which saw a number of Yorkshire batters fail to make the most of encouraging starts on a pitch not as pacy as is usual at North Marine Road.James Wharton top-scored with a middle-order 58, but Fin Bean and Jonny Tattersall both fell in the forties. Derbyshire then reached close at 47 for one from 17 overs.For large parts, the cricket meandered in front of a subdued crowd in the Scarborough sunshine, interspersed by regular wickets for 27-year-old Dal.Yorkshire’s openers Bean and Adam Lyth confidently shared 59 inside 20 overs.But both left-handers were lbw stuck on the crease to Dal either side of lunch. Lyth fell for 32 and then Bean for 41.When the latter fell six balls into the afternoon, Yorkshire were 98 for three after 30 overs. Home captain, and last year’s prolific Derbyshire overseas player, Shan Masood had also been caught behind cutting at Sam Conners for eight just before lunch.After an opening half-century stand, Derbyshire did well to limit Yorkshire.Their fourth success came when the battle of the Georges was won by tall quick Scrimshaw, getting Hill feathering behind for 11 at 129 for four in the 41st over.For Yorkshire, this final month was always going to be about signs of progress ahead of next year’s promotion push after July’s 48-point deduction sunk them to the bottom of Division Two. So for someone such as 22-year-old Wharton to contribute will encourage significantly.He has reached fifty in all formats this year – his breakthrough campaign – including a blistering Vitality Blast 111 against Worcestershire in June.The pace of this innings was vastly different, but there were signs of dominance as he and Tattersall shared 71 for the fifth wicket through the afternoon.Wharton hammered a pull through midwicket off Conners and shimmied down the pitch to work off-spinner Alex Thomson wide of mid-on for four more.The latter took him to his second Championship fifty, off 102 balls. By that time, Yorkshire were closing in on 200. But when they reached that mark, Wharton fell as he edged a drive at Dal behind in the 61st.That was the first of two identical dismissals in successive Dal overs.When Matthew Revis was caught behind aiming an expansive drive like Wharton had, Yorkshire were 204 for six in the 63rd. Dal’s fifth wicket came in the first over of the evening having earlier removed Bean in the opening over of the afternoon. This time, Tattersall fell caught behind driving for 45, leaving Yorkshire 213 for seven in the 65th.Mitch Wagstaff took a stunner of a gully catch head high to help Scrimshaw remove Dom Bess shortly afterwards before Jordan Thompson and Matthew Fisher both hit sixes over long-on off Thomson’s spin to push Yorkshire up towards 300.The hosts narrowly missed out on that, but Fisher hit six leg-side fours in eight balls he faced from Scrimshaw, including four in an over, en-route to 37 not out off 22 balls.Thompson made 32 before miscuing a catch off Thomson. Scrimshaw then wrapped up the innings by getting Ben Coad caught behind.Coad then struck early in Derbyshire’s reply, but the departure of Harry Came was due to Tattersall’s brilliance behind the stumps as he completed a one-handed diving catch down leg – nought for one in the third over.Left-handed Wagstaff then confidently ensured there were no further dramas, closing with an unbeaten 32.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have suffered a new injury scare, as a “monster” player is set to undergo a test following an injury he picked up against Everton on Saturday.

Man Utd fight back to claim a point at Everton

It looked like it was going to be another disappointing weekend for the Red Devils, as they went 2-0 down to Everton in the first half at Goodison Park. United put on a poor showing in the first half, but changes by Amorim transfored the game in the second half and two quick goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte meant the points were shared.

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Ruben Amorim could pick up two bargains for Manchester United this summer.

3 BySean Markus Clifford Feb 24, 2025

After the game, Amorim claimed his side were “soft” and gave the ball away too many times when not under pressure.

Amorim was also asked what he can do to make his United side more consistent, as that is now no win in their last three league games – the Portuguese is unsure if he can change it.

“I don’t know; if I know, I will change it. Everything we do in the week, we have to do better in the game. In this moment, we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season, and then we can think ahead. I don’t want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to win this game.”

Man Utd suffer injury scare as “monster” set to undergo Monday scan

Amorim will have been pleased to see his side fight back to rescue a point on Saturday, but he will now be concerned about one of his key players. According to ESPN reporter Rob Dawson (relayed by mufcmpb on X), Noussair Mazraoui picked up an injury to his knee in the game against the Toffees and is set to undergo tests on Monday.

The 27-year-old went down in the second half of the game but was able to continue a little bit longer before being replaced in the 70th minute by Leny Yoro. It is unclear the severity of Mazraoui’s injury, but he is set to undergo tests before a decision is made on whether he can play against Ipswich Town on Wednesday.

Mazraoui, who has been dubbed a “monster” in the past, has been a key player for United this season, starting 24 Premier League games as well as seven in the Europa League and two in the FA Cup. The defender has failed to appear in just one game this season, and that was in the recent game against Rangers, as he missed the match through injury.

Apps

38

Starts

34

Goals

0

Assists

2

The versatile defender, who earns £135,000 a week at Old Trafford, would complete what is fast becoming a Tottenham-level injury crisis at United. Amad Diallo is likely out for the season, Kobbie Mainoo will miss several weeks and Lisandro Martinez is facing a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury of his own, and things wil go from bad to worse if the Moroccan’s scans come back with bad news.

Youngster could help some of Australia’s modern greats tick their bucket lists

Matt Roller27-Jul-2023Moeen Ali was batting on one leg by the time he arched his bat and upper-cut Pat Cummins for four over Alex Carey’s head, and Australia seemed to have let their opportunity to take control of the fifth Test slip away.Cummins had finally won a toss, his first of the series, and asked England to bat first under thick cloud cover, with the floodlights turned on shortly after the lunch break. Australia had reduced England to 73 for 3 but dropped three catches and missed a run-out chance; Harry Brook and Moeen had brought up a 100-run stand in 17 overs.Enter Todd Murphy, long sleeves pulled up, top-button clasped and up-turned collar flopping down. At 22, Murphy is a boy in a team of men, the youngest player in this Australian XI by seven years. He has played as many Tests as Sheffield Shield games (six of each), and in most of those he has been Victoria’s second spinner.But here he was, standing at the Vauxhall End and trying to burgle a wicket for a group of team-mates at a completely different stage in life to him. This Australia team will undergo a near-total regeneration before its next tour here in four years’ time and these five days are about securing a legacy for most of them. Murphy is still making his way.Related

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ECB chair calls for 'flexibility' in Test schedules to avoid future wash-outs

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Mitchell Starc four-for derails fast-paced England to give Australia the upper hand

His first ball was a fraction short, and Brook punched it away through point to get off strike. His second was even shorter. Moeen rocked back and pulled him away through midwicket for four. Cummins told short leg to move to midwicket, fearing that Murphy had already underlined the reason for his non-selection in Manchester last week.But Murphy’s next ball was a braver one: much fuller, drifting in with the around-the-wicket angle. It was quick (58mph/93kph) and hardly turned, but had enough drop on it to sneak underneath Moeen’s bat as he swung wildly, lining up a swipe into the leg side.Murphy hardly celebrated, wearing the expression of a bowler still annoyed at himself for the previous ball. Perhaps, too, he was conscious of what is to come: Moeen’s wicket brought Ben Stokes in at No. 6, the man who crashed him for five sixes at Headingley before eventually holing out to long-on.And yet Murphy fared well against Stokes, tossing the ball up and conceding only two singles from the 11 balls he bowled to him. He beat him on the cut, cramping him for room, and responded by dragging his length back when Stokes skipped out of his crease.He was whipped out of the attack after Stokes fell, losing his off stump to Mitchell Starc when looking to break the scoring pressure by turning him into the leg side, then returned for a token over before tea.After the interval, Murphy’s second ball was full and flighted, and scythed over point for four by Mark Wood. It was one of two boundaries he conceded, and just as he had after lunch, he responded by taking a wicket with his next ball: Wood cleared his front leg, and Murphy’s offbreak crashed into the top of his middle stump.There was a brief celebration this time, punching the air and roaring, “yeah! Come on!” before giving David Warner – 14 years his senior – a high-ten. Wood’s partnership with Chris Woakes was worth 49, the third-highest partnership of England’s innings; it was Murphy who broke two of the three substantial stands.He finished with 2 for 22 from his six overs – and it should have been three-for, but for a fluffed caught-and-bowled chance when Woakes chipped one back to him. Thrown into away tours in India and England, Murphy has 17 wickets at 24.94 in his first five-and-a-bit Tests.Moeen Ali was bowled by Todd Murphy for 34•Getty Images”Since he started in his Test career he’s been really good for us, through India,” Starc said. “He didn’t play a heap of a role at Headingley – [he was] used pretty sparingly there – but he’s come back and played a job today. He’s going to learn from those experiences, his first Ashes tour on the back of his first Indian tour.”Murphy has had a walk-on role in this series and it is clear that Cummins does not trust him to the same extent that he does Nathan Lyon. And how could he be expected to? Lyon is a veteran of 122 Tests; Murphy is playing the 14th first-class game of his career.”Obviously coming in and trying to fill Nathan’s boots is a big deal as it is,” Starc added. “Nathan has obviously bowled quite well here in the past; did in the Test final. Todd’s gone off the back of that and bowled some really good overs today with a couple of crucial wickets. We’ll look for him to play another part in the second innings.”Starc predicted that Murphy is “going to be a quality spinner for us for a long time,” and Australia will hope that he can be Lyon’s long-term successor. Whether that proves to be the case or not, he is fulfilling a role well enough that he could help some of Australia’s modern greats tick one final achievement off their bucket lists.

After criticism from the NWSLPA, the league said future matches will be abandoned in such circumstances

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NWSL acknowledges the game should not have continued King underwent successful surgery for a heart abnormalityNWSLPA issued statement acknowledging league responseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The NWSL issued a statement Friday expressing "regret" for continuing a match after an Angel City player collapsed on the pitch last week, and said it will abandon future matches under such circumstances.

This statement comes after the league declined to abandon the Angel City vs. Utah Royals match last Friday when Savy King collapsed, received more than 10 minutes of medical attention and was transferred to the hospital. Angel City said that King underwent successful heart surgery on Tuesday to address a heart abnormality, adding that her prognosis is "excellent."

The league acknowledged its regret in a social media post, saying "the health and well-being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority."

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The NWSL received heavy backlash from players, media and fans following its inaction last week. The NWSL Players Association criticized the league this week, saying "these moments demand humanity, sound judgment, and restraint. Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued."

After the league acknowledged "regret" and plans to alter procedures for any future incidents, the NWSLPA on Friday issued a statement highlighting it as "a meaningful step forward."

"The League's acknowledgement that the game should have ended – and its commitment to adopting this protocol for the future, should it ever be needed – represents a meaningful step forward. It's a change made possible by the strength and unity of our players," it said in a statement. "Player safety is not a slogan. It is a practice. We are grateful that NWSL has listened."

REACTION AFTER THE MATCH

After last Friday's game, Utah Royals manager Jimmy Coenraets suggested the match should have been stopped.

“In those moments, I’m not sure if we should have continued the game,” Coenraets told reporters after the match. “You’re emotionally – not only them but also our players were just scared. That’s not the right situation to be in but in the end, we played on. That’s the decision other people have taken, which is fine.

"It was a really tough moment. It’s the same after the game. Like, what do you want to focus on after the game? Yes, you have the result of the game but you want to make sure people feel safe, healthy and good and I think that was the focus after the game for us.”

Washington Spirit and U.S. women's national team forward Trinity Rodman offered prayers for King and her Family on social media, adding: “In no world should that game have continued.”

WHAT'S NEXT?

King joined Angel City from Bay FC ahead of the 2025 NWSL season from Bay FC.

The NWSLPA said this week that the focus remains on King's recovery.

"Our focus remains on supporting Savy during her recovery, and we ask that her and her family's privacy continue to be respected during this time. We are deeply appreciative of the swift, professional response from the medical staff, emergency personnel and others on site who ensured Savy's safety Friday night."

Ange Postecoglou faces a make-or-break Europa League final as his Spurs future seemingly hangs on one night in Bilbao.

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Spurs reach Europa League final after 5-1 aggregate winPostecoglou dismisses critics, says league form irrelevantRobinson: Ange's job depends on final resultFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After a 2-0 second-leg victory against Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Tottenham have secured a spot in the Europa League final, achieving a 5–1 aggregate semi-final win. Goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro in the Arctic Circle set up a showdown against their Premier League rivals, Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. But while major silverware is at stake, so too might be Ange Postecoglou's future with the club. Spurs' Premier League performance has dropped and they find themselves in 16th in the table. Nevertheless, the story is different in Europe, where Postecoglou has led his side to the brink of ending a 16-year trophy drought.

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Throughout the campaign, Postecoglou has come under growing scrutiny. Injuries have wrecked his team, but Spurs' domestic decline has raised doubts about his long-term future. Former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson now thinks the Europa League final will determine the club's season, which goes hand-in-hand with their manager's future.

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

Postecoglou came out swinging after reaching the final in Norway, striking back strongly at those who have mocked or insulted Spurs' European success.

"It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it," he said, according to . "The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win — they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy."

The Spurs boss dismissed the idea that league form should diminish their achievement.

"Who cares if we're struggling in the league? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form. I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."

Given Spurs' season, many have also asked whether winning this trophy would even matter. Postecoglou, however, made apparent its significance.

"I've said all along that this is important. What's happening now is people are fearing that — that it actually might happen, and let's see how we can tear it down somehow… by saying it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or that, or somehow comparing us to Man Utd.

"Maybe if we had Man Utd's success then maybe I'd have a different view. So of course it's massive. You have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through. We've given them some real hope and something to dream about — that we can do something special this year."

WHAT PAUL ROBINSON SAID

Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson added fuel to the fire with a stark assessment. "If Tottenham don't win, he won't be in charge next season,” he told. "Ange Postecoglou's whole season and Tottenham career depends on that one result."

Head coach McDonald ‘surprised’ at how aggressive England were against Boland at Edgbaston

Andrew McGlashan22-Jun-2023Scott Boland’s place in Australia’s side is likely to come under scrutiny for the second Test at Lord’s after he was taken for nearly six an over at Edgbaston.Head coach Andrew McDonald admitted there was some surprise at how aggressive England’s batters were against Boland who conceded 147 from 26 overs across the two innings, making it his highest economy rate in a first-class match where he’s bowled at least 20 overs by some distance.Related

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“We’d seen the way they go about it, they are ultra-aggressive,” McDonald said. “But I think Scott Boland, that match-up probably surprised us how aggressive they were against Scott. So that’s something we can look at and find better ways through.”Boland did dismiss Zak Crawley twice the game and was threatening under gloomy skies on the third evening, but for the first time in his Test career he was largely treated with disdain.Mitchell Starc, who was omitted in favour of Josh Hazlewood in the first Test, could be a straight swap for Boland, provided Hazlewood pulls up without problems from his return to the format.McDonald suggested that with a degree of hindsight about how conditions played out at Edgbaston, where the pitch was largely flat and slow, Starc could have had an impact.”I think the fact the line and length potentially over left-arm swing, and we didn’t feel as though we may have got swinging conditions here,” he said. “It’s really down to a gut feel at selection, it can be critiqued any way you want.”We feel as though, looking back on it, potentially Mitch could have played a role, there’s no doubt about that. But we felt like when we went into the game with all the information that we had, we made the best decision.Mitchell Starc was omitted in favour of Josh Hazlewood in the first Test•Getty Images”We took Starcy on that journey, he understands that and he understands the fact there are four more Test matches and he’s got a pivotal part to play within that.”One of the knock-on effects of England playing at such a rapid tempo is that the fast bowlers did not clock up massive workloads at Edgbaston. Captain Pat Cummins sent down the most with 32.2 overs and Hazlewood was used for 25 alongside Boland’s 26. Allrounder Cameron Green bowled just eight.McDonald said there was a plan mapped out of which bowlers may suit certain venues but that it could also be adjusted on the fly.”Our bowlers didn’t bowl as many overs as we probably expected in this Test match,” he said. “There’s a longer turnaround, so you can have a pencil plan but the reality is you see how they pull up, what the conditions are when we get to Lord’s, and you make a decision with what’s in front of you. The issue is we’ve got great depth in the fast bowling, and that’s one of our great strengths.”On the field, Australia played a largely defensive game during the opening Test, operating with three or four sweepers for large periods and sometimes only a slip and a gully. It was a tactic flagged before the series but came in for scrutiny which would likely have escalated had Cummins and Nathan Lyon not forged their match-winning stand. However, McDonald wasn’t going to be drawn into judging one team’s approach over another.”I think it should be more a celebration,” he said. “Two styles come together and produce a Test match like that. Certainly no vindication, we’ll go about it our way and England will go about it their way and we’ll see what happens at the end of the series.”We’re clear from the way that we play. I’ve suggested over the last 12-18 months it’s pretty clear the way that we do go and we feel as though we’ve got some great strengths around that.”

Chelsea have reportedly received multiple enquiries about striker Nicolas Jackson as the Blues consider his future.

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Chelsea consider Jackson's futureReceive enquiries for strikerBlues in market for new number nineFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to journalist, Matteo Moretto, multiple teams have contacted Chelsea about Jackson's availability. He adds that the Blues could consider selling the 23-year-old if they receive a good enough offer.

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This comes at a time when Chelsea have shortlisted five strikers ahead of the summer transfer window. Jackson has scored 29 goals in 77 games for the Blues since signing from Villarreal but many feel if they want to become an elite team again, they need to sign a better number nine.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Senegal international still has eight years left on his contract and after signing for £32 million ($42.5m) in 2023, and Chelsea will likely try and get a bigger fee for his services if sold.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Jackson's Premier League season is over after his red card at Newcastle United but he could feature for Chelsea in their Conference League final against Real Betis later this month.