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Stats highlights from an unbelievable run-chase at Headingley as England levelled the series

S Rajesh25-Aug-20191 – Partnership of more than 76 for the 10th wicket in a fourth-innings Test win. The only other instance of more runs being scored was also in 2019, when Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando put together 78 as Sri Lanka recovered from 226 for 9 to reach the victory target of 304 against South Africa in Durban in February this year.359 – The target that England chased down was their highest ever in Test history. Their previous best was 332, way back in 1928 in Melbourne. It’s the joint ninth-highest by any team, and the second-best at Headingley, next only to Australia’s 404 in 1948.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 – Instances of Australia losing by one wicket, which is nearly 50% of the 14 such results in Test history. No other team has been at the receiving end of such a narrow defeat more than three times. Since 1990, Australia have suffered four one-wicket defeats – the previous three were to Pakistan in 1994, to West Indies in 1999, and to India in 2010. This is England’s fourth such win.67 – England’s first-innings total. There are only three instances of teams scoring fewer runs in an innings, in a Test match they ended up winning, and they were all in the 1880s.2 – Higher scores than Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 135 in fourth-innings wins for England: Mark Butcher scored an unbeaten 173 at the same ground against the same opponents in 2001, and Jack Brown’s 140 in 1895. This is the fourth-highest by a No. 5 batsman in a fourth-innings win, and in three of those four innings, the team eventually won by one wicket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd74 – Runs scored by Stokes after the fall of the ninth England wicket, out of the 76 runs that were scored in the partnership. Jack Leach’s contribution was one run. In terms of balls faced, Stokes played 45 to Leach’s 17.8 – Sixes struck by Stokes, which is the third-highest ever by a batsman in the fourth innings of a Test. Only Nathan Astle (11) and Tim Southee (9) have hit more, but both were in defeats. In a win, the next best is six.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن موقف نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي من إقالة المدير الفني روبن أموريم، في ظل نتائج الفريق السلبية وخاصة بعد هزيمة الديربي أمام مانشستر سيتي.

وحل مانشستر يونايتد ضيفًا على مانشستر سيتي في ملعب “الاتحاد” أمس الأحد ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلقى مانشستر يونايتد بقيادة مدربه أموريم، هزيمة من مانشستر سيتي بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل، سجلها فيل فودين، وإيرلينج هالاند (هدفين).

مانشستر يونايتد سجل أسوأ بداية له في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز منذ موسم 1992-1993، بالحصول على أربع نقاط فقط من مبارياته الأربع الأولى، ويحتل المركز الرابع عشر.

اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا بعد الثلاثية أمام مانشستر يونايتد: هل تعلمون لماذا أنا مدرب جيد؟

كما خرج مانشستر يونايتد من كأس كاراباو، بعد خسارته بركلات الترجيح أمام جريمسبي تاون من دوري الدرجة الثانية.

وبحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، لا يزال أموريم يحظى بدعم إدارة مانشستر يونايتد، ويرون أنه قادر على تغيير مسار الفريق.

ويوضح التقرير أنه لا يوجد خطط في الوقت الحالي لإقالة أموريم من منصبه، وترى إدارة مانشستر يونايتد أن هناك تقدم على الرغم من النتائج السلبية.

من جانبه صرح أموريم بعد الخسارة أمام مانشستر سيتي: “لن أغير فلسفتي، إذا أرادوا (مسؤولو يونايتد) تغييرها، فعليهم تغيير المدرب”.

Phil Foden has failed to match the high levels of performance he produced for Manchester City last season, resulting in a decrease in game time over the last few months.

The England international notched a total of 39 combined goals and assists in his 53 appearances across all competitions, subsequently claiming the PFA Player of the Year award.

However, this time around, he’s currently only on 15 goal contributions, undoubtedly a contributing factor to the club’s drop in the Premier League, which has seen them struggle in large periods.

Pep Guardiola is tasked with the challenge of helping the 24-year-old return to the levels he’s previously demonstrated at the Etihad over the last couple of years.

He certainly will face more responsibility in the North West next season, especially after the news that emerged out of the squad earlier on this afternoon.

Kevin de Bruyne announces his City departure

It was confirmed earlier today that Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne would be departing City at the end of the season when his current contract expires.

The 33-year-old became the club’s record signing back in 2015 after joining in a £54m deal from German side Wolfsburg – with the former Chelsea ace excelling beyond all expectations.

He’s racked up over 400 appearances in his decade as a Citizens player, scoring 106 times and registering 159 assists, cementing himself as one of the best midfielders to ever grace England’s top flight.

De Bruyne has been known for his phenomenal passing ability, but has unfortunately declined over the last couple of months, with injuries plaguing his final couple of seasons in Manchester.

However, his departure leaves Guardiola with the huge task of replacing the talent at the Etihad, something which may appear to be a tricky quest given his time at the club.

The player who could be City’s perfect KDB replacement

Whilst Foden would undoubtedly be the first choice to replace the Belgian in the current first-team squad, his form over the last couple of months could cast doubt over his ability to fill the void.

There’s no denying his quality, as seen by the numbers he produced last season, but he’s been unable to achieve such heights on a consistent basis.

Such form could allow fellow academy graduate James McAtee to stake his claim for a regular starting role – building on the progress he’s made over the last couple of months in 2024/25.

After multiple loan spells at Sheffield United over the last couple of years, Guardiola decided to keep the 22-year-old within his side, handing him frequent opportunities to impress – something which he has taken with both hands.

He’s made 23 appearances to date, scoring six times across all competitions, including two goals in the Premier League during his first year at such a level.

McAtee, who’s been labelled “superb” by one analyst, is yet to start a single league outing this campaign, but given his output and underlying stats produced in 2024/25, he’s more than deserving of a consistent run next season.

Games played

11

Goals & assists

2

Conversion rate

29%

Pass accuracy

86%

Duels won

63%

Goals per game

0.2

Expected goals (xG)

1.37

De Bruyne’s place in the squad could free up the youngster to gain more valuable minutes to continue his upward trajectory, enabling him to showcase his talents further.

Whilst Foden will likely fill the void vacated by the Belgian, Guardiola must give McAtee a fair chance to stake his claim to make the position as his own – potentially saving the Citizens millions of pounds in the process.

The youngster has previously been subject to interest from various sides for his signature over the last couple of months, but it’s pivotal that the hierarchy stand firm and keep hold of the star who’s destined for big things in the future.

Move over Nunes: Man City begin work on signing the new Joao Cancelo

Manchester City could land their next Joao Cancelo in this attack-oriented defender.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 2, 2025

أعرب وليد صلاح الدين، مدير الكرة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن سعادته بعد اختياره لتوليه منصبه الجديد بالجهاز الفني، وطالب مشجعي النادي بدعم ومساندة الجهاز الفني بقيادة عماد النحاس، لتحقيق أهدافه والعودة إلى المكانة التي يستحقها النادي وإسعاد الملايين من جماهيره.

وقال وليد صلاح الدين في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي بالنادي: “العمل في أي منصب داخل الأهلي شرف كبير، وبالنسبة لنا كجهاز فني سنقدم أقصى تضحية ممكنة ولن ندخر جهدًا من أجل إسعاد الملايين من الجماهير التي اعتدنا منهم التشجيع والمؤازرة والوقوف دائمًا في ظهر النادي”.

طالع أيضاً.. موسيماني يحدد شرطًا غريبًا للعودة إلى تدريب الأهلي

وواصل: “أود أن أشكر جماهير الأهلي وأعبر لهم عن امتناني الشديد لما وجدته من مظاهرة حب بعد الإعلان عن تعييني مديرًا للكرة، والذي أعقبه سيل من الاتصالات تلقيتها من داخل وخارج مصر”.

وأكد: “محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي المشرف على الكرة، أكد على ثقته الكاملة في الجهاز الفني ومنحهم كافة الصلاحيات، كل في منصبه، لتخطي هذه المرحلة، وطالبهم بالعمل الجاد والإخلاص والتفاني”.

وأكمل: “خبراتي الكبيرة خلال سنوات عملي كمدير للكرة مع العديد من الأندية ستجعلني قادرًا على تقييم المواقف قبل تطبيق مبدأ الثواب والعقاب خلال الفترة المقبلة، التي تحتاج إلى تضافر الجميع والتحلي بالمسؤولية الكاملة لتحقيق النتائج المرجوة”.

وأوضح: “الأهلي هو الأكثر تعرضًا للضغوط، وأن جماهير النادي تريد الفوز فقط والتتويج بكل البطولات”، لافتًا إلى أنه تعايش مع هذه الضغوط وتعرض لها على مدار 22 عامًا قضاها من قبل داخل النادي”.

وأردف: “أمامنا مباريات صعبة في شهر سبتمبر الجاري، وقادرون على تخطي هذه المرحلة في وجود الكابتن عماد النحاس، الذي عمل في ظروف صعبة الموسم الماضي وقاد الفريق للتتويج بلقب الدوري، وجميع أفراد الجهاز من أبناء النادي ولديهم رصيد من الخبرة، وبشكل عام لست قلقًا على الأهلي في ظل وجود لاعبين هم الافضل في إفريقيا”.

وأضاف: “الجهاز الفني الحالي هدفه رد الجميل للنادي، العمل ولو ليوم واحد في النادي شرف كبير ويضاف إلى رصيدهم”.

ووجه رسالة إلى اللاعبين قائلاً: “نتائج الفريق تتحكم في الحالة المزاجية للملايين من محبي النادي، وعلي اللاعبين أن يضعوا هذا الأمر في حساباتهم قبل أي مباراة، وأتمنى أن تكون الفرحة دائمًا من نصيب جماهير الأهلي”.

واختتم: “اطالب كل مشجعي ومحبي الأهلي بالصبر على الجهاز الفني وتوفير الدعم والمساندة لهم في كل القرارات، لتخطي المرحلة الحالية والوصول بالفريق إلى مكانته التي يستحقها وإسعاد جماهيره”.

Serhou Guirassy was forced to explain himself to Borussia Dortmund bosses following a social media post that included a song glorifying Adolf Hitler.

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• Guirassy questioned on social media post
• Shared controversial song by Ye
• Striker will not be punished by Dortmund

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Guinean striker made a post on Snapchat which involved a song from Ye's new album playing over it. The track has been heavily criticised for praising Hitler and the Nazis, with the album being banned from some platforms before its release.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The post caused a stir in Germany and resulted in a call with club chiefs demanding he explain his actions, reports. Guirassy will not be fined by the club, however, escaping punishment after he explaining that Snapchat suggested the song to him and he chose it without knowing the lyrics.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Guirassy, 29, joined Dortmund from Stuttgart last summer and had a prolific debut season with the club, scoring 21 goals in 30 Bundesliga games and a further 13 in 14 Champions League appearances.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Guirassy's season is over and he will hope to rest up well before he returns to Germany to begin preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.

Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has once again declined to attend the Women's FA Cup final for the second year in a row.

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• Man Utd made final for second year in row
• Lost to Chelsea year on from Spurs triumph
• Ratcliffe absent for both matches in capital

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils could not replicate their success in the competition, having beaten Tottenham at Wembley last season. This time, Women's Super League champions and now treble-winners Chelsea dismantled Marc Skinner's side, away from the watchful eye of the INEOS boss, who opted to skip the game for the second year in a row.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ratcliffe's absence is surprising considering he attended the men's loss to Chelsea in London on Friday night. He has had a minimal role in any project relating to the women's team, despite their success in recent years.

• WHAT SKINNER SAID

  In the aftermath of the final defeat, head coach Marc Skinner was asked why Ratcliffe opted not to attend the match. He said: "In all honesty, I don’t know why he wasn’t here.

  "But I feel we were well represented. Omar was here, the Glazer family, Jason is up there. Those are the people I deal with everyday. That’s the people I need to be here, because they need to be able to look at what we need to do to close a growing gap in finance that Chelsea have created.

  “The reality is that it’s the investment in the team that needs to happen. It’s not whether you’re visible. I get you the representation, the visibility is how you see investment, but as long as I play the team are being invested in, that is also a way of showing your support for the team."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It would not be surprising to see Ratcliffe jet off to Bilbao for United's Europa League against Tottenham next week. For the women's side, their season is already over and they have picked up a third-placed finish in the WSL.

da bwin： Manchester United have reportedly submitted a £50m+ bid to sign a Barcelona star ahead of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd progress in Europa League thanks to Bruno Fernandes hat-trick

da bet nacional： The Red Devils booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday evening after a 5-2 aggregate win over Real Sociedad.

Heading into the Old Trafford encounter after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Ruben Amorim’s side found themselves behind after an early penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal. However, Bruno Fernandes converted two spot-kicks and sealed his hat-trick late on to ensure Man Utd will take on Lyon in the last eight.

Talking after the game, Amorim said of Fernandes: “We know that he’s frustrated. We know that he wants to win so bad. Sometimes, when we’re not playing well, he changes position and goes after the ball.

“Sometimes, he needs to trust a little bit more in his team-mates to allow them to do their job and help him to play better. When we need him, he’s always there. He can change position. He can bring the ball forward. He can score goals. He can make transitions like he showed today.

“In the last 10 minutes of the game, he can defend. He’s a perfect captain for our team. We need to help him to win titles because he’s a legend.”

Related Man Utd make approach to sign £25m defender compared to Lisandro Martinez

Spurs are also interested.

Posts 1 ByCharlie Smith Mar 13, 2025

Attention now turns back to the Premier League and a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester City on Sunday evening.

Behind the scenes, though, Man Utd and INEOS are being linked with moves to sign players from both Barcelona and Real Madrid ahead of what could be a hectic summer transfer window before Amorim’s first season in charge.

Real Madrid duo Andriy Lunin and Aurelien Tchouameni and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez are all wanted at Old Trafford, and another Nou Camp star is once again on the Red Devils’ radar.

Man Utd make £50m+ offer for Frenkie de Jong

According to a report from Spain, Man Utd have once again tried their luck when it comes to long-term target Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona.

It is claimed that Man Utd ‘has put an offer of €65m (£54.5m) on the table with the intention of securing the midfielder’s services in the upcoming transfer window.’ However, the report adds that United have already had a quick reply, with Barcelona rejecting the proposal and will look to extend De Jong’s £400,000-a-week contract instead.

Back in 2022, a €65m fee was reportedly agreed between Man Utd and Barcelona, but it isn’t enough for a deal in 2025.

Frenkie de Jong’s Barcelona stats

Appearances

242

Goals

19

Assists

22

Yellow cards

32

Red cards

2

Minutes played

18,424

It does feel as if the Red Devils may never secure the services of the Netherlands international, so it could be wise to look elsewhere at midfield reinforcements, with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount all potentially on their way out this summer.

Bangladesh: Jahanara AlamEngland: Georgia Adams, Emily Arlott, Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Tammy Beaumont (direct nomination), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey (Melbourne Stars), Kate Cross, Naomi Dattani, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley (direct nomination), Katie George, Dani Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (direct nomination), Eve Jones (Melbourne Renegades), Marie Kelly, Heather Knight (Sydney Thunder), Emma Lamb, Katie Levick, Kalea Moore, Fi Morris, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Sophia Smale, Bryony Smith, Linsey Smith, Eleanor Threlkeld, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill (Melbourne Stars), Issy Wong (Hobart Hurricanes), Danni Wyatt (Brisbane Heat)Hong Kong: Kary ChanIreland: Laura Delany, Gaby Lewis, Orla PrendergastIndia: Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades), Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Mannat Kashyap, Amanjot Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues (Melbourne Stars), Meghana Sabbineni, Deepti Sharma, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha YadavNetherlands: Sterre KallisNew Zealand: Suzie Bates (direct nomination), Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Eden Carson, Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers), Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green (Perth Scorchers), Hayley Jensen (Hobart Hurricanes), Xara Jetly, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr (Brisbane Heat), Jessica Kerr (Brisbane Heat), Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Molly Penfold, Lea Tahuhu (Sydney Thunder), Jess WatkinPakistan: Aiman Anwar, Nida Dar, Iram Javed, Fatima Sana, Syeda Aroob ShahPapua New Guinea: Kaia Arua, Sibona Jimmy, Tanya Ruma, Isabel TouaScotland: Abtaha MaqsoodSouth Africa: Anneke Bosche, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk (Brisbane Heat), Annerie Dercksen, Mignon du Preez (direct nomination), Shabnim Ismail (Melbourne Renegades), Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp (Perth Scorchers), Michaela Kirk, Masbata Klaas, Lizelle Lee (direct nomination), Sune Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Robyn Searle, Chloe Tryon (Sydney Thunder), Faye Tunnicliffe, Jane Winster, Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers)Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (Melbourne Renegades)UAE: Esha Oza, Theertha SatishUSA: Tara NorrisWest Indies: Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin (Adelaide Strikers), Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades), Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor (Adelaide Strikers)Zimbabwe: Mary-Anne Musonda, Kelis Ndhlovu*How retention picks work

• Have been in a Big Bash squad for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team since
• Have been in a Big Bash squad the previous season
• Was in a team squad last season but did not play in the starting 13 and have been approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee
• Is otherwise approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee due to exceptional circumstances

Colin Ingram gave Glamorgan a chance in a steep adjusted target

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2023Hampshire 97 for 2 (McDermott 54) beat Glamorgan 54 for 1 by 21 runs (DLS method) Ben McDermott smashed his fourth fifty of his Vitality Blast season against Glamorgan to put defending champions Hampshire Hawks in prime position for a quarter-final spot.Australian McDermott pinged 54 off 27 as Hampshire scored 97 for 2 in 9.2 overs before rain descended on the Ageas Bowl and Glamorgan were set 83 in six overs.Colin Ingram splattered a quick-fire 34 to give the Welsh side hope but John Turner’s two-run over and good defensive bowling from Nathan Ellis and James Fuller meant the Hawks restricted them to 54 for 1 and won by 21 runs.Hampshire move level with Surrey in second on 16 points to open up the possibility of a home knockout tie, with victory against Gloucestershire on Sunday confirming their progression. Glamorgan’s unlikely route to the quarter-finals, which would have need two wins and a big net run rate swing, is now ended.James Vince had initially been the aggressor, having been asked to bat by Glamorgan, with the first legal delivery of the match carted to the straight boundary.But he fell to a steepling catch at fine leg by Prem Sisodiya in the fourth over to give Jamie McIlroy his 19th wicket of a successful campaign.On his return from a broken foot, Tom Prest leaned back and pummelled his third delivery for six but was leg before to Peter Hatzoglou soon after.McDermott had taken control of that 48-run stand with a pair of maximums to the longest boundary at midwicket and another over square leg.The Hobart Hurricanes star has been overshadowed by Vince’s scoring exploits but has now pilfered 371 runs at a strike-rate of 144.He reached his half-century in 23 balls as the Hawks intelligently raced to 97 for 2 in 9.2 overs before the persistent drizzle kept the players off for just over two hours.Glamorgan were given six overs, with an eight-ball powerplay, to find their way to their new target and sent overseas Ingram up to open with Kiran Carlson.Ingram did what he was asked to do in the first over by hitting a six over long off before a pair of boundaries in a 19-run opening over.But Turner bounced back with a superb second over which only went for two and included five dot balls. Ellis and Benny Howell kept the visitors under the rate before the former had the dangerous Ingram caught for a 13-ball 34 with 40 needed off 10 balls.Ellis only went for 17 in his two overs before Fuller’s finale was cut three balls short as rain returned with an impossible 29 still needed.

Mark Wood and Sam Billings stood out but tourists continue to be weighed down by their baggage

Andrew Miller15-Jan-2022If Chris Silverwood hadn’t played his cliché at precisely the wrong moment, in the wake of England’s pitiful surrender at Melbourne, this might well have been a day for focusing on the “positives” – namely, the extraction of seven Australian wickets for 99 runs across two innings and two distinct periods of the pink-ball life cycle, a performance that reinforced the very adequacy upon which England’s fleeting pre-series hopes had been founded.Unfortunately, in shipping their own innings in 47.4 overs – the sort of attrition-rate that would attract scorn in an ODI, let alone a Test match – England left themselves no option but to double down once more on their most deep-seated failings. Not since 1958-59 has an England team travelled to Australia and failed to make 300 in at least one innings. With their tenth and final effort likely to get underway some time on Sunday, the book on that one is all but closed.This was another day of thoroughly processional batting from England – their essential flimsiness put into stark relief by Scott Boland’s heroic display as Australia’s nightwatchman in the face of another gut-busting show from Mark Wood. Boland’s 25 balls of stoic line-holding was longer than four of England’s top six managed in friendlier conditions, and he has the chance to extend that further still.Related

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• As it happened – Australia vs England, 5th Test, Hobart, 2nd day

With a lead of 152 overnight, and the pink Kookaburra already approaching the 20-over mark of its life cycle – the point at which all movement for England’s bowlers appeared to vanish in the first innings – it’s hard to envisage how England will not be made to rue, once again, the all-too-frequent lapses that have exacerbated Australia’s dominance of this campaign.”Australia have been brilliant with the ball, there’s no doubt about that,” Sam Billings said at the close. “But the most disappointing thing was, whenever we wrestled back a bit of momentum, we lost a wicket at crucial times. It was a real eclectic mix of dismissals as well. It wasn’t just a set way of getting out.”Despite being granted the most favourable batting conditions so far, no England batter made more than Chris Woakes’ 36, and he only lasted that long thanks to two dropped slip catches off Boland, as if karma was decreeing that his then-Test bowling average of 8.64 was already quite sufficiently ridiculous, thanks very much. (It’s been stretched back out to 10.26 now – which means he isn’t even topping Australia’s averages anymore.)That glimmer of Australian sloppiness even extended to their appealing. Rory Burns and Dawid Malan both survived non-reviewed caught-behinds early in their stays – though had Burns’ reprieve been much earlier it would have been pre-natal. He hadn’t even had a chance to capitalise on his good fortune from Mitchell Starc’s sixth ball of England’s innings, when Zak Crawley called him through for a sharp but feasible single, and off he trooped for his eighth duck in 22 innings. At least the refrain from the commentators was less focused on his idiosyncratic technique this time, and more on his failure to fling himself headlong for the crease.Ben Stokes can’t believe his dismissal•Getty ImagesSo much has been made of England’s exhaustive preparation for this series, but just as they went into the Brisbane Test with a bowling attack that had never before taken the field together (and Stuart Broad’s deliverance of David Warner’s second Ashes pair in consecutive series was another tart rejoinder to that particular call), so too were Crawley and Burns opening together for the very first time – little wonder they lacked the sort of telepathic understanding that you’d expect from a more seasoned alliance.Rather than exhaustive, Ben Stokes just looked exhausted after wincing his way through 75 rib-bruising overs in the field. A Test tour of the Caribbean is looming in two months’ time – a venue where, for all the disparagement that West Indies cricket tends to receive these days, England have won just one series since 1968. It doesn’t require hindsight to point out that picking an injured player for such a long-dead rubber (Broad’s exhortation to “win the battle in front of you” notwithstanding) isn’t exactly the smartest way to get such a crucial performer back into the groove.Besides, it’s too late to expect any remarkable twist to this particular narrative. England are bound to be goaded by memories of Headingley 2019 come the fourth innings, but that performance stands out – like its 1981 predecessor – precisely because of its once-in-a-generation status. So long as England consider even a half-fit Stokes better than no Stokes at all, they will be inviting precisely the sort of decades-long hangover that Ian Botham’s heroics caused in the 1980s and 1990s, while providing a performative smokescreen. Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has been doing the rounds in this Test, dressing up an abject battering as a “brilliant opportunity” for a reboot.Joe Root hasn’t had the same physical pain to deal with as Stokes (not lately at least…), but he too has dug about as deep as he can manage on this trip. Inevitably, Root was England’s most composed performer but – as has become equally inevitable the longer this series has gone on – he failed to push on from the promise of his beginnings. The dream of that maiden hundred in Australia has waned to the mere hope that he can get back to reaching fifty on a once-a-match basis. Instead, after enduring another onslaught that left the broadcaster’s heatmap resembling an advert for Rennies – targeted directly at his pit of his stomach – he played too deep to the pad-thumper from Cummins, and trooped off for his series average of 34.Mark Wood roars after removing Usman Khawaja late on•Getty ImagesOnly two England players, in fact, could genuinely be said to be enjoying themselves. One was the effervescent Wood, who still can’t quite persuade his average to match his endeavours, but whose reversion to a more pitch-battering length at least put him out in front as England’s leading wicket-taker. And the other, as if to prove that preparation is folly and living in the moment is the only way to go, was the debutant Billings, whose glee at being involved was palpable.”Did it look like I was having fun? I loved it,” Billings said, having driven 500 miles and nine hours to link up with the squad instead of fly home to the UK ahead of next week’s white-ball tour. “It’s far better than being sat on the sofa, waiting to board the plane.”Billings is a curious type of Test debutant – a veteran of England tour parties, if not of actual matches, having featured in barely a quarter of the white-ball games that have taken place since his first cap in 2015, and a man whose arrival has added “a bit of experience around the group”, as he put it.He’s clearly not wrong, and his exuberance behind the stumps has been a clear injection of energy in the field, certainly compared to Jos Buttler’s troublingly catatonic displays in the first four games.But you have to wonder how Dan Lawrence, for example, must feel at being leapfrogged in this manner – not least given how excited the ECB (and Mo Bobat, the influential performance director, in particular), had been about his displays on the Lions tour two years ago.That trip, featuring a maiden England Lions victory over Australia A at Melbourne, was trumpeted at the time as proof of England’s long-term Ashes vision. Now, the stand-out batting star of that campaign can’t even get a gig in the fifth Test of a long-lost tour, while the key bowler, Ollie Robinson, gets thrown under the bus for his lack of fitness. No, it’s only fair to reserve judgement on the positives for now, and wait for the inevitable inquests.