Football: Man U break Leicester’s hearts
Even so, the 34-year-old was dropped for the first
Test against West Indies earlier this month, said
Valkerie Baynes on ESPNcricinfo. Perhaps the selectors felt it was time to give youth a chance. The decision infuriated Broad; so when he was restored to the side for the Second Test two weeks ago, he felt he had a point to prove. And prove it he most certainly did. His three wickets from just 14 balls helped set up England’s win. But Broad’s contribution to the victory in the Third Test was truly remarkable. First there was his batting: in the first innings he smashed a half-century from just 33 balls – the third-fastest 50 in England Test history – to pick the side up after a “mini-collapse”. Then, with the ball, he took six
It was a match worth £100m, said Phil McNulty on BBC Sport. With just a single point separating Manchester United and Leicester when they met on the last day of the season, United knew a draw would be enough to finish in the top four and secure Champions League qualification, whereas the Foxes had to win to be sure of making the cut. In the event, United won 2-0, putting them third, while Leicester finished fifth. At the final whistle, as the Red Devils “gathered in a corner in a jubilant huddle, many of their Leicester counterparts were on their knees”.
After an extraordinary start to the season, the Foxes expected more, said Rob Tanner on The Athletic. Between late August and December, they won 12 of their 14 matches; they started the year in second. But “they have underachieved” in the second half of the season. That’s partly down to injuries to their brilliant full backs, Ben Chilwell and
This may have been the bowlers’ Test, but the batting was also notable, said George Dobell on ESPNcricinfo. Six different batsmen scored halfcenturies: Rory Burns, one of the openers, scored two. Yet it was Ollie Pope’s innings that felt particularly significant. The 22-year-old came into the match with a batting average of just 16 runs in home Tests and, with England at 122 for 4, he was under pressure to “keep his side afloat”. What followed was the most “fluent” innings by an England batsman since January, when Pope scored his maiden Test century in South Africa. We know Pope is a stylish batsman: this innings showed he is tough, too, able to score “ugly” runs when necessary. “He looks to be the best batsman England have produced since Root.”
Ricardo Pereira, as well as to James Maddison, “their main source of creativity”, said Jonathan Wilson in The Observer. But it’s also because opponents have figured out how to neutralise their fast attacking football. Still, Leicester have finished fifth – four places higher than last season, and qualified for the Europa League. It is hard to regard the season as “anything other than a success”.
For United, the season ended unexpectedly well, said Barney Ronay in The Guardian. When Bruno Fernandes arrived, in late January, they were six points outside the top four. But the Portuguese playmaker has turned the club around: since his arrival, they’ve been unbeaten in the league. United still have a long way to go – they finished 33 points behind Liverpool – but for the first time in years, you get the feeling that this is a team with “a sense of lightness”.