Top sport stories from the national newspapers:

THE SUN

Darren Bent last night told Spurs chairman Daniel Levy: Stop ****ing around. Also: Graeme Swann urged England’s misfiring bowlers to sort it out or risk seeing their Third Test hopes washed away.

THE TIMES

England have been praised for a “fine gesture” in allowing Australia to make a last-minute change to their team for the third Test at Edgbaston. Also: Liverpool were continuing to play hardball over Xabi Alonso last night as Real Madrid braced themselves for more disappointment despite making an improved £28million offer for the Spain midfield player.

DAILY STAR

Xabi Alonso finally submitted a transfer request to put himself on the brink of the big move he wants from Liverpool to Real Madrid. Also: Arsene Wenger is refusing to splash the cash from the sale of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure, insisting Arsenal are strong enough already.

DAILY MAIL

Phil Neville last night accused Manchester City of trying to steamroller Everton into selling Joleon Lescott. Also: Australian opener Phillip Hughes has been ticked off by the team’s management after news of his shock omission from the third Ashes Test leaked out on Twitter.

DAILY EXPRESS

Australia bounced back off the ropes as the gamble of dropping opener Phillip Hughes for all-rounder Shane Watson paid off in impressive fashion at a rain-hit Edgbaston yesterday. Also: World champion Lewis Hamilton last night revealed his delight at the return to Formula One of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

DAILY MIRROR

Darren Bent appears to have been involved in a furious row after allegedly accusing Spurs chairman of ****ing his move to Sunderland. Also: Rafa Benitez is insisting on £30 million for Xabi Alonso after the Spanish star handed in a transfer request.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

The England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday welcomed the BBC’s decision not to call for Test match cricket to be added to the ’Crown Jewels’ list of live events protected for free-to-air broadcasters. Also: Manchester City are expected to return with a third offer in excess of £20million for Joleon Lescott, despite Everton’s insistence that the defender is not for sale.

THE GUARDIAN

The Australia coach, Tim Nielsen, last night hailed England’s “fine gesture” after they gave permission to the reserve wicketkeeper Graham Manou to make a last-minute Test debut following the broken finger suffered by Brad Haddin moments before the start of play. Also: Mark Hughes has insisted that he will not be provoked into a public war of words with Sir Alex Ferguson, despite the Manchester United manager’s increasingly hostile comments about the way Manchester City have set about trying to infiltrate the Premier League’s top four.

THE INDEPENDENT

Australia suffered another Glenn McGrath moment at Edgbaston yesterday, but it was England who suffered a lot more pain on this occasion with all their fast bowlers put to the sword by new opener Shane Watson when the third Ashes Test finally beat the weather.