to become european capital of culture in 2023. we will get a reaction. with a big drop in the number of workers are starting apprenticeships, we will ask why so many employers are struggling to say, you are hired. and at 10:1i0pm we will take a look at what is making the front pages in tomorrow's papers. we'rejoined making the front pages in tomorrow's papers. we're joined by making the front pages in tomorrow's papers. we'rejoined by the head of politics at the daily mirror and the times columnist ian martin. now it's time for sports day. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm jessica creighton. coming up tonight... ashes debutants james vince and mark stoneman lead an england fight—back on day one in brisbane. is there a link between between heading a football and brain damage? a new study will investigate the long—term health impact of football. and the latest from arsenal's europa league tie at cologne. danny welbeck is back for the gunners after injury, in what is a much—changed side. plenty to get through but only one place to start, and that's in brisbane where all the hype and talking is over with the 70th men's ashes series finally underway. it's evenly balanced going into day two in around five hours time. england will start the day on 196—4 at the gabba, after mark stoneman and james vince's assured partnership of 125 on their ashes debuts. here's our sports correspondent andy swiss. what an intriguing first day at the ashes we have had at the gabba, ending with honours relatively even. england on 196—4 at the close. they won the toss and chose to bat back, getting off to a terrible start with alastair cook out on just two, caught at slip by mitchell starc. at that point we wondered if there would be an old—fashioned england collapse. —— caught at slip off mitchell starc. but they rebuilt thanks to a century partnership from james vince and mark stoneman. james vince was a surprise selection but he justified the faith of the selectors. stoneman going on 53 and vince on 83, brilliantly run out by nathan lyon, a superb piece of fielding from him, backing up his trash talk from earlier in a week with a piece of individual brilliance. england lost their fourth wicket before the close with captainjob fourth wicket before the close with captain job root out fourth wicket before the close with captainjob root out lbw to pat cummins. initially given not out, but the decision was overturned on review. england four down at the close. a day of fluctuating fortunes, but no doubt in england's start of the day, james vince. at the moment it's reasonably even. the first hour tomorrow will dictate how we look back on day one. a good hour in the morning with the guys we have got left to come in who can score quickly. getting through that new ball early in the morning and then hopefully building up towards 300, 350 or 400 if we play well. a lot of people questioned your selection in the squad at the start of the tour. how satisfying visit to prove your doubters wrong? it's a good feeling to get off to a good start. plenty of cricket left in this series and hopefully we can kick on and make big contributions as we go along. an impressive comeback from australia after a difficult start. their most successful bowler was pat cummins, playing his first test match on australian soil. i think it's pretty evenly poised. i think it all depends on what happens the next morning. they batted the whole day, but didn't really get away from us. i thought they batted quite well, four down at the end of the day i think is a pretty even results. i don't think we are going to blast them out tomorrow. i think they will show discipline. there is enough in it there, still a little bit of nip. a new ball so hopefully a bit of swing, and a couple of early ones and we can start working on the tail—enders. and we can start working on the tail-enders. england can be satisfied with their efforts on day one. moeen ali and dawid malan and the not out batsmen as they look to push onto a big first—innings total. so not long to go now until day two gets underway, and there will be ball—by—ball test match special commentary from the gabba, on bbc radio 5 live sports extra and the bbc sport website. there is also live text commentary on the website and app. you're up to date on the cricket, here's what's also coming up in the programme... england captain dylan hartley is left out of the starting fifteen for the first time under eddie jones. we're with the england camp ahead of saturday's autumn internatioal against samoa. and we're with greater manchester police for their matchday operation to look after 4,000 visiting dutch football fans in the city. a long—awaited study between the links of heading a football and brain damage will begin injanuary. the physical and mental health of around 15,000 former professional footballers is going to be studied by researchers who are trying to determine the long term impact of heading a football. the fa and the professional footballers' association have commissioned the research amid growing concern about the long—term effect that contact sport can have on the brain. we are going to be as thorough as we can possibly be. we are looking at in excess of 15,000 former footballers and matching them to somewhere around 45,000 population control. so that we get a good sense of what their numbers look like against what we expect from the population. doctor stuart claimed former west brom and england striker astro died after repeated head trauma. —— jeff astle. safety has to come first. and the health of sports men and sportswomen. this is the start, and as we said it should have been started a long time ago. but it's a big day and we can now look to the future and support the guys and hope they are given time to do the necessary research. i think this is a huge day for football. it's been a long time coming. delighted that the pfa and fa have now backed it and we can now get the answers football needs. everton and arsenal in europa league action tonight. everton can't reach the next stage whatever happens against atalanta later. arsenal are hoping to secure top spot in the group at cologne. around 35 minutes in and arsenal's francis coquelin has come closest to a goal, striking the post. it's still goalless after 35 minutes. the number of football fan arrested decreased overall last season, according to figures released today. there were a little over 1600 arrests, which is a fall of i4%. newcastle united have the highest number of fans with banning orders, while birmingham city had the highest number of fans arrested last season at 72. so there are still clearly challenges for police forces surrounding matchday operations. we've sampled the job they do this week, joining greater manchester police ahead of city's game with dutch side feyenoord. you're going to make a lot of noise. they have been drinking all day. it's all good—natu red so they have been drinking all day. it's all good—natured so far and the plan is to facilitate their movement to the stadium so they get there in time to watch the game and have a great day out in manchester. in greater manchester, all our clubs pay for the resources that are 100% allocated to their stadium or footprint. if any resources are subsequently sent in in addition, they would also cover the cost for that as well. just to wind people up? why is he going? which mayor is it? the dutch mayor. gary asked the question of dutch police. if he knows he's not going to get a good reception, why is he intending to go to shambles square? we can take an example from the authorities in england in holland. i was here last year with manchester united against feyenoord. it's very good. it's a little bit of a two—way system. if they treat us with respect than they get respect as well. it's like that. they go all over the world following their team and we get feedback that we are absolutely the best police in the world. we take it with a pinch of salt but all compliments are welcome. former manchester city winger rob ennio has been sentenced to nine yea rs ennio has been sentenced to nine years in prison for taking part in the rape of a woman. an italian court convicted the brazilian in his absence. he is back in his home country playing football. the whereabouts of the other men involved in the attack in 2013 is unknown. he is entitled to two appeals. extradition proceedings will not begin until the trial is over. world rugby has announced reforms that will "accelerate the global development of women" in the game. rugby union's world governing body is to expand the number of positions on its council by 17 — with all the new roles to be taken by women. they are aiming for one—third female representation from next year. england captain dylan hartley has been left out of the starting fifteen for the first time under head coach eddie jones, for saturday's match against samoa, at twickenham. hartley drops to the bench as hooker jamie george get his first start. chris robshaw and george ford are named co—captains. and exeter number eight sam simmonds makes a starting debut. here's our rugby union reporter chrisjones. england boss eddie jones england boss eddiejones always said 2017 was a year for building depth in his squad. this selection really supports that. i host of changes from the side that overwhelmed australia with the likes of ellis dench, charlie ewels or getting rest out. after 22 tests as hooker and captain, dylan hartley drops to the bench meaning jamie george wears the number two shirt for the first time. it's a good opportunity to give jamie the opportunity to start. we wa nt to jamie the opportunity to start. we want to see howjamie goes as jamie the opportunity to start. we want to see how jamie goes as the starting hooker. dylan hartley has been reconditioned this week so hasn't trained with the team, as we have done with a number of the players. again looking towards the six nations and the world cup. hypothetically, if you are playing new zealand this saturday, would we see a very different team with dylan hartley as captain? 10096. is with samoa in mind, this selection?m the third week of the november series. we have six nations coming up. we have samoa. we want to win the game well. george ford and chris robshaw will be co—captains. for robshaw, it's the first time he will lead the side in a test match since that disappointing world cup campaign of 2015. but the flanker says that regardless of his role it will be business as usual on saturday. it's an honour to play for your country, no matter where you are, front, middle or back of the line. it's irrelevant. to the white shirt and run out at twickenham with 80,000 people cheering, it doesn't get much better when you have armband or not. every weekend you go out there it's a huge honour and i'm looking forward to it on saturday. samoa come to twickenham on underprepared and underfunded. but the team on paper looks pretty strong with a number of players playing in england. they will be desperate to perform at the highest level. but england say they are equally hungry to finish 2017 in style. 0ur rugby union reporter chris jones there. wales have made three changes from the team beaten by australia for this saturday's test against new zealand in cardiff. hallam amos comes in for the injured liam williams, with scott williams at outside centre in the place of the injured jonathan davies. veteran jamie roberts will be on the bench, as tomos dafydd reports. 61 yea rs of 61 years of hurt. it's even longer now. three years ago, the last time the all blacks were in town, and another defeat. these are the players hoping to make history. the coach sticking with the majority of the team that lost against australia earlier this month. there are no changes in the pack from that side with alun wynjones the skipper of the side. josh navidi is at open side, winning his sixth cap. justin tipuric, not playing so far this autumn, on the bench. wales face new zealand side pushed pretty close by scotla nd zealand side pushed pretty close by scotland last weekend. a narrow victory for the world champions. so is there hope for warren gatland's team? somebody asked the question the other day looking for the headline, are they vulnerable. i don't think the all blacks are ever vulnerable. they might have a bitter criticism from last week, but they are still undefeated on this tour. the only change not enforced by injury is at scrum—half with the rhys webb returning. jonathan davies is sidelined so scott williams is referred to jamie roberts at outside centre. roberts was not in the initial squad for the autumn series and is the bench. winger alan amos comes in for the injured liam williams. george north had already been ruled out for the autumn tests through injury. his decision to leave northampton isn't the end of the world says the former team manager at the english club. lenny newman said george north, who had suffered several injuries and multiple concussions, had been a wasted commodity. like having a ferrari in your garage, but you can't find the key. north will return on a national dual contract, with the wru funding 60% and the regions paying the rest. gatlin says it will benefit the player and the nation. they recognise with these contracts the benefits to the top players, taking on those national dual contracts and limiting the number of games they play for their clu bs. number of games they play for their clubs. a minimum ofan number of games they play for their clubs. a minimum of an eight—week break in the summer and being managed from a national point of view. one man possibly not convinced is ross moriarty. warren gatland revealed he had turned down the offer of a national dual contract, but he could still return to wales. it believed the dragons have offered to fund his move from gloucester. let's take a quick look at the day's other sports news... and england are through to the semi—finals of the women's hockey world league final in new zealand. they beat the usa 2—1 in auckland, it's their second win of the tournament. eight of the england squad won olympic gold with team gb last summer, and it was rio 0lympian sophie bray, who scored both the goals. they'll now play the hosts, new zealand, for a place in the final — that's tomorrow morning. ronnie 0'sullivan is out of the northern ireland 0pen, and with it any chance of a million pound jackpot, after defeat to elliot slessa. he lost 4 frames to 1 to the world number 82. one million pounds was on offer to any player that won the english, northern ireland, scottish and welsh 0pens. former england rugby league international and super league man of steel rangi chase has been banned from all sport for two years, after testing positive for cocaine. the 31—year—old was suspended his club, widnes vikings, in august after he failed a drugs test, and can't return to the sport untiljuly 2019. we're going to return to football and there are just a few days left to vote for the 2017 bbc african footballer of the year. voting for the five—man shortlist closes at six o'clock monday evening. we've been speaking to the players in contention, and asking them if an african nation will win the world cup, before england do again? my my name is mohamed salah. naby keita. pierre-emerick aubameyang. sadio mane. victor moses. do you think an african team will win the world cup for england does? laughter ifi if i have to say one team can win the world cup before england, i have to say egypt! maybe nigeria! maybe in africa... i play for liverpool. please vote for me... they won't vote anyway! please vote for me for the bbc footballer of the year. one more time, african footballer... african footballer of the year. crazy! please vote for me... for the bbc african footballer of the year. running a marathon is hard enough, but some people like yoasha zakrefsky like to push the boundaries all the way — running several marathons, over several days, in the sweltering desert. the 41 year old doctor from scotland was the second woman to finish the 0man desert marathon earlier today. the race covers 104 miles over six days, starting inland and finishing on the coast of the arabian sea. they had to carry everything they needed on their backs, except for water, making the run even more gruelling. in around fourand in around four and a half hours' time, the second day of the first ashes test will get underway. i can't wait. england start the day on 196-4 at the can't wait. england start the day on 196—4 at the gabba. the football in germany, half time between cologne and arsenal in the europa league and it remains goalless. arsenal are already through to the last 32. that's all from sportsday. from the team and i, thanks for watching. we'll see you soon. there's been a big fall in the number of workers starting apprenticeships. 59% fewer people started apprenticeships compared with the same time last year. the drop off follows the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, meaning firms of 50 or more people must fund 10% of the training costs and release staff for one day a week of off—site training. the aim is to fund 3 million new apprenticeships through racing £2.5 billion, but it