Manchester United's football under Louis van Gaal may have been called dull at times, but his interviews have been anything but, continuing with his bizarre description of Marouane Fellaini's clash with Robert Huth.

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The Dutchman - who has called a journalist a "fat man",slapped another and called one of his players the wrong name - offered to pull BBC Sport interviewer Manish Bhasin's hair and likened Huth's antics to a sex act.
The issue that riled the Dutchman was when the Leicester defender pulled Fellaini's hair in Sunday's 1-1 draw, with Fellaini elbowing him in retaliation. Both men escaped punishment.
"When I grab you by the hair, what are you doing? Shall I do it? It's also a penalty," he told our man at Old Trafford, before continuing: "When I grab your hair, you react also. I know for sure."
When asked if Fellaini should have been sent off, he said: "No, I don't think so. It's not in the books that someone has to grab by the hair and then pull it behind - only in sex masochism."
In his Sky Sports interview - and again in his news conference - he also offered to pull journalists' hair.
"Fellaini is reacting like a human being because when I grab you with your hair and pull it backwards, you shall do also something to me, I believe."
The Belgian avoided punishment, but could potentially face a three-game Premier League ban if he is charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
Tottenham's Dele Alli recently received such a suspension for a punch on West Brom's Claudio Yacob that was not spotted by the referee at the time.
Former England captain Alan Shearer on BBC Radio 5 live: "Marouane Fellaini will get reported to the FA. If you compare that to Dele Alli then he will get banned."
Ex-Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage: "Marouane Fellaini was lucky to still be on the pitch. He has swung his arm back and caught Robert Huth around the neck area. It was six of one and half a dozen of the other but that is very dangerous play."
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Crews have taken a first look inside the Hoegh Osaka cargo ship, which had run aground in the Solent.

The Hoegh Osaka was towed to Berth 101 at Southampton docks by four tugs, from a point between East Cowes and Lee-on-the-Solent, on Thursday.
Opening the rear door on Friday revealed one of the pieces of heavy machinery it had been carrying.
Teams involved in returning the cargo ship to port have been praised by the transport secretary.
Patrick McLoughlin praised the "extraordinary dedication and courage" of the salvage crews.
Salvers are due to hand back control of the ship to its owners later.  The ship ran aground on 3 January.
Investigations by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MIIB) are set to continue with the ship back in port.
Hugh Shaw, the secretary of state's representative for maritime salvage and intervention, praised the "skill and professionalism" of all parties involved in the rescue and salvage operations.
He cited salvage company Svitzer for preventing a potential environmental disaster.
"If they hadn't got on board and found the crack in the hull and repaired it, we would have been looking at a much worse situation."
He revealed more than 12 of the ship's crew stayed on board the ship in freezing conditions on Wednesday night to enable it to be towed into Southampton.
Ship owners Hoegh Autoliners said they would be working to remove the vehicle cargo, thought to be worth up to Â£60m, from the berthed ship and assess any repairs needed to the vessel.
Spokesman Ã˜yvind Erwik said: "A lot of work remains - physical and legal.
"The cargo's condition will only be ascertained when it is safely discharged."
He said the company would not speculate further on the cause of the grounding until the investigation was complete.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I congratulate all those who have worked tirelessly day and night to bring this ship back to port.
"They battled exceptionally difficult weather conditions with extraordinary dedication and courage."
The Environment Agency confirmed no pollution had occurred although contingency plans had been in place.
Hoegh Osaka - Stranded in the Solent for 19 days


With Google creating its own parent company, Alphabet, there's a bit of moving about in the Google boardroom.

Larry Page is now chief executive of Alphabet. Sergey Brin is its president.
And moving up to be in charge of Google is 43-year-old Sundar Pichai.
Great news for Pichai, and good news too for India - his appointment makes him the latest Indian to earn a massively high-profile job in the US technology industry. Microsoft's Satya Nadella is the other notable example.
Pichai's life story is remarkable, and his rise to the top of Google is a glowing endorsement of India's standing in the global technology industry, and equally, a reassuring reminder of the so-called "American Dream".
Pichai was born and schooled in Chennai, India. He captained his school's cricket team, leading it to win regional competitions.
He studied Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur). According to one of his tutors, quoted in the Times of India, Pichai was the "brightest of his batch".
He has evidently used his talent to great effect at Google, a company he joined in 2004. Products under his watch include Google's web browser, Chrome, as well as the Android mobile operating system.
Android is by far the world's most popular mobile OS - a fact made perhaps more startling by the fact Pichai's family did not possess a telephone until he was 12 years old.
According to a profile in Bloomberg magazine, Pichai's upbringing was humble. His family lived in a two room apartment. Pichai didn't have a room - he slept on the living room floor, as did his younger brother.
The family didn't own a television, or a car.
But Pichai's father planted the seeds of technology into his boy's mind, partly thanks to his job at British conglomerate General Electric Company (not to be confused with the American General Electric).
"I used to come home and talk to him a lot about my work day and the challenges I faced," Regunatha Pichai told Bloomberg, adding that Sundar had a remarkable talent for remembering telephone numbers.
After graduating from IIT Kharagpur, Pichai was offered a scholarship at the ultimate breeding ground of tech geniuses - Stanford. The plane ticket to America cost more than his Dad's annual salary.
At Google, Pichai is described as soft-spoken, and well liked. He is also very popular among developers - he runs Google's annual developer event, I/O.
"Sundar has been saying the things I would have said (and sometimes better!) for quite some time now, and I've been tremendously enjoying our work together," wrote Larry Page in his blogpost announcing all the big changes.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin have been hands-off with Google's day-to-day running for sometime, and so, in Pichai's life, today's announcement is simply making it official: he's in charge.
His remit is best summed up as Google's core products - the bits that make the real money. That includes things like search, advertising, maps and YouTube.
He has challenges to navigate, like YouTube's increasingly intense battle with Facebook in the video space. The social network has dramatically increased the amount of video being watched on its site - but YouTube still holds the title of most popular, for now at least.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC.


Coventry Transport Museum has fully reopened after a £9.5m redevelopment.

Twelve out of 14 exhibits have been replaced at the site, where vehicles previously in storage have now been put on display.
The redevelopment has taken 15 months and the museum has been running at about half capacity for around six months.
It fully reopened at 13:00 BST, when an event began in Millennium Place.
The museum includes items from the cycle industry and more than 3,000 toy car models.  It also reflects how Coventry's mass car-making came to an end and the effects on the city.


Leeds United were held by Fulham at Elland Road and have won just one in 10 Championship games despite Lewis Cook's wonderful equaliser.

Ex-Leeds trainee Tom Cairney gave Fulham the lead with an excellent volley on the edge of the box.
Cook, 19, levelled with a sublime 35-yard shot which gave goalkeeper Andy Lonergan no chance.
Fulham finished with 10 men after defender Fernando Amorebieta was sent off for a second bookable offence.
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The result leaves Leeds 17th in the table, 12 points above the relegation zone with 14 games remaining.
Fulham, who have 13 games left, are one place below with a 10-point safety cushion.
The home side survived an early scare as Luke Garbutt's deflected strike flashed just wide before Sol Bamba headed former Leeds captain Ross McCormack's mis-hit volley against his own crossbar.
Fulham took the lead when Cairney took the ball down on the edge of the box and volleyed past motionless Leeds keeper Marco Silvestri - his fourth goal in as many games.
Garbutt stung the palms of Silvestri before the hosts levelled thanks to a moment of inspiration by Cook from distance.
Amorebieta was sent off for stopping a Leeds break with a handball deep into stoppage time.
Leeds United boss Steve Evans:
"If [Lewis Cook's] goal was scored in the Premier League then it would get shown for the next five years. I don't think I have seen a better goal scored. I've just seen a stunning goal from a stunning young player.
"We were unfortunate not to win but we need to improve in terms of scoring goals."
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic:
"It's good news for us because we showed a different face and a different performance as what we showed last Tuesday night against Blackburn.
"We created many [chances], they scored a fantastic goal too. In the end, in my opinion, I believe we played better football than Leeds and we were closer to win the three points.
"At the end, Leeds was fighting very well and put us under some kind of pressure. They are fighting and deserve this point too."
Match ends, Leeds United 1, Fulham 1.
Second Half ends, Leeds United 1, Fulham 1.
Second yellow card to Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham) for hand ball.
Hand ball by Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham).
Lewis Cook (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Cook (Leeds United).
Corner,  Leeds United. Conceded by Dan Burn.
Attempt blocked. Charlie Taylor (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Tom Cairney (Fulham).
Lewie Coyle (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Moussa Dembele (Fulham).
Liam Cooper (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Leeds United. Jordan Botaka replaces Tom Adeyemi.
Attempt missed. Souleymane Doukara (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Charlie Taylor with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Leeds United. Conceded by Dan Burn.
Substitution, Fulham. Jazz Richards replaces Ryan Fredericks.
Ryan Fredericks (Fulham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Fredericks (Fulham).
Charlie Taylor (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Cairney (Fulham).
Lewis Cook (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Alexander Kacaniklic (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ross McCormack.
Attempt missed. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Lewis Cook with a cross.
Substitution, Leeds United. Stuart Dallas replaces Alex Mowatt.
Attempt missed. Lewis Cook (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Lewie Coyle.
Foul by Michael Madl (Fulham).
Souleymane Doukara (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Sol Bamba.
Attempt saved. Ryan Tunnicliffe (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ross McCormack.
Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Tom Adeyemi (Leeds United).
Substitution, Leeds United. Lee Erwin replaces Mirco Antenucci.
Sol Bamba (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card.
Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Ross McCormack (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner from a direct free kick.
Foul by Tom Adeyemi (Leeds United).
Ryan Tunnicliffe (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Hand ball by Ryan Fredericks (Fulham).


The £76m sale of Aston Villa to Chinese businessman Tony Xia is expected to be confirmed on Monday.

Xia has proved to the Premier League and the Football League that he has adequate funds and has passed the owners and directors test.
He flies in on Sunday night to meet Football League chairman Shaun Harvey to tick the final box of approval.
The Football League has to make the final decision because relegated Villa are no longer in the Premier League.
That is deemed to be a formality and after meeting Harvey on Monday morning, Xia is expected to travel from London to Villa Park to meet key staff.
The last piece in the jigsaw will be getting the necessary documents signed by lawyers representing current owner Randy Lerner.
Xia, who will become Villa chairman once the move is ratified, will pay £52m to buy the club with the extra £24m as an overdraft.
There will be a considerable sum available to new manager Roberto di Matteo to buy new players - up to £35m plus any money generated from selling current players.
Di Matteo will be getting the players back early to assess their prospects then taking them to Austria for pre-season training after extending the session out there from four to seven days.
He will make no decision on their futures until he has seen them face-to-face, and then in training.
But the new manager is already planning to be active in the transfer market this week.


Raith Rovers shocked Rangers with a goal late in extra-time to lift the Ramsdens Cup for the first time at Easter Road.

BBC Scotland pundits Derek Ferguson, who played for both finalists, and Billy Dodds, who is a former Rangers striker, here give their marks out of 10 for the two sides.
The former Rangers goalkeeper made some excellent saves and kept Raith Rovers in the game. If it was not for the heroics of defender Dougie Hill, Robinson would have been man of the match.
Raith Rovers' captain was sound and solid throughout and the full-back worked hard down the right.
Rovers' two central defenders coped with everything Rangers threw at them. The imposing Jon Daly was kept quiet, which says it all.
The central defender was man of the match for his show of great bravery, staying on after picking up a shoulder injury and playing through the pain barrier in extra time.
Like Thomson, Booth got forward when he could from his full-back position and also defended soundly. On home turf, the on-loan Hibernian defender had his hands full against Fraser Aird, who was Rangers' biggest threat, but coped reasonably well.
Wingers sometimes get lazy but, over the piece, Anderson did his job well defensively and showed real energy in getting forward, too.
He stayed back for much of the match but made a solid contribution and was tidy in distribution as part of Rovers' holding midfield duo.
Along with Fox, Moon did his defensive duties and picked his moments to go forward.
The winger worked his socks off and showed plenty of energy as well as doing his job in defence.
The winning goal was great compensation after it did not work out for the striker with Partick Thistle. He worked hard up front without much service.
The former Hearts striker used his physicality to unsettle Lee McCulloch and Bilel Mohsni in Rangers' defence.
Another who was back in familiar territory, the former Hibs man fitted well into the defensive midfield role vacated by Moon.
The former Celtic youth lacks a bit of quality at times but looked threatening when he came on and set up the winner.
The former Hearts striker put in a good shift when he came on.
The goalkeeper is one of the few Rangers players to get pass marks. He had a couple of routine saves before stopping Greig Spence's effort but was unable to stop John Baird on the rebound.
As an experienced player, the former Aberdeen and Bristol City full-back needed to contribute more. Poor distribution got him in trouble and he had a hand in the errors that led to the winning goal.
Rangers did not play to the strengths of the Scotland left-back. They did not use his athleticism to their advantage, although he did force one save from the goalkeeper.
The Rangers captain is usually reliable, but a poor clearance contributed to the winning goal. He picked the worst time to have his worst display of the season.
The Frenchman had a nightmare. His distribution was dismal, he slipped in the lead-up to the goal and twice headed over from close range.
At the moment, he has the Rangers fans on his back in a similar way to Charlie Adam because, rather than play the simple pass, he is trying another World Cup pass after five have already failed. The central midfielder looks a pale shadow of the player he was at Hearts.
The game by-passed him in central midfield, where he seemed unsure of his role.
The winger was Rangers' biggest threat in the first half. He faded after the break but showed good appetite for a young man.
He is a left-back playing as a left midfielder and it looked like it. However, he did force a good save with an excellent free-kick.
The striker so impressive last season for Dundee United was hardly in the game and looks to lack confidence and fitness. He had no service and did not impose himself on the Rovers central defenders.
Law appears to be another who has been dragged down after joining Rangers. He did have a shot that hit a post, but he is not impressing in midfield the way he did with Motherwell.
The defender made no impact on the game after replacing Wallace and his distribution was poor.
The striker tried hard enough, but nothing came off for him and his one shot was saved.
It was a surprise that the young forward was not brought on earlier considering his recent performances. He was not given enough time to make an impact.
Billy Dodds and Derek Ferguson were talking to BBC Scotland's Clive Lindsay.


For Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Earth lay at the centre of a small universe and the idea of alien life was unthinkable.

Since then the tide of opinion has turned. Astronomers have shown that Earth may be just one of myriad habitable worlds.
Meanwhile biologists have shed light on how life might have originated here, and therefore on other planets too.
Far from being unique, many now regard Earth as an ordinary lump of space rock and believe that life "out there" is almost inevitable. But could the truth be somewhat more complex?
On Friday, top scientists are meeting at the Geological Society in London to debate this very issue, posing the question: "Is the Earth special?". What emerges is that aspects of our planet and its evolution are remarkably strange.
Prof Monica Grady is a meteorite expert at the Open University. She explained in what sense the Earth could be considered special.
"Well, there are several unusual aspects of our planet," she said. "First is our strong magnetic field. No one is exactly sure how it works, but it's something to do with the turbulent motion that occurs in the Earth's liquid outer core. Without it, we would be bombarded by harmful radiation from the Sun."
"The next thing is our big Moon," continued Prof Grady. "As the Earth rotates, it wobbles on its axis like a child's spinning top. What the Moon does is dampen down that wobbleâ€¦ and that helps to prevent extreme climate fluctuations" - which would be detrimental to life.
"Finally, there's plate tectonics," she added. "We live on a planet that is constantly recycling its crust. That's another way that the Earth stabilises its climate." This works because plate tectonics limits the amount of carbon dioxide escaping into the atmosphere - a natural way of controlling the greenhouse effect.
If these factors were important for life flourishing on Earth, an obvious question is what went wrong for our moribund neighbours, Venus and Mars?
One popular explanation is the Goldilocks Effect. This states that Venus was simply too close to the Sun and overheated while Mars was too far away and froze. Between these extremes - like the baby bear's porridge - Earth was "just right" for life.
Indeed, just this week astronomers confirmed the discovery of an Earth-like planet in this "habitable zone" around a star not unlike our own.
Dr Richard Ghail, an expert on Venus at Imperial College London, is highly sceptical of this Goldilocks theory, however.
"For me, the key thing is that Venus has a lower density than the Earth," he told the BBC. "That difference was fixed early on in the formation of the Solar System when there were lots of planetary collisions." In the case of Venus, collisions led to accretion into a single planet, but with Earth, the lighter material was flung off to form the Moon.
One effect of Venus's lower density is that its interior melts more easily. So, whereas the Earth has a swirling core that is part solid and part liquid, the core of Venus is entirely liquid - and strangely calm.
In Dr Ghail's opinion, this has led to a spiral of doom for Venus. Without a turbulent core, no magnetic field was generated. And no magnetic field meant that Venus was mercilessly battered by solar radiation, causing it to lose all its water.
Because water is needed to "lubricate" plate tectonics, the crust stopped recycling. Consequently, carbon dioxide built up in the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect ran out of control. As a result, today, Venus is a lifeless inferno whose surface is hot enough to melt zinc.
Dr Ghail said: "When you think about it, there was this one amazing chance event [a collision that flung off the Moon] that made the Earth the way it is." If that had not happened, life on Earth might not have evolved at all.
Given that Earth's history was shaped by a single improbable event, one might be tempted to assume that life elsewhere must be extremely rare.
Wrong, argues Dr Nick Lane, a geneticist at University College London. He believes that the emergence of life is probable on any wet, rocky planet.
Dr Lane explained the reasons for his confidence, saying: "One of the most common minerals in the Universe is olivine; interstellar dust is full of it. When olivine and water mix on the seafloor, the reaction is exothermic." That is, it gives off heat.
The environment produced by this reaction "provides analogues for all six essential processes of living organisms," continued Dr Lane. But the especially important thing is that it releases "a rich source of chemical energy that is much easier for an organism to tap than, for example, the Sun's energy".
Thus, wherever olivine and water mix in large quantities, conditions are favourable for the emergence of life.
Consequently, life is not limited to planets that orbit a star; conceivably it could also exist on asteroids drifting through deep space. Simply put, "The Earth is not special," concluded Dr Lane.
Prof Simon Conway Morris, a renowned palaeontologist at the University of Cambridge, is not entirely convinced by these arguments, however.
"I would tend to raise one cautious eyebrow to such arguments," he said. After all, there is a horrible gulf between elementary chemical systems and the creation of fully functioning cells. It is a gap that we have been remarkably unable to bridge experimentally."
Prof Conway Morris concluded: "One important jigsaw piece that is rarely mentioned in these discussions is Fermi's Paradox." This is the concept of the Great Silence; in other words, if life is common in the Universe, why have we not managed to contact it?
And that surely is the key. For in the absence of verifiable alien contact, scientific opinion will forever remain split as to whether the Universe teems with life or we are alone in the inky blackness.


Kevin Kelbie secured Linlithgow Rose a historic Scottish Cup tie against Premiership side Ross County then described it as just another game.

The 30-year-old striker scored in extra time to knock out League One side Forfar Athletic as Rose became the first junior side to reach the last 16.
"Some of the boys haven't played senior football and it will be happy days," Kelbie told BBC Scotland.
"We have just got to look forward to it. It's just another game basically."
Kelbie has himself tasted Scotland's senior game with Alloa Athletic, Greenock Morton and Stirling Albion.
But, since 2012, he has been competing in the separate Scottish Junior Football League system and spent the last two seasons with Linlithgow in the East Superleague.
"We'll just take each game as it comes and the most important thing is the game on Saturday now," said Kelbie.
"It will be back to training on Thursday night and preparing for the Scottish Junior Cup - a replay away to Irvine Meadow.
"This will do us the world of good and we'll get a bit of fitness out of it too."
Rose have beaten Gala Fairydean Rovers of the Lowland League, Highland League sides Clachnaccudin and Wick Academy, having been drawn away from home in each round, then Forfar from League One.
Asked if the West Lothian side could overcome the odds again against the side sitting fifth in the top flight, Kelbie laughed before saying: "Let's be realistic here. We'll take the next game as it comes.
"It is an experience for a lot of boys and we'll go and enjoy it. There's no pressure on us."
Kelbie, who also had spells in Northern Irish football with Glentoran, Ballymena United and Glenavon after a sports scholarship at Northern Oklahoma College, had a couple of chances to score before his winning goal.
"I thought it had maybe slipped past us," he admitted. "I think everybody in the stadium thought it was going to penalties.
"In the second half, I cracked one off the post and I thought it was going in.
"You've just got to keep digging in and chances will come. Luckily enough, we got the wee breakthrough - happy days.
"It was a good game to watch - end to end - and luckily enough we got the victory."


Polls have closed in Iran's first election since a deal with world powers over the country's nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions.

Voting was extended three times as crowds reportedly flocked to polling stations. Turnout was said to be high.
Iranians have been electing a new parliament and Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that appoints the Supreme Leader.
Reformists are hoping to gain influence in the conservative-dominated bodies.
But of 12,000 people who registered as candidates, only half were allowed to stand, including  just 200 moderates.
The outcome could affect reformist President Hassan Rouhani's chances of re-election in 2017.
What is the Assembly of Experts?
Iran elections: Five things to know
Elections highlight divisions
Punchy politics on social media
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a big turnout to "disappoint" the country's enemies.
"Whoever likes Iran and its dignity, greatness and glory should vote," he said after casting his ballot.
State TV said polling stations had closed at 23:45 (20:15 GMT), more than five hours after the scheduled closing time of 18:00.
The parliamentary elections are to choose 290 MPs for four-year terms.
Voters will also select 88 clerics to the Assembly of Experts, who serve eight-year terms.
Members of the new Assembly might end up choosing the successor to Ayatollah Khamenei, who is 76 and has suffered ill-health.
Some 55 million people were eligible to vote.
BBC Persian's Ali Hamedani says the economy has been a key issue in this election.
With sanctions lifted and Western investors beginning to return to Iran, there are high hopes for an improvement in daily life, he says.
Reformists and moderates say they are targeting greater foreign investment which, our correspondent says, will drive jobs for young people.
More than half of Iranians are under 35 but the youth unemployment rate is 25%, more than two and a half times the national average.
However, conservatives say strong economic growth is more likely to come from domestic production in what they describe as a "resistance economy" that draws on the ideals of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Results for the Assembly of Experts are expected over the weekend.
The results of the parliamentary election could take longer and it is likely to go to a second round in April.
Candidates need 25% of the vote to win outright and there are an average of 17 candidates per seat.


A community group raising money to fund the building of a new school has generated more than £100,000 from a community shares scheme.

Strontian Community School Building Limited proposes replacing a mid-1970s primary school building with a new one on another site in Strontian.
Last year, the group received £50,825 from the Scottish Land Fund to buy a plot next to Ardnamurchan High School.
The rest of the funding needed to pay for the school is to come from a loan.
However, Strontian Community School Building Limited hopes to raise more funds to reduce the amount that it would need to borrow.
Once built, the building would be leased to Highland Council. The local authority has described the project as "innovative".
The new building would be designed in such a way that it could easily be converted into three terraced houses, or another community facility, in the future.
This conversion would happen if Highland Council later decided to construct its own primary school in the village.


A second body has been washed ashore near to where two teenagers went missing after getting into difficulty in the sea last week.

Waseem Al-Muflehi, 15, and Yahya Mohammed, 14, both from Birmingham, disappeared in the water at Barmouth beach, in Gwynedd, last Sunday.
Yahye's body was recovered from the sea at Sunny Sands in the Llanaber area on Friday morning.
The other body was found shortly after 14:10 BST on Saturday.
North Wales Police and other emergency services, including the Barmouth inshore lifeboat, were called to a section of the coastline between Sunny Sands and Cae Daniel, near Llanaber, where they recovered the body of a male from the sea.
He has yet to be formally identified however police have notified Waseem's family.
Earlier, the body washed up on Friday was identified as being that of Yahya.
Insp Andy McGregor, of North Wales Police, said: "Yesterday evening Yahye was identified by family members and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.
"They are being supported by specialist family liaison officers and we hope you can respect the family's privacy at this very difficult time."
His death is not being treated as suspicious.
The boys were part of a group of about 500 people from the Somali and Yemeni communities in Birmingham who were visiting the area on Sunday, 7 August.
Emergency services were called to the beach after one of the boys was seen to "disappear under the water".
People tried to help them but the wind and waves were said to have been too strong.


A row has broken out about the system for giving NHS hospitals in England their income.

Hospital chiefs have rejected plans for next year's payment system, warning that safe care could not be guaranteed under what was being proposed.
Much of a hospital's funding comes from a set of tariffs that rewards them per patient treated.
NHS bosses had proposed a cut of just under 4% - once inflation is taken into account - as part of a savings drive.
The dispute does not affect services, but is a sign of the mounting pressure on the hospital sector.
Waiting-time targets are already being missed for A&E, cancer and routine operations and at the halfway point of the 2014-15 tax year, the NHS was £630m overspent.
NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said it was the fifth year of cuts to the payment system - and hospitals could no longer cope.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the decision to reject the proposals had "not been taken lightly", but 80% of hospitals were now in deficit.
"It is a clear response from the front line that they can no longer guarantee sustainable and safe care," he added.
The dispute may now have to be considered by the Competition and Markets Authority - the first time such a move has happened since the system changed under the Health and Social Care Act.
If it is not resolved by April, it will mean the payment rates for this year are carried over. As they are more generous, that would put even more pressure on budgets.
NHS England, which is in charge of the payment system along with Monitor, the economic regulator for the NHS, said changing the plans would be "robbing Peter to pay Paul".
The reduction in the tariff had been proposed to free up more money for services outside of hospitals as part of the push to move care into the community.


A number of items of gold jewellery that have been hidden for more than 2,000 years have been uncovered.

The gold torques and rings were removed from one of the largest hoards of Celtic coins ever discovered.
Experts from Jersey Heritage working at the Hogue Bie Museum discovered the gold while removing coins.
The hoard was found by metal detector enthusiasts Reg Mead and Richard Miles who had been searching for it for more than 30 years after hearing rumours.
Neil Mahrer, in charge of separating the coins for Jersey Heritage, said: "We have been removing coins from the hoard for about 15 months now and have removed 30,000 of about 70,000 coins.
"It is important for us to keep a track of where the gold is within the hoard and so we have paced ourselves in removing it, taking two large pieces out each day for a week."
He said the gold torques were the equivalent of royal jewellery to the people who left the hoard. He said they "would only have been worn by very important individuals."
When the gold has been removed fully they will take samples from their hollow centres to get organic material.
Mr Mahrer said this would tell them what was going on when they were buried.
"The gold jewellery is the most spectacular thing. We left them all on the surface until we removed the coins around them and are now slowly removing them," he said.
It will take about another year and a half to remove all the remaining coins and objects.


On Monday, India sent a rocket into space which successfully launched eight satellites in one go.

The main purpose of the launch which took place at the Sriharikota space centre off India's eastern coast, was to put into orbit SCATSAT-1, a satellite that will help weather forecasting. Five of the other satellites that were on board are foreign, from the US, Canada and Algeria.
In June India launched 20 satellites in a single mission, the most in the history of the country's ambitious space programme. Seventeen of those were foreign.
Monday's launch takes the number of foreign satellites launched by India to 79. This has earned the country more than $120m (Â£92m). And India's space agency has already secured deals to launch dozens more foreign satellites.
This is good news for a country that has often faced criticism for spending money on a space programme when it has problems like poverty and hunger to tackle.
AS Kiran Kumar, chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), says the agency is trying to make its operations more cost-effective.
"We will be able to maximise our returns by making use of the excess space available in the vehicle while we are launching the satellites we make for our national requirements," he says.
India's ability to launch multiple satellites in a single mission has also put it on firm footing in the global market.
Many private companies are developing satellites that they need for their operations, but most cannot afford to launch these independently. So they need to piggyback on missions from agencies like Isro that have launch facilities.
"The need for launches is growing exponentially worldwide, primarily because of new companies that are planning to launch entire commercial constellations [groups] of satellites, where a single company might need to launch anything between 24 to 648 satellites," says Susmita Mohanty, chief executive of Earth2Orbit, a company that has been helping negotiate launch deals between India's space agency and private firms.
Another thing that could be making India an attractive proposition is the frequency of its launches and its ability to meet deadlines.
"So far we have been able to meet the time requirements of the customers," says Mr Kumar.
India now plans to have as many as 12 launches a year, a pace that's more than doubled since 2015.
Still, getting foreign satellites on board is not simple.
"It's fairly complex to get a foreign commercial company to launch on a rocket built by a government space agency,' says Ms Mohanty.
"There are regulatory hurdles, contractual, legal and export control complications."
And of course there's competition too, not only from other space-faring countries but also increasingly from private firms like Elon Musk's SpaceX.
So far India has only been launching small and light foreign satellites, using the PSLV, which has become its most reliable launch vehicle, with 36 consecutive successful launches so far.
"In this weight class there are not too many operators,' says Mr Kumar.
"In the heavier weight class there are many, for example Europe's Ariane rocket has established itself and from the new lot there is SpaceX, but even they have not provided many opportunities for such small satellite operators."
But launching heavier satellites is where the big money is, which is why many players are even reducing the price of their rocket launches to bag more deals.
India has been launching heavy satellites on its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) but so far it has only been used for domestic satellites.
In recent months though, there have been queries from foreign companies for launches on the GSLV.
If India can successfully start taking more heavy satellites to space, it could really fire up its position in a market that's worth billions of dollars.


Willie Walsh, the head of British Airways owner IAG, has backed the BA boss in his first interview since the IT fiasco that grounded flights last weekend.

He said Alex Cruz, the British Airways chief executive, had done a great job.
Mr Walsh said he doubted anyone could have managed the challenge better and that Mr Cruz did well to get planes back in the air as quickly as he did.
The IAG boss again apologised for the chaos caused by the outage.
"Clearly we will do everything we can to make up [for] the disruption they suffered," Mr Walsh said.
Saturday's IT meltdown grounded hundreds of flights and disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers around the world.
Mr Walsh said it was unfair to try to blame Mr Cruz because the problem was not of his making.
"We know what happened but we're still investigating why it happened and that investigation will take some time," he said.
"The team at British Airways did everything they could in the circumstances to recover the operation as quickly as they did and our focus will be on making sure that any of our customers who experienced disruption are managed and satisfied with how we handled things."
The airline said on Wednesday that a loss of power to a UK data centre was "compounded" by a power surge that took out its IT systems.
BA claimed that this did not constitute an IT failure, but rather "it was an electrical power supply which was interrupted".
By Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent
There are two interesting points here.
One. Willie Walsh has launched a pretty robust defence of the man at the helm of British Airways, Alex Cruz.
Apparently, he "could not have done a better job" handling the crisis and criticism of him is "unfair".
The BA boss came under fire for taking three days to give an interview about the problems and for failing to tell stranded customers what was going on.
Two. Mr Walsh says they know what went wrong, but they don't know why. And they won't know for some time.
There's been widespread scepticism amongst IT experts I've spoken to, including former BA IT workers, that the airline's current explanation of a "local power surge" could truly have wreaked such havoc.


Manager Kevin Nolan says Notts County's remarkable revival is down to having intelligent players who learn quickly.

The Magpies had lost 10 League Two games in a row when Nolan was appointed on 12 January and were just one point and one place above the bottom two.
But the win at second-placed Plymouth Argyle was their fourth in nine games under Nolan and took them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
"This is not a time to relax now," Nolan told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"This is the time to work even harder and that is what we are going to do. We will continue to do that because that's what we are doing behind the scenes as a backroom staff."
The victory over Argyle was achieved thanks to Jorge Grant - one of four players who moved to the Meadow Lane club towards the end of the January transfer window.
Former Newcastle and West Ham midfielder Nolan also registered as a player but is yet to feature, while experienced striker Shola Ameobi has recently signed.
Four games into his tenure, Nolan insisted that they were not in a relegation battle, despite at that time being in an identical position to when he took charge.
He added: "I didn't know the players personally, but once I got to know them I knew I had intelligent footballers, who could handle what I would throw at them.
"They have done that tremendously and they keep working hard."
The 34-year-old said he and chairman Alan Hardy both shared the same "110% work ethic", adding: "The lads know that and it's brilliant they have brought into it and are getting the results because of it."


Work is set to start on a £1bn combined food and power plant on Anglesey, which will create more than 1,700 jobs.

The large biomass plant and eco park will be built near Holyhead after the company behind it, Orthios, bought the former Anglesey Aluminium site.
The development will see more than 500 permanent jobs and 1,200 construction jobs brought to the area before 2018.
The plant will process waste wood to create power, with heat generated used to farm prawns and grow vegetables.
It is expected to generate 299MW of electricity, which is enough to power about 300,000 homes.
Albert Owen, MP for Anglesey, said Orthios Eco Park had the potential "to be a catalyst in giving the local economy a much-needed boost".
"The company intends to liaise with businesses, training providers and schools in the area - the benefits of which will be seen in the local and regional economy as well as providing career opportunities," he said.
The plant is one of two planned for Wales - a similar facility will also be built in Port Talbot - after which the technology will be rolled out to China and developing countries.
The idea is for a biomass power plant generating electricity with spare heat being used to warm indoor ponds for king prawn farming. The UK currently imports king prawns.
Waste from the prawns can then be used as fertiliser to grow crops.
Isle of Anglesey Council leader Ieuan Williams said there would be more jobs as a result of the "innovative project", adding that the impact would be felt in the wider community and along the supply chain.
He said the plant cemented Anglesey's reputation as an island for innovation and centre of excellence for energy projects.
Lewis LeVasseur, chief operations officer of Orthios, said the plant's importance stemmed from it being a "solution for food and power generation for developing nations around the world".
He added: "The impact for the island's population is the diverse range of skill sets that will be required to run and manage the eco park."
Anglesey Aluminium smelting works shut in 2009 with the loss of nearly 400 jobs.


A man "soldiered on" after a "serious and brutal" hammer attack by a friend before dying five days later, a court was told.

Cambridge Crown Court heard that Mitchell Bird assaulted Bradley Carter at a flat in Wisbech on 14 February.
The jury was told Mr Carter, 35, complained of pain before being taken to hospital by his mother on 19 February, where he collapsed and died.
Mr Bird, 29, of Cox Close, Wisbech, denies murder.
Opening for the prosecution, Richard Christie QC said Mr Carter had gone to Mr Bird's flat to stay after he had been "kicked out" of his mother's house for openly taking drugs.
The court was told both Mr Carter and Mr Bird were regular drug users.
Neighbours reported a disturbance and "commotion" on the night of 14 February, and Mr Bird had accused his friend of trying to steal from him, the court heard.
Read more Cambridgeshire stories here
The court was told that Mr Carter claimed Mitchell Bird had "beat him repeatedly with a hammer" causing "holes in his legs".
Jurors were shown pictures of Mr Carter's injuries taken by himself and his mother in the days between the attack and his death.
Mr Christie explained that Mr Carter had an enlarged spleen that lay outside his ribcage, and it was damaged "in the course of this attack from kicks to his body".
The attack "caused him to haemorrhage and bleed internally" when his spleen later ruptured, he added.
Mr Carter had complained to friends and family about the attack, as well as to a probation officer and housing officer, the court heard.
On 19 February, his mother Helen Barnes took him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn for tests because his condition was not improving and he complained of "significant back pain".
When she returned from paying a parking meter, her son had collapsed and died, the jury was told.
"Although there was a delay in Bradley Carter dying, this defendant murdered him," Mr Christie said.
"We have clear evidence in this case that points to Mitchell Bird having perpetrated that assault."
Mitchell Bird denies one count of murder and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent.
The trial continues and is expected to last two weeks.


A doctor and two nurses have pleaded not guilty to causing the death of a woman who travelled from Ireland for an abortion at a west London clinic.

Aisha Chithira, 32, died after having an abortion at a Marie Stopes clinic in Ealing on 21 January 2012.
Dr Adedayo Adedeji, 63, and the nurses Margaret Miller, 55, and Gemma Pullen, 32, have been accused of manslaughter by gross negligence.
They denied the charge at the Old Bailey and will stand trial on 7 March.
Dr Adedeji, from Hornchurch, Essex, Ms Miller, from Camberley, Surrey, and Ms Pullen, from Stoke-on-Trent, were not arraigned on further charges of failing to take reasonable care of the health and safety contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
All three have been granted bail.


Plans to return the Eurasian lynx to a Northumberland forest 1,300 years after it became extinct in the UK have been submitted to Natural England.

The Lynx UK Trust wants to introduce six lynx to Kielder Forest on a five-year trial period to be monitored by satellite collars.
The plan is opposed by some residents and sheep farmers who fear the animals would attack livestock.
Natural England will now decide on the plan.
Dr Paul O'Donoghue, the project's chief scientific adviser, said the scheme "marks a significant milestone in the history of UK conservation; potentially the first return of an extinct predator, which could prove to be a really keystone species for our ecosystem".
He said: "We've now reached a point where we feel every piece of research has been done, every concern that can be raised has been raised, and the only way to move truly forward is with an intensively monitored trial reintroduction of a small number of cats."
Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, previously told the BBC said there were several hundred sheep farmers around Kielder, any one of whom could be affected by the lynx.
He said the area was not suitable for lynx and one sheep being attacked could cause major stress and possible damage to the rest of the flock.


The UK has said it is "working closely" with India and the European Commission to end a planned ban on mango imports.

Indian mangoes, often sold by the box-load, will be banned from Thursday by the commission because plant pests could threaten European salad crops.
The UK reportedly imports nearly 16 million mangoes each year, worth Â£6m.
Monica Bhandari, from wholesalers Fruity Fresh, said there were other options to tackle the pests and called for an "urgent" reversal of the ban.
She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme that Australia, New Zealand and Japan dealt with the problem using vapour heat treatment and the EU should do the same.
In an e-petition on the UK government's website she said: "For many growers and exporters in India the ban means the end of their business. Growing for the season has commenced and so vast quantities of mangoes will be destroyed."
The European Commission said the unanimous vote to bring in the ban followed "significant shortcomings" in the certification system of such products exported to the EU.
It said "there was a high number of such consignments being intercepted at arrival in the EU with quarantine pests, mainly insects, like non-European fruit flies".
The EC says such pests were found in 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India imported into the EU in 2013.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the pests posed no risk to public health but insects such as the tobacco whitefly, which can carry over 100 harmful viruses, could threaten tomato and cucumber crops.
Environment Minister Lord de Mauley said: "India is a key trading partner and these temporary restrictions affect a tiny percentage of the successful business we conduct with them.
"We are working closely with our Indian and European counterparts to resolve the issue and resume trade in these select products as soon as possible."
A Defra statement said: "The products banned can be sourced from other nations and will have minimal impacts on our supply."


Hundreds of jobs have been saved after an engineering company that went into administration was bought.

Liberty House said it was acquiring automotive supplier CovPress in a deal securing 740 skilled workers' jobs at a plant in Canley, Coventry.
CovPress, which supplies Jaguar Land Rover, Renault and General Motors, had been in administration since September.
The business, which will be renamed Liberty Pressing Solutions, has existed on the Canley site for 120 years.
Read more news for Coventry and Warwickshire
Liberty Industries Group, part of Liberty House Group, which already has 17 engineering businesses employing more than 1,000 people in the West Midlands, said it regarded the CovPress acquisition as a strong strategic fit with its expanding presence in the automotive supply chain.
Liberty House Group is an international business, specialising in metals trading and the manufacture and distribution of steel and advanced engineering products and it seems to be expanding rapidly in the West Midlands.
Last year, the company bought up some parts of the collapsed Caparo business, many of which were based in the Black Country.
Now Liberty's acquired another business out of administration and with it a major advance into the automotive sector.
Bizarrely, CovPress had full order books but suffered cashflow problems.
Liberty House isn't short of money and for the group acquiring CovPress would appear to be the quickest way of growing its capacity at a time when sales in the automotive sector show no sign of slowing down.
The group completed the purchase of an aluminium smelter at Fort William three weeks ago.
Liberty Industries Group chief executive Douglas Dawson said it was "very familiar with the high quality of the operation at CovPress".
He said: "We have drawn up a detailed plan to ensure the future sustainability and profitability of the business.
"That will include ongoing capital investment, strengthened financial management and the benefits that will come from joint purchasing and marketing with our other operations in the UK."
The deal completed with administrators Grant Thornton UK LLP secures the 740 jobs, Liberty said.


Divers searching for a man who went missing while swimming off the coast of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland have recovered a body.

A search has been ongoing for Corporal Gavin Carey since he got in to difficulty in the sea on Tuesday.
The body was discovered in the water on Sunday morning.
It is understood the soldier was one of a group of five swimmers who were in the sea at Tullan Strand, near Bundoran, on Tuesday evening.
Four of the group were able to make it to safety with the help of local surfers.
Tullan Strand is a popular surfing location and is regarded locally as a safe place to swim.


Actress Jeanne Moreau, one of French cinema's biggest stars of the last 60 years, has died at the age of 89.

Moreau is probably best known for her role in Francois Truffaut's 1962 new wave film Jules et Jim.
She won a number of awards including the best actress prize at Cannes for Moderato Cantabile in 1960.
She also worked with Orson Welles on several films and won the Bafta Award for best foreign actress for Viva Maria! in 1967.
Moreau was found dead at her home in Paris, the district's mayor told the AFP news agency.
Paying tribute, French President Emmanuel Macron said Moreau had "embodied cinema" and was a free spirit who "always rebelled against the established  order".
Of the three most iconic French actresses of her generation - herself, Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot - Moreau was the one with the most on-screen authority. Post-war French cinema is unthinkable without her.
So many key directors owe important, often breakthrough successes to her - Louis Malle's Lift to the Scaffold and The Lovers, Francois Truffaut's Jules et Jim and Jacques Demy's Bay of Angels, for instance.
Her famous sensual presence was backed up with formidable timing and technique, so much so that every major director wanted to work with her - Orson Welles, Michelangelo Antonioni, Joseph Losey and Luis Bunuel among them.
She was, perhaps, the female equivalent of what Welles called a "king" actor - someone who cannot help but be the centre of attention. Certainly, over time, she became almost everyone's idea of the ultimate magnetic French movie star.
Moreau was born in 1928, the daughter of a French restaurateur and a Tiller Girl dancer from Oldham.
She pursued an acting career, despite her father's disapproval, and got her break in the 1957 films Lift to the Scaffold, which had a jazz score by Miles Davis, and The Lovers.
Known for her husky tones, her other films included 1961's La Notte, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni; Luis Bunuel's Diary of a Chambermaid (1964); and Tony Richardson's Mademoiselle (1966).
Welles, who worked with her on films including Chimes at Midnight and his adaptation of Kafka's The Trial, once described her as the greatest actress in the world.
She famously turned down Mike Nichols' invitation to play Mrs Robinson in The Graduate, and instead reunited with Truffaut for 1968's The Bride Wore Black, an homage to Alfred Hitchcock.
She was also known for her singing voice and performed the refrain Le Tourbillon de la Vie in Jules et Jim.
Moreau had a prolific career and continued acting into her 80s.
In an interview with the New York Times in 1989, she said: "I work more now because at this time of my life I am not disturbed from my aim by outside pressures such as family, passionate relationships, dealing with who am I - those complications when one is searching for one's self. I have no doubt who I am."
Her theatre career included a role in 1989 as a matchmaker in La Celestine, a 15th Century Spanish play by De Fernando de Rojas.
Moreau won one of France's highest acting honours, a Cesar for best actress, for The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea in 1992.
A feminist icon for many, the actress once declared: "Physical beauty is a disgrace."
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Mae AS Plaid Cymru wedi galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i gynnal ymchwiliad ar ddyfodol cyfryngau print yng Nghymru.

Yn ystod dadl yn Neuadd San Steffan ar ddyfodol darparwyr newyddion lleol, fe wnaeth Liz Saville Roberts godi pryderon bod toriadau i bapurau bro yn peryglu'r traddodiad o gael gwasg ddwyieithog yng Nghymru.
Daw wrth i'r unig bapur newydd Cymraeg cenedlaethol, Y Cymro, gyhoeddi ei fod yn chwilio am rywun i'w brynu.
Galwodd Ms Saville Roberts, a weithiodd fel newyddiadurwr i bapur y Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald, am fwy o rôl i Lywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi newyddion lleol.
"Rwy'n credu ei bod yn ddyletswydd ar Lywodraeth y DU i gynnal ymchwiliad i ddyfodol y cyfryngau print yng Nghymru, er mwyn asesu lefelau presennol o ddosbarthu a chyflwr cyhoeddiadau cyfredol," meddai.
"Ni allwn adael i'n cyhoeddiadau gau i lawr gan wneud dim am y gwagle difrifol a adewir ar ôl yn ein cymunedau."
Yn ei hapêl i weinidogion, fe aeth AS Dwyfor Meirionnydd ymlaen i restru'r holl bapurau bro yn ei hetholaeth, gan ymddiheuro i'r gwasanaeth sy'n cofnodi popeth sy'n cael ei ddweud yn nhrafodaethau San Steffan, Hansard, am yr enwau anghyfarwydd Cymraeg.


England are in full control of the first Test against Sri Lanka after a remarkable day in which the game moved on at a remarkable pace.

It was honours pretty much even after day one, which finished with England on 171-5, but the hosts dominated the second day.
Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales picked up where they left off and, although Hales will be disappointed to have missed out on a maiden Test century, their partnership was vital in taking England to a respectable total of 298.
You always felt matching that was likely to prove a tall order for an inexperienced Sri Lankan batting line-up against England's high-class attack under dark skies, and so it proved as they collapsed to 91 all out.
Having enforced the follow-on, England really have a stranglehold on this game, and despite the gloomy predictions about Saturday's weather, it would be a major surprise if they don't press home their advantage and take a 1-0 lead in this series.
Bairstow's 140, his second Test century, was an outstanding innings and a quite remarkable in the context of what has been a low-scoring game.
In conditions where other batsmen have grafted without finding any real rhythm, he played such a wide range of shots so beautifully, timing the ball superbly.
Bairstow's England career took a while to get off the ground - during his first spell in the side, from 2012 to 2014, he didn't score a century and never quite nailed down his place in the team.
But he's been in wonderful form for Yorkshire for a couple of seasons now and he has now started to translate that assurance to the international stage.
It was his stated ambition to make a Test century at his home ground - where his mother Janet works - and to have achieved it can only help his confidence flourish.
Bairstow was well supported by opener Alex Hales, who made his highest Test score of 86 before being caught at cover.
We're used to seeing the Nottinghamshire man play with such freedom for England in limited-overs cricket, but this was a very different sort of knock, in which he reined in his natural aggression and battled away in tough conditions.
During the series against South Africa, Hales struggled - he was guilty of getting out to rash strokes early in his innings and not giving himself the best chance to make a significant score.
I was very impressed by the much-improved application he showed here, but he'll be hugely disappointed with the way he got out, skying the ball to deep cover - he'll be kicking himself to play that shot 14 short of his maiden Test hundred.
Overall though, it was still a critical contribution from Hales. England have been looking for an opening partner for Alastair Cook ever since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012.
Hales will always get out playing an expansive stroke occasionally, but if he can learn to get himself in then dominate, he might just be the man.
Once Sri Lanka went in to bat, conditions were tailor-made for England's brilliant new-ball duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, and frankly it would have been a surprise if they hadn't made hay against a very callow Sri Lankan batting line-up.
Anderson and Broad are high-class operators with bags of experience, and with gloomy skies overhead and some very fine catchers in the slip cordon, conditions were loaded in their favour.
Anderson in particular was magnificent, moving the ball at will, and the fact that he passed Kapil Dev as the sixth-highest Test wicket-taker of all time only served to underline his outstanding pedigree.
Sri Lanka have precious little experience of these English conditions, but I'm afraid - Lahiru Thirimanne aside - they didn't help themselves.
It was an absolute no-brainer for England to enforce the follow-on with the light fading - and although bad light denied them the opportunity to make inroads into the Sri Lanka second innings, the fast bowlers will return fresh in the morning, ready for another crack.
Jonathan Agnew was talking to BBC Sport's James Gheerbrant.


Cardiff City have signed Wycombe Wanderers winger Kadeem Harris for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old has established himself in the Wycombe team this season, making 17 appearances in League One.
Harris, who has signed a three-and-a-half year contract, won League Two's apprentice of the year award for the 2010-11 season.
"It's a good deal for all parties," Wycombe manager Gary Waddock told the club's website.
Cardiff manager Malky Mackay has made signing a winger a priority in the January transfer window.
He has failed in his attempts to prize Craig Noone from Brighton, while a bid for Blackpool's wide man Matt Phillips has also been rejected.
Harris broke the record as Wycombe's youngest player when he made his debut in 2009, aged 16 years and 201 days. That record has subsequently been taken from him by Jordan Ibe in 2011, who was 15 years and 244 days when he featured in a Carling Cup tie.
Striker Ibe, now 16, joined Liverpool earlier in the January transfer window.
Waddock added: "Like Jordon Ibe recently, we didn't want to stand in the way of Kadeem and the opportunity for him to play at a higher level.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed working with Kadeem during my time at the club and I wish him every success for the future."


Wales manager Chris Coleman says his side's preparations for Euro 2016 will not be undermined by their recent indifferent form.

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Monday's 1-0 friendly defeat by Ukraine in Kiev means Wales have won only one of their past six matches.
But, having qualified for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, Coleman is not concerned about a possible loss of momentum.
"We're going full of positivity, full of confidence," he said.
"The performances have been good."
Wales' only win in their past six games came against Andorra, with defeats by Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands, and draws with Israel and Northern Ireland.
"Results will be what they are going to be but I think if we're going into a tournament, our first tournament since 1958, and we're worried about momentum, we're looking at it all wrong," said Coleman.
"I think in the last six games you've got to understand who we've played against.
"Bosnia's never going to be easy, the home game against Israel where we absolutely hammered them but couldn't score was an excellent performance.
"The Netherlands at home in a friendly and Northern Ireland and away to Ukraine. Sometimes you can look at stats and get carried away with them."
Wales' defeat by Ukraine was their final match before Coleman selects his squad for Euro 2016.
Coleman was encouraged by his side's performance in Kiev, and emphasised this was not the players' last opportunity to impress him before this summer's tournament in France.
"This wasn't a game that was going to be do or die," he added.
"It wasn't your last chance and if you don't perform you're not coming.
"I thought they gave everything they had. Sometimes you can give too much and lose a bit of quality."
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The one negative from Coleman's perspective was Ukraine's winner, the second goal in successive games Wales have conceded from a set-piece.
The visitors' defenders were caught off guard from Ruslan Rotan's chipped free-kick, allowing an unmarked Andriy Yarmolenko to turn and score with a low shot.
Four days earlier, Northern Ireland's Craig Cathcart benefited from similarly sloppy Welsh defending to score following a corner.
"The only thing I'm disappointed with is that we conceded both goals from set-plays," said Coleman, whose side conceded only four goals in 10 qualifying matches.
"First of all I must look at myself as a manager and a coach and look to adjust something in the preparation.
"We will look at that because in open play, if you look at our record in the last 15 games, the number of goals we've conceded is not very much.
"I'm not giving any secrets away - the opposition will look at those stats. It's definitely something we need to go and work on."
While some fringe men were hoping to impress Coleman in Kiev, one established first-team player assured of his place in France is Joe Allen.
The midfielder has featured only sporadically for Liverpool this season but shone against Ukraine with a commanding display.
"Brilliant. You almost want a Joe Allen in front of the back four starting play and a Joe Allen just in behind the striker making the last pass because he's capable of both," said Coleman.
"He's a great player. I don't use that term loosely.
"It's unfortunate that he's not playing enough for Liverpool for his own liking, but that's up to Liverpool. But, for us, the job he does for us, he's irreplaceable."


Even though the Ukrainians claim they are fighting "terrorists", Petro Poroshenko is, in the eyes of most of the world, a wartime president, and the reality on the ground in eastern Ukraine defines most of what he does and says.

His assertion that there are 9,000 Russian troops fighting in the rebel-held east will be met with a great deal of scepticism.
Yes, there has been significant and credible evidence gathered by media organisations like the BBC that Russian troops have been involved, and died, in the conflict.
Two alleged Russian soldiers were captured by the Ukrainians last month, and 10 Russian soldiers claimed they were lost when they were taken prisoner near the Russian border last August.
But with the evidence we have to date, and taking into account the size of rebel-held territory, the figure of 9,000 appears high.
Mr Poroshenko also tackled the potentially explosive "Nato question" - whether Ukraine will join the alliance.
"Only the Ukrainian people will decide," was his message.
In other words, make no mistake, Ukraine is a sovereign nation. He wants to counter the popular narrative in the Kremlin that Russia has a legitimate interest to be concerned and act in the east if it perceives that events run contrary to its interests.
However, leaders in Washington and Western Europe are aware that offering Ukraine membership of Nato, given the current climate of mistrust with Moscow, would only add fuel to a smouldering fire.
Mr Poroshenko acknowledged that this ambition is, for now, on hold.
The claim by Ukraine's president that pro-Russian rebels are about to launch a major offensive is nothing new.
He might be correct, but the rebels often claim that the Ukrainian army is about to do the same.
If there is a spike in fighting, like the battle in the town of Maryinka on Wednesday, then both sides know that they cannot be seen as the aggressor, because they lose credibility and damage the negotiating position of their allies, either in Moscow or in European capitals.
Neither side wants to be seen as responsible for breaking the highly publicised, but so far unsuccessful, Minsk peace agreement.
And bargaining power for either side will become ever more crucial, because in three weeks the European Union will decide whether to renew sanctions against Russia.
The stakes are high.


Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said the McGuinness family has asked for privacy, amid reports about Martin McGuinness' failing health.

Mr Adams would not be drawn on speculation the former deputy first minister was seriously ill.
The Irish News reported on Monday that the republican figurehead, 66, has spent the last two weeks in hospital.
He did not stand in Thursday's election due to his ill-health, believed to be caused by a rare heart condition.
Mr McGuinness stood down from his post in January in protest against the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of an energy scandal, triggering the snap election.
He was notably absent during Sinn Féin's successful election campaign and did not attend his local polling station with his wife, Bernie, to vote.
The last Assembly collapsed when Mr McGuinness resigned over former First Minister Arlene Foster's refusal to step aside pending an inquiry into the flawed green energy initiative, which could cost Northern Ireland taxpayers £490m.
He was at the heart of the power-sharing government which followed the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and was deputy first minister from 2007 to 2017.


India is forecast to remain the world's fastest growing economy in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund.

21 January 2016 Last updated at 12:00 GMT
With China's slowing economy, India's central bank governor, Raghuram Rajan, says the country's economy is heading in the right direction to become an engine of global growth.
He spoke to Simon Jack at the World Economic Forum in Davos.


A second multifuel power station has been approved for Ferrybridge.

The site at Knottingley, West Yorkshire is to burn fuel from refuse, industrial and commercial waste including wood, said operator Multifuel Energy Ltd.
The Â£300m plant is to create hundreds of jobs over a three-year build and should produce electricity for about 160,000 homes, it said.
The adjoining coal-fired Ferrybridge 'C' plant is to close in March 2016, it was announced in May.
The Secretary of State has granted development consent for the new plant.
Construction is expected to begin in 2016 with about 35 permanent jobs once it is operational.
The power station is expected to produce up to 90MWe of electricity annually by burning 675,000 tonnes of waste that could have ended up in landfill, said Multifuel Energy
It is to be built next to the newly-constructed Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 that stated operations earlier this year.
Multifuel Energy is a joint venture between power company SSE and and waste management company Wheelabrator Technologies.


A rescue cat that helped its owner through bone cancer treatment has been named National Cat of the Year.

Genie was honoured for comforting her owner Evie Henderson, 11, from Lincoln, through six rounds of chemotherapy.
Evie was diagnosed with bone cancer in March 2016 and said Genie's company helped her cope with several painful operations and long spells in hospital.
The cat was recognised by feline charity Cats Protection at a ceremony in London.
"I think she's great. She deserves it. She's always been there for me," said Evie.
"She would come round my leg with the plaster and she would sit by my feet. She would smell my plaster and she'd come up on to the sofa and do pitter-patter on my knee.
"When I've been too ill to have friends round or go outside and I've been stuck in the house, she'd come round me and that made me a lot happier and gave me great comfort."
Evie said she shared a special bond with her pet, which gave her tremendous support when she lost her hair while enduring the gruelling treatment.
"It was very upsetting for me because I had long brown hair. But at the same time as it was spring, Genie was moulting as well so it was sort of like I'm losing my hair and Genie's losing her hair as well so that eased the shock of it all."
Evie's father, Chris Henderson, said the cat had been a "great distraction" and described how Evie would watch video footage of her beloved pet from her hospital bed.
"Evie was in hospital for over 300 days so we spent a lot of time in hospital and it just gave her something to look forward to when she did have those few precious days at home."
The 11-year-old said: "I missed her every day I was in hospital, and my family could tell she missed me.
"She's my best friend and I honestly don't know what I would do without her."


The daughter of Seamus Gormley, the 86-year-old man who was tied to a chair in a care home, has described his ordeal as "torture".

14 December 2016 Last updated at 08:39 GMT


Four Chelsea fans accused of refusing to allow a black man on to the Paris Metro have been banned from attending football matches for up to five years.

Richard Barklie, from Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, and Joshua Parsons and William Simpson, both from Surrey, were banned for five years at Stratford Magistrates' Court.
Jordan Munday from Sidcup in Kent was banned for three years.
They were told they could not attend games at home or abroad.
District Judge Gareth Branston said: "Racist hatred was displayed by Chelsea fans on the Paris Metro that evening."
He told the court the incident had "tarnished the reputation of English football in Europe".
Violence flared when Chelsea fans were in the French capital to watch the west London club's Champions League match against Paris St Germain on 17 February.
Afterwards video surfaced showing Frenchman Souleymane Sylla pushed off the train amid chants of "we're racist and that's the way we like it".
The French commuter previously said the whole episode was "humiliating".
Barklie, 50, of Victoria Street in Carrickfergus, a director with the World Human Rights Forum, had admitted twice pushing Mr Sylla, but blamed the Parisian for using "aggression" and shouting.
The judge, however, said Barklie, a former policeman, "proved to be a menace" and had "demonstrated aggressive, disorderly conduct".
He said Parsons played a leading role too and displayed "aggressive and disorderly conduct as part of a pack of Chelsea fans".
It was heard Parsons later lost his job at a Mayfair financial company as a result of his involvement.
Another Chelsea supporter, Dean Callis, 32, of Liverpool Road, Islington, received a five-year banning order ahead of the court hearing for a number of incidents, including the one in Paris, Scotland Yard confirmed.


The US economy gathered speed in the second quarter of the year, growing at an annualised pace of 2.6%.

The pick-up was helped by consumer spending in the quarter expanding at a pace of 2.8%, and businesses stepping up spending on equipment.
The growth rate for the first quarter was cut to 1.2%, compared with the previous estimate of 1.4%.
Earlier this week, the IMF revised down its US growth forecast for this year from 2.3% to 2.1%.
President Trump has pledged to pursue policies to boost the US economy, including cutting corporate and individual taxes, but has faced a Washington impasse. He has set an ambitious 3% growth target for 2017.
Consumer spending, which makes up more than two-thirds of the US economy, accelerated from the 1.9% growth figure from the first quarter.
Does the US have the highest taxes?
IMF cuts forecast for US economic growth
The resurgence in consumer spending accounted for most of the upturn in economic growth in the second quarter.
Stuart Hoffman, PNC senior economic adviser, said that "real consumer spending once again did the heavy lifting" in terms of economic growth.
But with wage growth remaining sluggish there are concerns spending may slow in the next quarter.
A Labor Department report on Friday said its Employment Cost Index, which measures labour costs, increased 0.5% in the April to June period after growing 0.8% in the first quarter.
The latest growth figures suggest the Federal Reserve could still raise interest rates later this year, which would be the third increase in 2017. On Wednesday, the central bank left rates unchanged following its latest meeting.
However, analysts said the data suggested Fed was under no pressure to act quickly.
"Although growth is solid, the lack of wage pressure buys the Fed plenty of time, and works with a very 'gradual' tightening cycle," said Alan Ruskin, of Deutsche Bank in New York.


Italy's Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, has visited the site where at least 25 people died in a head-on collision between two passenger trains.

Many more people are injured and some are in a critical condition. Local authorities have appealed for people to give blood.
Mr Renzi has ordered an official investigation in to the crash, which happened on Tuesday morning.
The trains were on a single-track line between the towns of Bari and Barletta.
It was unclear what led to the collision, which happened in good weather at 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) in the southern region of Puglia.
Rescue workers from the emergency services have been trying to free passengers from the shattered carriages and one small child was pulled out and airlifted to hospital.
Mr Renzi said it was "a moment for tears".
He said: "I want to express my condolences to the families and I have ordered, with no holding back, an inquiry to find who is responsible.
"I think we must have absolute clarity on this. We will not stop until we understand what happened."
Italy's President Sergio Mattarella said the crash was "an unacceptable tragedy" and his "first thought" was with victims and their families.
Under floodlights, heavy machinery is pulling pieces of wreckage from the line as rescue teams check for any more bodies.
It looks like the recovery effort will continue round the clock.
Even the army has been brought to the olive groves on this remote stretch of rural line.
From some of the carriages there is very little left that is recognisable - this was a powerful, sudden impact at high speed.
This line is privately run with a decent safety record. So the key question is how did two trains end up on the same piece of track speeding towards each other?
Both trains had four carriages and some were so badly damaged by the crash that there was little left but debris.
"I saw dead people, others who were begging for help, people crying. The worst scene of my life," one policeman told journalists.
Italian media reported that the first named victim was a 53-year-old policeman called Fulvio Schinzari, whose body was found by a fellow policeman who was helping the rescue services.
In total, about 200 were involved in the rescue operation, working in temperatures up to 40 degrees C (104 degrees F).
June 2009: Freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas derails in Viareggio, causing a large explosion. More than 30 people die
January 2005: A head-on collision between a passenger and a freight train near Crevalcore kills 17
July 2002: A passenger train derails in Rometta Messina, killing eight people
April 1978: Two trains collide near a ravine next to Murazze Vado. Some of the carriages fall into the gorge, killing 42
Sources: Ansa, Corriere della Sera


Fire crews have been tackling a blaze at an Aberdeenshire takeaway.

Six fire engines were sent to the scene of the incident in Chinatown in Huntly.
The alarm was raised at about 13:45.
A number of nearby buildings were evacuated. There were no reports of any injuries


Celtic's failings in Europe this season have already been heavily dissected, searching questions have been asked and analysis has been pored over, not least within the club itself.

Is this now a time for reflection, manager Ronny Deila was asked after the 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce, but of course that had started long ago, as one disappointing result followed another.
Yet, as each game unfolded, it appeared lessons were not being learned from one match to the next.
While defensive lapses were highlighted by the media and acknowledged by the coaching staff, they recurred - again and again.
Nonetheless, Deila has spoken continually of progress and reiterated his faith in his own methodology following Thursday's final Europa League group match in Istanbul.
It appears he will be entrusted with Celtic's European fate for another season at least.
What, then, needs to change if Celtic are to avoid missing out on the Champions League group stage for a third successive season next year?
Celtic were rarely able to field the same defence in Europe and even when they could, Deila opted to make changes.
That did nothing to diminish an uncertainty that threatened to become endemic, regardless of the personnel involved.
Now, the back four that played against Fenerbahce seems to be Deila's first choice and they looked less vulnerable than in previous matches.
Mikael Lustig is a dependable figure and teenager Kieran Tierney has emerged as a terrific talent in spite of the difficult circumstances.
It is the central pairing of Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic that does not yet inspire confidence, and must show in the next six months that it can gel sufficiently to be entrusted with the next campaign.
Craig Gordon's status has also come into question this season and while the goalkeeper remains virtually peerless in his shot-stopping, lapses in judgement have cost Celtic dearly.
With Celtic's defence bearing the brunt of much of the criticism, less has been made of the pressure it has come under as a result of carelessness elsewhere.
Even Nir Bitton, who has flourished under Deila, was guilty in Istanbul of inviting counter-attacks as a result of poor ball retention.
Celtic, of the four teams in their group, looked least at ease with the ball at their feet, with the opposition harrying and hassling.
There is no excuse for this and such weakness will be punished much more often in European competition than - as assistant manager John Collins pointed out - the domestic game, where Celtic can still get away with performing below their best.
The absence of Leigh Griffiths was keenly felt in Turkey and it illustrated a dearth of attacking options open to the Scottish champions.
Nadir Ciftci was well off the pace, which is quite predictable given the player has yet to play a full 90 minutes for Celtic.
Deila felt it would be harsh to judge whether the former Dundee United forward has the ability to cut it at this level on the basis of his performance against Fenerbahce, but doubt certainly exists.
Carlton Cole has been brought in and may yet prove to be a valuable addition, but whether he has the quality to guide Celtic back to the Champions League group stages again has to be a matter of debate.
There is no doubt Griffiths has improved immeasurably under Deila, but he cannot be relied upon as the sole source of goals because - as became clear in the home defeat to Ajax - he will have off-days and on such days a high-quality Plan B is required.
So Deila and chief executive Peter Lawwell have much to ponder. Perhaps the first question is: do we try to invest in the players we think we need in January to allow them to bed in rather than throw them untested into a Champions League qualifying campaign that begins in the very early stages of the new season?
Even if the answer to that in an ideal world is 'yes,' the practicalities may make that an impossibility.
Another question might be: do we waver from our policy of signing young, raw talent to bring in one or two experienced, proven Champions League-standard players?
Such a move would run contrary to the way in which the club has operated over a number of years, but could be the difference between navigating the Champions League qualifiers successfully and another year in the Europa League.
The latter scenario does not bear thinking about for Celtic, either from a financial point of view or from a supporter's perspective, particularly if it ends the way this one has.


The clashes in Hong Kong earlier this week may on the surface have been about unlicensed food stalls, but were fuelled by a growing "localist" sentiment.

Localists champion greater autonomy for Hong Kong, and protection against what they see as the dilution of the city's identity amid growing social and political influence from mainland China.
But what is it that has made them so angry?
The localist movement is driven primarily by two loose groups - Hong Kong Indigenous and Civic Passion - which grew in strength in the aftermath of the 2014 pro-democracy protests, staging demonstrations and fielding candidates in political races.
Though Hong Kong has many pro-democracy groups, localists and their supporters are known for favouring direct action and not shying away from confrontation with authorities.
Sing Ming, a politics professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says localists tend to be young people who cherish their Hong Kong identities, as well as those who face economic difficulties.
Government figures show that about 960,000 out of Hong Kong's population of 7.2 million live below the poverty line, making it the 12th most unequal place in the world.
There is a sense among localists that the government has failed to address the needs of the poor.
Mr Sing says some localists are "extremely dissatisfied" with the government's handling of this, and "may even think that the policies are the results of collusion between government and business".
Itinerant street hawkers, in particular, are seen as one symbol of the income gap as their trade has traditionally been seen as a way out of poverty.
But the government stopped issuing new licences in 1970s, and has conducted increasingly strict crackdowns on illegal hawking due to food safety and obstruction concerns, as was the case in Mong Kok.
Some localists believe these moves happened because of political pressure from property developers, who regard hawkers as a nuisance and eyesore.
Meanwhile, shop rents have grown increasingly expensive, which means food vending is now a dying trade. Many people believe the poor are being deprived of one legitimate means of income.
But some also see the clearances of illegal hawkers, as happened in Mong Kok, as a failure by the government to recognise how integral they are to local culture, and a sign that the government has grown out of touch with ordinary Hong Kongers' desire to preserve their unique identity and freedoms.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University lecturer Leung Chi-yuen, who has been studying hawkers for a decade, says the issue has become a "powder keg" in Hong Kong in recent years.
"The government has underestimated the socio-political environment," he says, and if it decides to further crack down "it will bring unforeseeable consequences".
Politically, the current government, under Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, is widely seen as pro-Beijing, a view that was reinforced by the crackdown on the 2014 pro-democracy protests.
Incidents such as the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers associated with a shop known for selling books critical of the mainland have only enhanced the perception that the city's freedoms are being eroded.
Former head of the civil service, Joseph Wong Wing-ping, notes that the government has been dismissive of its unpopularity and has pressed on with controversial decisions, such as its appointment of a pro-Beijing figure to chair a local university despite fervent opposition.
What happened in Mong Kok "may just be the beginning" of more violence to come, he says.
The perception of many localists is that after the collapse of the peaceful Umbrella Movement, more direct action is needed.
Two of the founders of key localist group Hong Kong Indigenous, Edward Leung and Ray Wong, told BBC Chinese last year that they regarded the Umbrella Movement as a "complete and utter" failure.
Mr Wong said that during the 2014 protests, "I saw with my own eyes the police inflicting unacceptable violence on unarmed citizens, releasing tear gas."
He added that the "use of force to prevent violence [from police]" was justified in order for protesters to protect themselves and others.
Both were at the protests in Mong Kok. Mr Leung has already been charged with rioting and in a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Wong said he expected to be arrested soon.
"Once Hong Kong was the land of the Hongkongers, but as I grew older, I noticed that it is no longer the case," he said, saying he had gone to Mong Kok to protect the market.
"There are going to be more protests. But I urge you, my fellow Hongkongers, to persist."


The SNP leader has hit back at claims that too much cash "comes over Hadrian's wall" during the ITV leaders' debate.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage had said tax payers in England were "cheesed off" with the amount of public money that goes to Scotland.
But Nicola Sturgeon said Scots had paid more tax per head of population every year for the past 34 years.
The debate featured the leaders of seven parties from across the UK.
It was the only time Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband will appear together on TV ahead of the general election on 7 May.
Mr Cameron said the Conservatives' economic plan was working, adding: "Let's not go back to square one, Britain can do so much better than that."
Mr Miliband repeatedly described what he would do "if I am prime minister", in raising the minimum wage, banning exploitative zero-hours contracts and "rescuing our NHS"
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg also took part in Thursday evening's debate, along with Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood and the Green Party's Natalie Bennett.
A YouGov poll of 1,100 people gave a clear victory to Ms Sturgeon, with 28%, followed by Mr Farage on 20%, Mr Cameron on 18%, Mr Miliband on 15%, Mr Clegg on 10%, Ms Bennett on 5% and Ms Wood on 4%.
But a ComRes poll for ITV made it a dead heat between Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Mr Farage and Ms Sturgeon, although Mr Cameron came out on top on the question of who was most capable of leading the country.
Mr Miliband was judged best performer in an ICM poll for the Guardian, taking 25% of support, just ahead of Mr Cameron on 24%. Nigel Farage was on 19%, Nicola Sturgeon on 17%, Nick Clegg on 9%.
A Survation poll for the Daily Mirror also put the Tory and Labour leaders neck and neck on 25%, with Mr Farage on 24%, Ms Sturgeon 15%, Mr Clegg 6%, Ms Bennett 3% and Ms Wood 2%.
Asked to give leaders marks out of 10 - by YouGov for the Times - the scores were: Ms Sturgeon 6.7, Mr Miliband and Mr Cameron 5.9, Mr Clegg and Mr Farage 5.5.
Ms Sturgeon began by stating the SNP - which polls have suggested is on course to return a record number of MPs to Westminster - would always "stand up for Scotland", but wanted to offer "friendship" to the peoples of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and would "help to bring about change for you too".
Mr Farage, however, claimed "canny Scots" had negotiated a better deal than other parts of the UK when the Barnett formula - which determines how public money is distributed - was created.
He said: "This all has to be rebalanced because frankly English taxpayers are a bit cheesed off with so much of their money going over Hadrian's wall, giving people no prescription charges and no university tuition."
Ms Sturgeon told him Scots had "paid more tax per head of population in every single year for the last 34 years".
In the television debate, Ms Sturgeon also hit out at the prime minister by arguing that the UK government could not cut its way out of a deficit, and insisted the NHS was the "most precious" public service the nation has".
In an apparent attempt to pitch the election as a straight choice between himself and Mr Miliband, the prime minister told the debate audience: "The choice at this election is sticking with a plan that is working or going back to the debt, taxes, borrowing and spending that got us in this mess in the first place. I say let's not go back to square one. Britain can do so much better than that."
Mr Cameron added: "The problem - and the real choice - is with Ed Miliband, who still thinks the last government didn't tax too much and borrow too much."
But Mr Miliband accused Mr Cameron of wanting to talk about the past rather than the future and said: "Some people will tell you that this is as good as it gets for Britain. I say Britain can do so much better than it has done over the last five years."
There could have been no better image of the changing political landscape of Britain.
While 50 years ago two parties took almost every vote between them, and just five years ago viewers of the TV debates might well have thought the era of three-party politics was permanent, this time there were seven politicians on stage. And three were women.
The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon dressed boldly in red - perhaps to underline her determination to supplant Labour as the main party in Scotland. And she derided the "old boys' network" in SW1.
The prime minister was introduced last and it looked as though he found it difficult to keep a smile on his face for the time it took to welcome his six opponents.
He seemed to grow in confidence but was perhaps wondering initially why he was so insistent on broadening the field from the 2010 threesome.
You could almost believe the women on the panel - Natalie Bennett from the Greens, and Leanne Wood from Plaid Cymru, as well as Ms Sturgeon - had consulted each other over launching an early attack on the austerity advocated by the main Westminster parties.
Read more from Iain
Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron had marginalised Britain in Europe, and added: "I don't think our place lies outside the EU. I think that would be a disaster for jobs, a disaster for families and business."
The Labour leader also attacked his Liberal Democrat counterpart Mr Clegg for "betraying young people" over tuition fees.
In response, Mr Clegg attacked the Labour leader's "pious stance" and challenged Mr Miliband to apologise to the British public for "crashing the economy".
Mr Clegg directly challenged Mr Cameron over his decision not to ask the richest to pay more towards deficit reduction, but instead to impose "ideologically-driven cuts".
Responding to Mr Cameron's casting of the election as a choice between "competence and chaos", the Lib Dem leader urged him to "imagine the chaos in people's lives" caused by cuts in spending on health, schools and childcare.
The SNP later said it had gained 1,200 new members during the two-hour debate programme.
The party's deputy leader, Stewart Hosie MP, also said an average of the YouGov, ComRes and ICM  polls which were released immediately after the debate suggested Ms Sturgeon had won, which Mr Hosie said showed how "strong and persuasive" she had been.
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said the debate had "made crystal clear the choice facing Scots at the general election".
He said: "In the debate there were seven passionate speakers but only two potential prime ministers. There are lots of ways to protest against David Cameron but only one way to replace him."
UKIP's Scottish MEP David Coburn - in an interview with Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme - defended Mr Farage's comments from the television debate.
He said: "I think most reasonable Scots believe in the fair allocation of money. I think the SNP may make a big fuss about this but I think fair minded Scots like myself and everyone else believe we should give the English a reasonable deal too."


A fisherman who illegally caught more than £400,000 of scallops, dredging in Cardigan Bay, has been fined £42,000.

Mark Powell, 44, from Penryn in Cornwall, admitted 14 offences of fishing in an illegal area and 14 of failing to submit landing declarations.
Over five months, he made £428,289 from the fishing using his vessel The Golden Fleece II, Swansea Crown Court heard.
Three other members of his family - parents Andrea and Clinton, and wife Lisa Powell, were fined £1,000 each.
Scallop dredging in parts of Cardigan Bay was banned in 2010. The shellfish can retail between £15 and more than £30 a kilo, depending on the season.
Powell carried out the illegal fishing between October 2011 and March 2012.
Prosecutor James Subbiani said Powell's boat, a state-of-the-art scallop dredger, was boarded by marine enforcement officers carrying out a routine patrol at 03:50 GMT on 20 March, 2012, following a radio contact in which the fishermen accepted he was fishing for scallops.
The officers then contacted Welsh government fisheries officers and the decision was made to take the vessel, with its skipper Powell, into Milford Haven.
Mr Subbiani said that a system which identified where the vessel was at sea had been switched off on the Golden Fleece II at the point when it arrived in Welsh waters.
He also said in January 2012 the Sea Fish Industry Authority wrote to scallop dredgers in Cardigan Bay asking them to help to identify reports of dredging in banned areas there.
Powell was then asked to switch on the identifying system to show the Welsh government that he was not doing anything wrong, to which he replied: "You know I can't do that, I'm not doing anything the other boats aren't doing."
Sentencing, Judge Huw Davies QC told Powell: "I have to sentence you for using a well-equipped boat to fish for scallops, to fish within an area of Cardigan Bay for which it was not permitted under the order of 2010.
"You're an experienced captain, you know those waters well, and there's evidence you knew the regulations well. The fact that other people offended by breaching this regulation doesn't excuse your decision to do so.
"I accept, however, that your offending record is very limited, confined to a single offence, and it was not the most serious offence of its kind, reflected by the fine of £1,500 (for each offence)."
Powell was ordered to pay £3,000 for each pair of the 14 offences totalling £42,000 and £8,000 towards prosecution costs. The fine must be paid within a year.
After the hearing, a Welsh government spokesperson said: "Sentencing is a matter for the court and we hope this sentence will act as a deterrent to others who are considering illegal fishing in Welsh waters."