HAPLESS BROAD HAS LOST HIS MOJO

STUART BROAD specialises in match-winning bowling performances. Unfortunately, he is also prone to marathon dry spells. A career punctuated by the unforgettable, single-handed destruction of opponents — think of Ashes Tests at The Oval in 2009 and in Nottingham six years later, or the slaying of South Africa at the Wanderers soon afterwards — has also featured long periods when the magic deserted him. It is now almost two years and 22 appearances since his giddying display at altitude in Johannesburg, his last five-wicket Test haul. Since that match in January 2016, his 63 wickets have come at 32.84 runs apiece, a regression on his previous mark of 28.54. And his current woes have come at a time when England needed his new-ball brilliance the most. Opponents fear his ability to run through batting orders, and it would be foolish to write off a man with such talent and an uncanny habit of proving people wrong. But the statistics on this tour make ugly reading: at the end of Australia’s 662 for nine declared the 31-year-old (above) had gone 54 overs without success; his figures of 35-3-142-0 are the worst of a 112-cap career and the second poorest in Ashes history. This England team have been remarkably lucky to have Broad and James Anderson — the most productive Test pace pairing ever — yet the venom that has laced so many halcyon days appears gone. There may be mitigating factors: discomfort in a long-standing niggle to his left knee led to a pre-match scan. A team spokesman confirmed the results were clear but with Craig Overton able to bowl just one over yesterday due to a cracked rib, they can ill afford to have another bowler sidelined — let alone one possessing such a devastating streak.