SUN SET ON PACE DUO’S LATE AMBITIONS

STUART BROAD was left cursing the parting of the clouds to allow bright sunshine to bathe his home ground, and deny him a knockout blow against South Africa.

Broad and James Anderson (right) returned to take the second new ball around 6pm hoping for the same movement as the morning, but without any cloud cover they were neutralised.

“On the opening day of a Test match if you get seven wickets you’ve had a pretty good day,” said Broad.

“We probably didn’t get it quite right with that second new ball and the sun came out at a really bad time. When the sun is out the pitch tends to be really slow, but when there is cloud cover there seems to be something extra. “I usually judge a pitch on how many batsmen get out to really good balls and I don’t think many of their batsmen will feel they got jaffas to get out. It is a good pitch to bat on and will get slower and slower.” Broad and Anderson have had field days here in the past but with 3-47 and 1-68 respectively, it was a day of hard graft for them.

Stumper Jonny Bairstow said: “It was tough for the bowlers and Jimmy and Broady beat the outside edge quite a few times. They have been through every mill going, but keep on delivering.”