STU BEAUTY!
CRICKET: 2nd TEST Home boy Broad keeps England in the hunt
BVJ7S36RD Red BVJ7S36NY Navy STUART BROAD hopes he is under a cloud when England go into action at Trent Bridge today.
The Notts bowler was the pick of the attack with 3-47 as South Africa fought back from their drubbing at Lord’s to close on 309-6 at the end of an evenly poised first day of the second Investec Test.
But Broad was left cursing the weather – and hopes it takes a turn for the worse today.
He was playing his first Test at his home ground since his stunning 8-15 against the Aussies two years ago.
Clouds
His efforts were slightly less impressive this time round but he said: “I reckon on day one Test match pitches, if you get seven wickets in a day, you have had a pretty good day.
“We were probably one shy. We probably didn’t get it quite right with that second new ball.
“The sun came out at a really bad time actually. I think when the sun comes out, the pitch goes really slow.
“But when the clouds come, there seems to be a bit extra. It seems an okay pitch to bowl on when there’s a bit of cloud, but with the sun it looks great to bat on.
“We’ll be hoping for a little bit of cloud first thing tomorrow and then a lovely sunny day.” South Africa won the toss, elected to bat and frustrated Joe Root’s side with a succession of partnerships from their rejigged batting line-up.
The pick of the lot was probably the seventh-wicket stand between Vernon Philander and Chris Morris, which was an unbeaten 74 at close, taking the shine off the new ball and England’s day.
Faf du Plessis had made his decision to bat with the fourth innings in mind, but it still looked the right call in the first session.
Root said he would have bowled first and he cannot have been too impressed with 56-1 at lunch, with Dean Elgar falling to a diving catch by Liam Dawson off Jimmy Anderson.
The second session didn’t go much better for England as Quinton de Kock (68) and Hashim Amla (78) took charge following Broad’s dismissal of Heino Kuhn just after lunch.
Stand
Broad followed that by putting England in the driving seat straight after tea with a spell of 2-8 in five overs.
De Kock fell to the first ball of the session to end a stand of 113, with Amla following not long after.
Ben Stokes then weighed in with two wickets before that seventhwicket stand set today up nicely.