Brilliant Broad closes in on illustrious club
STUART Broad moved within touching distance of Test cricket’s 500 club, topping and tailing a dominant day for England with six West Indies wickets in the series decider at Emirates Old Trafford.
Broad hounded the tourists out for 197 in the morning, taking all four remaining wickets to complete a superb haul of six for 31 and returned to take another two, ramming home his side’s advantage and moving to 499 scalps.
Just six other bowlers in history have reached that milestone, including Broad’s long-time partner James Anderson, and when he does get over the line he can lay fair claim to a place among the greats.
In between his two bursts England made 226 for two declared, Rory Burns helping himself to 90 while Dom Sibley and Joe Root topped up their accounts with half-centuries.
With the West Indies 10 for two chasing 399 England would typically expect to coast to victory, and Broad to be celebrating his milestone at some point today, but the situation in Manchester is complicated by a worrying weather forecast on day four.
All eyes were on the 33 runs needed to make England bat again and they arrived in short order, Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich milking 37 off eight overs as Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes failed to justify Root’s decision to keep Broad and Anderson waiting.
As soon as Broad did get his chance he changed the landscape instantly, taking all four remaining wickets for 14 in an immaculate four-over spell. Holder and Rahkeem Cornwall fell in entirely familiar fashion, beaten off the pitch, rapped on the pads and given lbw.
Having established the method on the second evening, Broad had no reason to abandon it now. Kemar Roach followed, nicking to slip off a good length as Broad completed a double-wicket maiden and a five-for.
He has now done so 18 times, overtaking Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann to go fourth among Englishman.
Root was batting without a care at the other end, crashing the ball around at will but the possibility of a declaration and the possible tension with a Burns century started to cloud matters. That left six overs to cash in on the opposition’s fading morale and Broad continued his sparkling form by pocketing another two batsmen. John Campbell became number 498 when he pushed the seamer’s third ball to first slip and nightwatchman Roach made himself 499 with a feather through to Jos Buttler.
Just six other bowlers in history have reached that milestone Rory Dollard