A right good day – Broadly speaking
Stuart Broad led England’s charge with bat and ball yesterday, grabbing the initiative for his side on day two of the must-win third Test against the West Indies.
Broad began with a devil-maycare knock of 62, rolling back the years for his highest score since 2013, before returning to his day job and dismissing two of the tourists’ top five.
His dual efforts helped steer England into a position of strength, posting 369 and playing a key role in keeping the reply to 137 for six.
England may yet need the follow-on to push for the victory they need to reclaim the Wisden Trophy 2-1, but with a lead of 232 that option remains in play.
Nobody expected Broad to register England’s third-fastest halfcentury in Tests. Once a player with all-round prospects, he has drifted towards genuine tailender status and frequently come in at No. 11 in the past year.
England needed him to deliver and he did so in joyous fashion.
The first hour was claimed emphatically by the bowling side, with Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach serving up a storm with the second new ball to take the score from 258 for four to 280 for eight.
The first victims were Ollie Pope and his hopes of a second Test hundred. After some brilliant strokeplay on the first evening he had a brief and torrid stay, failing to add to his 91, losing his stumps to the charging Gabriel.
Woakes came and went quickly, dragging down his stumps as Roach became the ninth West Indian to 200 wickets. Both pacemen struck again with catches from Holder at slip, Buttler (67) nicking Gabriel and Archer beaten by Roach.
That made it four wickets for 18 in 24 deliveries, with England yet to wake up. Broad was quick to change that, hooking his fourth ball for six to leave Roach wide-eyed then lifting Gabriel over cover.
The introduction of Holder only accelerated things, with Broad blazing seven boundaries in a painful spell. Broad looked delighted with himself, not least when bringing up his 50 with a fullblooded pull that left him behind only Sir Ian Botham in balls taken and level with Allan Lamb and Andrew Flintoff.
The fun eventually stopped when he pinged a Roston Chase full toss to Jermaine Blackwood on the ropes, with Anderson last man out for 11 leaving Dom Bess stranded on 18no.
The West Indies began their response immediately after lunch and never really managed to get on top in the face of some high-class bowling.
A buoyant Broad got things moving with the important wicket of the dogged Kraigg Brathwaite, who fiddled at one that demanded attention outside stump and fed Joe Root at slip.
Campbell and Shai Hope offered some resistance as they put on 43 but England struck twice in the run-up to tea, Archer coming on first change and conjuring an unplayable short ball that Campbell fended to gully.
Anderson made it three after switching to the end that bears his name, Hope edged one that demanded a shot but left nowhere to go.
A shortened closing session of just over 22 overs brought two more successes, Anderson taking care of Shamarh Brooks with a textbook delivery that kissed the inside edge on its way to Buttler.
Woakes was the only one of England’s quartet without a wicket but he ended that in some style, jagging one back in to Blackwood and knocking over middle stump.