England pile pressure on Aussies

A RAMPANT Stuart Broad took eight wickets as England ripped out Australia for 60 in an extraordinary and dramatic start to the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.

A RAMPANT Stuart Broad took eight wickets as England ripped out shell-shocked Australia for 60 in an extraordinary and dramatic start to the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.

The hosts, 2-1 up in the series and without their leading bowler James Anderson, needed only 18.3 overs to dismiss the tourists, who collapsed to their joint sixth-lowest Ashes total in just over 90 minutes.

“It’s pretty unbelievable really,” Broad told Sky Sports. “It’s not sunk in. But all our talk’s been about us, making sure we’re focused on our own game. I love bowling here. We know Trent Bridge will always offer you something if you bowl a full length.”

Broad struck five times in his first four overs, claiming his 300th Test victim with the third ball of the morning when he had opener Chris Rogers caught at first slip by Cook for a duck.

Steven Smith, on six, edged the last ball of the first over to Joe Root in the slips and David Warner nicked his second delivery from Mark Wood to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, leaving the touring side in tatters at 10/3.

England, who won the toss, struck again when Shaun Marsh edged Broad to Ian Bell at second slip and Adam Voges was brilliantly caught by a diving Ben Stokes at gully as Australia slumped to 21/5.

It was the first time in a Test that the first five wickets had fallen within 25 balls of the start.

Clarke survived 25 minutes for his 10 before he drove loosely at a wide ball from Broad to be caught by Cook to give Broad his 14th five-wicket haul in a Test innings. It was the first time since 1913 an England bowler has taken five wickets before lunch on the first day of a Test but Broad was not yet finished, bowling another perfect ball to get Mitchell Starc caught by Root. Mitchell Johnson fell the same way, for 13.

Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood added 13 runs for the last wicket before Lyon edged Broad to Stokes to give the fast bowler Test-best figures of 8/15.

Broad became the fifth England bowler to take 300 wickets after Anderson, Ian Botham, Bob Willis and Fred Trueman.

By the close, England were 274/4, a lead of 214 runs. Joe Root was 124 not out.

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Picture: GETTY IMAGES AIRBORNE: Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes take off with delight at the fall of another Australian wicket in the carnage at Trent Bridge before lunch yesterday.