Broad leads the charge as England take control at OT

STUART Broad led England’s charge with bat and ball, grabbing the initiative for his side on day two of the must-win third Test against the West Indies.

Broad began his memorable outing with a devil-may-care 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, helping them overcome an early flurry of wickets to post 369 and playing a central role in keeping the reply to 137 for six.

With a concerning weather forecast 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.

Broad was reunited with longtime partner James Anderson for the first time in over six months, the veteran duo having been kept apart for the first two matches of the series, and they wasted no time finding a familiar groove.

Anderson was typically classy and controlled, matching Broad’s figures of two for 17 while Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes each chipped in.

While that hardly qualifies as a surprising return given their peerless combined record, nobody expected Broad to register England’s third fastest half-century in Tests.

Once a player with genuine all-round prospects, he has drifted towards genuine tailender status and frequently come in last at number 11 in the past year.

Yet England needed him to deliver here 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.

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.

Archer endured a luckless last burst and was halted mid-over by the fading light.