Broadly speaking, it feels good to be back in the swing
THE English cricketing summer took its first tentative steps towards play as Stuart Broad and his bowling comrades laced up their boots for some individual training yesterday.
Broad was one of the international bowlers selected for day one of a graduated training programme which the England and Wales Cricket Board hope will pave the way to a behind-closed-doors Test series with West Indies in July.
Bowlers were in action across the country – batsmen must wait until early June – and Broad chronicled his return to Trent Bridge in an Instagram story, showing himself taking his temperature with a digital thermometer at home before uploading the result to an app.
Once at his home ground, the Nottinghamshire seamer was given a designated car parking space and directed straight to the pitch.
Broad bowled on a wicket on his own, with a physiotherapist there to provide support and demonstrate his skills as a cameraman.
Similar scenes would have been seen at seven county grounds around the country, with up to 18 bowlers blowing away the cobwebs.
Broad was allowed into the pavilion for a toilet break and given his own designated toilet, revealing he had to use a ladies’ loo.
He posted on social media afterwards: ‘So much work has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible. Thanks to all the people @englandcricket & @trentbridge who have been involved, I really appreciate it.
‘Felt great to be back out there having a bowl. Loved it.’
Fellow England seamer Chris Woakes was also in action on the first day as he trained at Edgbaston.
There has been no cricket at all this season and England were last in action in March, when they headed home from their Sri Lankan tour.
The ECB remains determined to host Test series with the Windies and Pakistan, while Cricket Australia yesterday said it was still hopeful of sending a team to England for a scheduled one-day series.
‘I think there’s some chance we could send a team over,’ CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said.