Stuart Broad had a memorable day with the bat and ball as England took control of the deciding third Test against the West Indies in Manchester on Saturday.
Batting was an aspect of the game Broad had almost forgotten, despite starting his career as a batting all-rounder.
Yesterday, he showed that the ability was still there as he hit an attacking 62 from just 45 balls batting at No 10, which took the total to a respectable 369 from 280-8 in the morning session.
Then with the new ball in hand on an overcast day, Broad picked up 2-17 from a probing 10 overs to help reduce the visitors to 137-6 by the end of the second day’s play.
Broad began his memorable outing with a carefree 62, rolling back the years for his highest score since 2013, before returning to dismiss two of the tourists’ top five.
With inclement weather forecast, England may yet need the follow-on to push for the victory they need to reclaim the Wisden Trophy 2-1.
But the hosts are in a good position with a lead of 232. Broad was reunited with long-time 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.
They wasted no time finding their groove. Anderson was typically controlled, matching Broad’s figures of 2-17 while Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes picked up one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Broad’s fifty, England’s third-fastest half-century in Tests, came in at a critical moment. The first hour belonged to West Indies, with Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach making the second new ball talk to send England from 258-4 to 280-8.
The first victim was Ollie Pope. After a stroke-filled opening day, Pope failed to add to his tally of 91 runs, losing his stumps to Gabriel.
Wickets then started to fall in a heap before Broad stepped in. He hooked his fourth ball for six to set the counter attack tone for the day.
Broad targeted West Indies captain Jason Holder, hitting him for seven boundaries.
The left-handed batsman brought up his fifty in 33 balls with a full-blooded pull that left him behind Ian Botham’s 28 and 32-ball feats taken on the list of fastest half-centuries and level with Allan Lamb and Andrew Flintoff.
Broad thus took the total closer to 400 when 300 seemed some way away.
The visitors began their response immediately after lunch and never managed to get on top in the face of some high-class bowling.
England left their opponents 59-3 in the middle session, then took another two in the evening before bad light denied them another 30 minutes.
