Broad daylight robbery

Nottingham: Stuart Broad took eight wickets as England skittled out Australia for 60 in a historically quick 111 balls and moved within sight of an Ashes-clinching win on the first day of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

 

Fast-medium bowler Broad took 8 for 15 in 9.3 overs as he smashed through the 300 Test wicket mark in a scintillating performance he acclaimed as “unbelievable”. 

Australia’s innings was wrapped up in just 18.3 overs — the quickest any team has ever been bowled out in the first innings in the 138-year history of Test cricket.

 

Joe Root’s unbeaten century then compounded Australia’s misery as England reached stumps on 274 for four, a lead of 214 runs. Root was 124 not out after putting on 173 for the fourth wicket with Jonny Bairstow (74). Nightwatchman Mark Wood was unbeaten on 2.

 

 

For the second match in a row England, 2-1 up in the five-match series and needing one more win to regain the Ashes, had all but assured themselves of victory with their first-day performance following last week’s eight-wicket success at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

 

Broad bowled well, maintaining an excellent line and length on his Nottinghamshire home ground. 

However, several of his wickets owed much to poor shots by Australia batsmen who again cemented their reputation as ‘flat-track bullies’ unable to cope with sideways seaming and swing movement.

 

Eight Australians were caught in the slip cordon — all off Broad. Mitchell Johnson (13) and Australia captain Michael Clarke (10) were the only batsmen to make double figure scores in the innings. Australia’s total — with extras the top score on 14 — was the lowest by either side in an Ashes innings since England were dismissed for 52 at The Oval in 1948.

 

“It’s pretty unbelievable. It’s not sunk in,” Broad told Sky Sports. “We knew Trent Bridge would offer us something but we had to bowl well and take our catches,” he added. The 29-year-old Broad, leading the attack in the absence of the injured James Anderson — England’s all-time leading wicket-taker — needed just three balls in Thursday’s first over to take his 300th Test wicket when opener Chris Rogers, on nought, edged to Cook at first slip.

 

Three balls later, he struck again when Steven Smith, aiming legside, was held by Root at third slip for six. 

Durham quick Wood, in for Anderson, needed just two balls to take his lone wicket when David Warner was caught behind off the inside edge.

 

Left-handers Rogers and Warner became the first Australia openers to both fall for ducks in an Ashes Test innings since Arthur Morris and Jack Moroney at Brisbane in 1950.

 

FoW: 1-4, 2-10, 3-10, 4-15, 5-21, 6-29, 7-33, 8-46, 9-47.

Bowling: Broad 9.3-5-15-8, Wood 3-0-13-1, Finn 6-0-21-1. 

 

England (1st innings): A. Lyth c Nevill b Starc 14, A. Cook lbw b Starc 43, I. Bell lbw b Starc 1, J. Root batting 124, J. Bairstow c Rogers b Hazlewood 74, M. Wood batting 2. Extras (b-10, lb-1, w-1, nb-4) 16. Total (4 wkts, 65 overs) 274.

FoW: 1-32, 2-34, 3-96, 4-269.

Bowling: Starc 17-1-73-3, Hazlewood 20-4-63-1, Johnson 16-2-71-0, Lyon 9-1-38-0, Warner 3-0-18-0