On This Day, Five Years Ago: Stuart Broad Blows Away Australia Within A Session

Stuart Broad dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite to bag his 500th Test wicket a few days ago was undoubtedly iconic and memorable. However, it might not be an unforgettable one. That Stuart Broad spit fire on the first day in Nottingham five years ago against England’s nemesis on the way to his best bowling spell remains entrenched.

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Australia trailed by 2-1 in their Ashes defence by 2-1 with losing in Cardiff and Birmingham comfortably while demolishing the hosts at the Lord’s. The odds further stacked against them as Steve Waugh was the last Australian captain to win a Test in Nottingham back in 2001. After a delayed start due to showers, Stuart Broad held the new ball as the sun began smiling.

It took only three balls to make Chris Rogers as his 300th Test victim. Steve Smith was in sublime form, having clattered a double-hundred in the visitors’ only win in the series and displayed his intent straight away. He got a double and a boundary but perished, edging one at third slip to Joe Root. Australia had ten runs on the board but lost two vital wickets in the first over.

With David Warner becoming victim to Mark Wood in the second over, Broad returned to hurt Australia more by sending back Shaun Marsh. Amongst the four wickets they lost, three perished for a duck. Nottingham’s own plucked Adam Voges for a single and skipper Michael Clarke for 10 in his successive overs, accounting for five out of six wickets to fall. Peter Nevill was the next to go, giving Steven Finn his first scalp.

With Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson at the crease now with 38-7, Australia managed two runs more than their lowest total. However, they were at risk of getting bowled out for less than 50 once more in the decade. Broad delivered a wicketless 11th over as Johnson helped himself to a couple of streaky boundaries off Finn. However, Broad slammed the door shut on any possible resurgence by dismissing both Starc and Johnson for his sixth and seventh wicket.

Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood survive Stuart Broad the best they could:

After Steve Smith, it was Nathan Lyon, who produced the sweetest strike off his bat from Finn’s fifth over for a boundary. Hazlewood clung on to testing over from Stuart Broad after which Lyon managed the second boundary from his tenth and departing for 9 in the next ball, snaring his eighth. Australia created some unwanted records on the way during their forgettable capitulation for 60.

Australia, who lasted only 18.3 overs (111 minutes) in 93 minutes, is the quickest in terms of balls faced for a team that has been bowled out in the first innings of a Test. It was also the first time that the extras (14) were higher than their highest-scoring batsman (Mitchell Johnson – 13) in an inning.

With the wicket of Chris Rogers in the first innings, Stuart Broad became the fifth bowler to take 300 Test wickets and the second Englishman after Ian Botham to have 300 scalps and 2000 Test runs.

Broad’s figures of 9.3-5-15-8 are also the third-best by an Englishman and his five scalps in 19 deliveries were the quickest for a Test opening bowler. It was also the joint-fastest for any bowler in Test cricket, shared with Ernie Toshack.

By taking the scalp of Smith in the second innings, Broad snapped his ninth of the match and went past Fred Trueman’s tally of 307 wickets. The home side won the clash by an innings and 78 runs, thereby regaining the Ashes too. Australia secured a consolation win at the Oval but the series marked the end of international careers of Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, and Chris Rogers.

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