Ben Gardner takes a look at Stuart Broad whether his first innings 65 in the third Test against West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford could hint at a more long-term batting renaissance.
For a time, it was a morning that felt all too familiar for England fans. A promising overnight platform of 258-4 looked like being squandered as Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach located their radars to reduce the hosts to 280-8. And then Stuart Broad walked in.
What followed might have also felt familiar, albeit in a different way, stirring memories long left dormant, as England’s No.10 swiped and swatted his way to 62 off 45 before holing out off Roston Chase.
It’s been a long time since Broad made as many in a Test innings. Not since the first Test of the 2013 Ashes, in fact, when his 65 proved vital in giving England just enough of a lead to secure a thrilling victory. That was the knock in which Broad ‘nicked to slip’ and didn’t walk off Ashton Agar. Perhaps the cricketing gods have finally forgiven him.
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His knock carried more than just personal statistical significance. Coming up off 33 balls, only one other Englishman has made a Test half-century faster than Broad, with Ian Botham having a 28-ball and a 32-ball fifty to his name. Allan Lamb and Andrew Flintoff are both level with Broad in third place on the list of fastest fifties by an Englishman.
It was the latest sign that the Broad of old, the one who hit 169 in a Test against Pakistan to help England up from 102-7 and who might have held aspirations to become a proper all-rounder, might not be as distant as he once was. He hit four sixes in a 28-ball blitz worth 43 against South Africa in January, and now averages 42 in 2020. Between the start of 2016 and the start of 2020, he averaged just 11.53.
[breakout id=”0″][/breakout] Broad is starting to make significant progress up England’s all-time Test run-scorers list too. He overtook Frank Woolley by a run during his 65, and is 99 runs off Graeme Hick’s tally. Not far ahead of Hick are Patsy Hendren, Tony Greig, Dennis Amiss, and Andrew Flintoff. Lofty company.
