Watch: Stuart Broad’s second ball as a promoted No. 4 resulted in chaos late on the second day of the first New Zealand-England Test at Mount Maunganui.
Broad, deployed as England’s ‘NightHawk,’ skied his second ball at the crease producing what ought to have been a straightforward chance for either wicketkeeper Tom Blundell or the bowler Scott Kuggeleijn. Instead, neither called for it leaving the ball to land between the two New Zealanders, merely yards away from where Broad struck the ball.
It was the sighting of Broad as the ‘NightHawk.’ During the 2022 English summer, England captain Ben Stokes revealed that England were planning on using Broad in a role similar to a traditional nightwatchman, but with instructions to attack rather than defend.
Speaking in July, Stokes said: “Looking at every situation we are going to find ourselves in, we’re always looking at what the positive thing to do is. For example, on Sunday night we renamed what the nightwatchman is all about. We called it the Nighthawk. That was Broady. He was going out with half an hour left to play to try to literally slog. That’s where we are at the moment, it’s awesome.”
Rehan Ahmed was used in a similar role in the Karachi Test but this was the first time that Broad had come out as an attacking nightwatchman. He finished the day on six off thirteen, despite displaying plenty of attacking intent. England closed day two on 79-2, leading New Zealand by 98 runs.
Watch the moment below:
The second ball of Broad’s innings was just complete chaos.#NZvENGpic.twitter.com/460aFPPPVB
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 17, 2023
