At the end of a day of English dominance came a blond bombshell. Stuart Broad, Ashes warrior and arch-antagonist of Australians, walked off the field and promptly announced this fifth Test at the Oval will be the last of his golden career.
All eyes had been on Jimmy Anderson during the buildup, with the master turning 41 on Sunday. But Anderson has stated there are no such thoughts; the kind of thoughts that Broad has clearly been harbouring while delivering another barnstorming Ashes campaign of 20 wickets that has taken him past 600 in Tests overall.
The final total is still to be confirmed. On the ground where Broad announced himself back in 2009, those legs will be pumping like pistons for one last time as England, nine down but 377 runs ahead with two days to go, hunt 10 wickets for a 2-2 series draw. Given his form and sense of occasion, expect a central role in the denouement.
Both Broad and Anderson had been at the crease before the close, the two old timers pushed out of the door, one after the other. Having spent the best part of three sessions noodling away at the crossword and recharging their batteries, they were suddenly tasked with trowelling the final runs on to an already impressive pile.
It was slightly comedic stuff but also catnip for a well-oiled Saturday crowd. Anderson copped a blow to his elbow from Mitchell Starc – not so funny, admittedly – but managed to swat a couple fours off Todd Murphy. If anything, the loudest roar came in the last over when Anderson overturned an lbw off the spinner to finish eight not out.
Those eight runs took England to 389 for nine, a rollicking rate of 4.8 on a day of – urgh – 80 overs. But whether Ben Stokes declares overnight or not, it will need a record run chase at the Oval – or forecast-defying rain – for Australia to claim a first series win on these shores for 22 years. Steve Smith described this as a “bucket list” achievement at the start of the tour but the bucket hats may well prevent this from being ticked off.
A pitch which returned 20 wickets across its first two days did ease up on the third. There was just one gremlin witnessed, a ball from Todd Murphy that shot under Joe Root’s bat to gallingly bowl him nine short of a century. Otherwise it was a case of England putting away less threatening mogwais, with a classy 73 from Zak Crawley and a pugnacious 78 from Jonny Bairstow helping to underpin this English charge.
The wheels didn’t quite fall off for Australia as they did in Manchester. They put in a decent shift all told and the promising Murphy, while shipping 110 runs from his 22 overs, claimed three wickets. But at the end of a tiring, compact tour, one that started by winning the World Test Championship in SE11, they struggled for impact overall.
So much went back to the start of the day, when England trailed by 12 and things appeared in the balance. Well, that Australian lead lasted all of five balls, Crawley slapping Starc’s loosener through cover a la Edgbaston, pilfering a single and then watching Ben Duckett finish the over by sending a couple of half-volleys to the rope.
Thirteen runs made it the most expensive opening six-ball over by an Australian bowler in Ashes cricket, and Starc was swiftly hooked by Pat Cummins when his follow-up leaked nine more. The left-armer did claim figures of four for 94 – and leads the series with 23 – but with that opening burst, the tone was set and England seldom looked back.
First came a stand of 79 in 17 overs from Crawley and Duckett which completed a strong campaign together. Though ended when Starc found Duckett’s edge on 42, it took them to 359 runs in tandem across the series – the best Ashes return by two England openers since Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss combined for 549 in 2010-11.
With Moeen Ali needing to wait two hours (or five wickets) to bat after time off the field due to that groin injury, the identity of the new No 3 was revealed when Stokes gamboled out at 12.27pm. He was into his work early, pulling Josh Hazlewood for six in a session of 130 runs – more than Australia’s first two sessions a day earlier.
Eight for 15 v Australia, Trent Bridge 2015
Undoubtedly Broad's finest hour, this was perhaps among the most memorable feats in Ashes history. Bowling unchanged from the pavilion end on his home ground, Broad routed Australia almost single-handedly in the space of 57 deliveries. He had Chris Rogers caught at slip with his third ball, and doubled up when Steve Smith also fell in his first over. Broad finished with figures of 9.3-5-15-8, and Australia were blown away for 60 all out in 18.3 overs.
Hat-trick hero, 2011 and 2014
Broad is the only Englishman with two Test hat-tricks to his name. His first came against India 12 years ago, and again on his home ground in Nottingham. England were on their way to No 1 in the world under Andrew Strauss, and Broad did his bit when he had MS Dhoni flashing an attempted drive to second slip and Harbhajan Singh lbw, before bowling Praveen Kumar. Broad repeated the dose three years later, this time against Sri Lanka at Headingley with the successive scalps of Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Shaminda Eranga.
Six for 17 v South Africa, Johannesburg 2016
This was another unstoppable Broad special. England had eked out a 10-run first-innings lead at the Wanderers, but Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl looked ready to hit back until Broad seized the moment again. In under 10 overs, he had the first five wickets – and added Faf du Plessis last out, caught-and-bowled, as South Africa mustered just 83. England went on to win by seven wickets inside three days.
Five for 71 & six for 50 v Australia, Chester-le-Street 2013
The Ashes were again in Broad's sights, and he made no mistake. His five first-innings wickets restricted Australia to a 32-run lead. In the second innings, the tourists reached 168 for two in pursuit of 299. Broad stepped in, finishing with six for 50 as Michael Clarke's men lost their last eight wickets for 56 and England clinched a series win.
Six for 31 & four for 36, v West Indies, Old Trafford 2020
Broad won player of the match, player of the series, took a 10-wicket match haul and become just the seventh bowler in history to claim 500 Test dismissals (his total is now 602, fifth on the all-time list). His name was all over this encounter, even chipping in 62 with the bat for good measure. After the match he made it clear the landmark was not a parting gift to English cricket and he has lived up to his word, playing on for three more years.
Five for 37, v Australia, The Oval 2009
A young Broad's calling card to the world game. With the Ashes on the line he elbowed aside the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison to take matters into his hands. From 73 without loss, he ran a wrecking ball through the Australian batting order as they slipped to 160 all out. They never reclaimed the momentum and the urn came home.
The afternoon delivered 135 more, even if three wickets fell. Crawley had crackled before the break but went for one drive too many and fell to Cummins. Stokes perished eight short of a half-century, handing Murphy his first of the innings, while Harry Brook boomed one six but was soon nicked off by Hazlewood for seven.
At the other end Root was very much up and running, however, freshly past 50 from just 42 balls with a flurry of pulls and one of those now trademark reverse scoop sixes. Joined by the bristling Bairstow at 222 for four, the two Yorkshiremen added 110 for the fifth wicket, driving home England’s advantage. Root was happy to throttle back and anchor things here, while Bairstow set about hammering anything loose.
Both men fell in a late surge of wickets after tea, this stemming the flow of runs. Among this was also, in all likelihood, Moeen’s final innings as a Test cricketer, emerging at No 7 and cracking four fours in a jaunty 28. Moeen has form for changing his mind, of course, but we know for certain that Broad is off into the sunset.
