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 yesterday.
Fast-medium bowler Broad took eight 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 Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow (74). Nightwatchman Mark Wood was unbeaten on two.
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.
Initially cloudy conditions offered some assistance to the bowlers and doubtless prompted Alastair Cook’s decision to field first upon winning the toss.
But they were not ‘unplayable’.
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 after drawing level with England great Fred Trueman’s career tally of 307 Test wickets.
“We knew Trent Bridge would offer us something but we had to bowl well and take our catches.”
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‘He only wanted one’ – Broad’s eight delight his dad
Nottingham: There was no prouder spectator at Trent Bridge as Stuart Broad took eight wickets to reduce Australia to 60 all out on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test than the England paceman’s father, Chris Broad.
Broad’s stunning haul of eight for 15 in 9.3 overs on his Nottinghamshire home ground saw Australia bowled out in a historically low 18.3 overs -- the shortest completed first innings in the 138-year history of Test cricket.
After England captain Alastair Cook won the toss in overcast conditions, there was drama right from the third ball of the match when fast-medium bowler Broad had Chris Rogers caught at first slip by Cook for nought for his 300th Test wicket.
“He only wanted one, it’s just being greedy isn’t it?” Chris Broad told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.
“He chatted to me a couple of days prior and said ‘all I want is one’. I was a bit concerned he was too focused on getting to 300,” added Broad senior, himself a former Nottinghamshire and England opening batsman.
“If you’re not focused on your action and rhythm you can search for wickets...but to get one in the first over was a release,” explained Broad, now an International Cricket Council match referee.
“Maybe it was meant to be that he comes to Trent Bridge and gets it here,” said Broad senior, who scored three hundreds in England’s 1986/87 Ashes series win in Australia.
Broad’s haul, which saw him draw level with England fast bowling great Fred Trueman’s career Test tally of 307 wickets, was all the more impressive as England were without the injured James Anderson.
England’s all-time leading Test bowler with 413 wickets, Anderson was ruled out with a side injury suffered in the team’s eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston last week.
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