There’s perhaps nothing that charges Stuart Broad more than a challenge to his spot in the playing eleven. Broad was furious, gutted and frustrated after missing the Southampton Test, and he has every right to be.
The ferocity Broad exhibited in the press conference over his omission made it clear that something special is in the way at Old Trafford from England’s most consistent pacer.
Although it came little late, Broad didn’t need more than 14 deliveries to swung the game in England’s favour. With Windies batsman fighting resolutely, the game was turning out to be an assured stalemate.
However, in the space of those 14 deliveries, Broad scalped off the wickets of Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood and Shane Dowrich to add another element of twist and turn in the game.
Broad’s intervention triggered a dramatic collapse of Windies batting. From a point where West Indies were battling hard at 242-4, the visitors succumbed to English bowlers, adding just 45 runs to their tally and getting all-out for 287.
Of all the wickets from Broad, the one that sent Blackwood back to pavilion remains the most aesthetic and delightful.
Blackwood, the match-winner at Southampton, was cleaned for a six-ball duck after missing the angled-in delivery from Broad.
Broad returned figures of 3/66 in the first innings.
Here’s the video:
BROOOOOADY AGAIN!! 🙌
Scorecard & Videos: https://t.co/Jr8JJyRQaw#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/L60EWHHJfp
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 19, 2020
The match has taken an exciting turn where a mere draw will work for the visitors but England will by eyeing nothing less than a victory.
Armed with a lead of 219 runs, England will plan to propel towards the 300-runs mark and give themselves a chance to bowl out West Indies on the fifth day.
For England, they must be terribly missing their home supports on a day like this when a match hangs by a wire.
