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Broad crosses 500 mark as England rout WI to take series

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MANCHESTER: Stuart Broad joined one of cricket’s most exclusive clubs when he took his 500th Test wicket on Tuesday as England completed a series-clinching win by 269 runs over the West Indies at Old Trafford.

The 34-year-old became just the seventh bowler and fourth pacemen to reach the coveted landmark when he had opener Kraigg Brathwaite plumb lbw for 19 on the fifth day of the third Test.

Broad, fittingly, ended the series when he had Jermaine Blackwood caught behind as the West Indies, set a huge target of 399 for victory, collapsed to a meagre 129 all out in under 38 overs in between several rain delays in Manchester.

Broad — who was declared man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series —finished with a match return of 10-67 in addition to the dashing 62 he made batting at No 10 in England’s first innings 369 that featured Ollie Pope’s 91.

In between Broad’s strikes on Tuesday, fellow paceman Chris Woakes returned innings figures of 5-50.

Victory saw England, who controversially left Broad out of the side that lost the first Test at Southampton by four wickets, complete a 2-1 win in a three-match series and regain the Wisden Trophy they lost in the Caribbean last year.

England won the first Test series since the Covid-19 pandemic 2-1 and will almost immediately go into another three-match Test series against Pakistan, starting next week at Old Trafford.

West Indies were left thinking about how they could have escaped with a draw when, soon after their defeat, rain hammered down at Old Trafford.

Man-of-the-match Broad — playing in his 140th Test — had been stranded on 499 wickets when, after he had already taken eight in this match, rain washed out the whole of Monday’s fourth day.

He reached the 500-mark on Tuesday when a full-length ball struck Brathwaite’s back pad, with the opener not bothering to review umpire Michael Gough’s decision because he was so clearly out.

“It feels amazing,” Broad said of his landmark achievement, which came during a behind close doors series that marks international cricket’s return from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.

“I’m looking forward to playing in front of crowds again,” added Broad.

“I want to say a huge thank you to the West Indies too, the sacrifice they’ve made. This summer wouldn’t be happening without them.”

Broad’s father Chris — the former England opening batsman — was at Old Trafford to witness his son’s achievement in his role as the match referee.

“It’s a shame that my friends and family can’t be here to give a little wave to but it was great to have my dad here,” said Broad. “It was special to get 500, it’s great to have one family member here …

It feels great to do it and even more so to help win a Test that helps to win the series for us.”

Brathwaite was also the dismissed batsman when James Anderson, Broad’s longstanding England new-ball colleague, took his 500th Test wicket, at Lord’s in September 2017.

“What a stat that is that we got both Brathwaite for our 500,” said Broad. “He [Anderson] came to me on Sunday when we were batting and said you know who it’s going to be, ‘Kraigg Brathwaite’.”

Broad took the first three West Indies wickets to fall in their second innings of this match.

The only bowlers with more than 600 Test wickets are former spinners — Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australian Shane Warne (708) and India’s Anil Kumble (619).

The only seamers ahead of Broad are Anderson (589 wickets) and Australia’s Glenn McGrath (563) and the West Indies’ Courtney Walsh (519), both of whom are long retired.

Anderson opened the bowling with Broad on Tuesday but it was Woakes who took did the most damage. He had Shai Hope caught for 31 by Broad after a wild swing which saw the ball go straight up into the air and Shamarh Brooks followed soon after as he got an inside edge and was caught behind.

After lunch, Roston Chase was run out for seven by Dom Bess as the tourists risked an unnecessary single and when captain Jason Holder was lbw to Woakes for 12, any suggestion of a resolute stand looked over.

Woakes’ next two victims were also caught shuffling across the crease, with Shane Dowrich out for eight and Rahkeem Cornwall for two.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 369 (O.J. Pope 91, J.C. Buttler 67, S.C.J. Broad 62, R.J. Burns 57; K.A.J. Roach 4-72).

WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 197 (J.O. Holder 46; S.C.J. Broad 6-31).

ENGLAND (2nd Innings) 226-2 declared (R.J. Burns 90, J.E. Root 68 not out, D.P. Sibley 56).

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings, overnight 10-2 from Sunday):

K.C. Brathwaite lbw b Broad 19

J.D. Campbell c Root b Broad 0

K.A.J. Roach c Buttler b Broad 4

S.D. Hope c Broad b Woakes 31

S.S.J. Brooks c Buttler b Woakes 22

R.L. Chase run out 7

J. Blackwood c Buttler b Broad 23

J.O. Holder lbw b Woakes 12

S.O. Dowrich lbw b Woakes 8

R.R.S. Cornwall lbw b Woakes 2

S.T. Gabriel not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1

TOTAL (all out, 37.1 overs) 129

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-6, 3-45, 4-71, 5-79, 6-87, 7-99, 8-117, 9-119.

BOWLING: Anderson 8-4-18-0; Broad 8.1-1-36-4; Woakes 11-0-50-5; Archer 10-1-24-0.

RESULT: England won by 269 runs to win three-match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: M.A. Gough (England) and R.A. Kettleborough (England).

TV UMPIRE: R.K. Illingworth (England).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Stuart Broad.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Stuart Broad.

FIRST TEST: Southampton, West Indies won by four wickets.

SECOND TEST: Old Trafford, England won by 115 runs.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2020

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