Cricket:Stuart Broad returned to his day job with a vengeance as he added wickets to his world-record batting to put Pakistan in trouble on day three of the fourth test at Lord's.
Broad (169) began this morning by completing an epic triple-hundred stand with Jonathan Trott (184) which rewrote cricket history and helped England to 446 all out.
He then led the way as England made early inroads into a Pakistan reply which regained a foothold to reach 46 for three at tea. Broad, who reached 1,000 test runs during his hundred, moved from 94 to 96 wickets with the dismissals of Yasir Hameed and Mohammad Yousuf.
Should he add a century of test wickets to his four-figure runs landmark, he will be only the fourth cricketer to achieve the double in the same match — and the first Englishman.
Today’s successes were born of world-class swing bowling at high pace. Yasir Hameed edged to second slip, and then Broad had the prized scalp of Yousuf when late outswing grazed the off-stump just enough to dislodge a bail.
James Anderson shifted Imran Farhat by similar means from the pavilion end, caught behind edging more outswing — and, after five successive maidens, Pakistan lurched to 10 for three.
The introduction of Steven Finn appeared to allow Pakistan a little leeway. But Graeme Swann was into the attack and instantly drying up the runs and threatening more wickets by tea.
England’s all-time best of 246 for the eighth wicket was only two runs away at start of play for Broad and Trott. They quickly surpassed not only that but also the world record which had stood at 313 for Pakistan’s own Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq since 1996.
Their tour de force was finally broken on 332 after almost six and a half hours and 584 balls. Having revived England from deeply unpromising beginnings yesterday, they were able to milk more runs from a flagging attack as Lord’s reverted to its habitual flatness under sunny skies.
Trott continued chancelessly, and a second Test double-century of the summer for him at HQ looked a probability — until with Broad gone, he began to run out of partners and was eventually last out himself soon after lunch.
Broad, dropped at slip last night, had another moment of fortune when a thin edge behind off Saeed Ajmal on 132 was not held by Kamran Akmal. Otherwise, there was a seamlessness about a stand which appeared to bat Pakistan out of a match they must win to snatch a 2-2 series draw.
That prospect was becoming ever more distant, England having recovered so completely from yesterday’s 47 for five to post at least a par total on a batsman’s pitch.
With precious time also taken out of the match by a near washout on the first day, England had their opponents covered at every turn. Broad emphasised the point with two crunching off-side drives off consecutive Mohammad Asif deliveries, the first to bring up his 150 from 273 balls and the second for his team’s 400.
There was still plenty of power to add until Broad was lbw sweeping at Ajmal 15 minutes from lunch, after DRS overturned Billy Bowden’s initial not-out verdict. He had hit 18 fours and a six in his 297-ball stay.
Trott, who began his occupation before Broad — two days ago, in fact — duly outlasted his companion, and fell only after 383 balls and more than nine hours at the crease when he edged a wide ball behind to give Wahab Riaz his only wicket of the innings.