Top 5 spells of Stuart Broad
When you think of Stuart Broad, you think of that tall pacer who can run through a side and turn the game on its head in one spell. He hailed from a cricketing family as his father Chris Broad (who is now an ICC match referee) played 25 Tests and 34 ODIs for England as an opening batsman.
A blonde haired Stuart Broad made his International debut as a 20-year-old pacer in a T20I against Pakistan in 2006. He bowled a decent spell of 4 overs and picked up a couple of wickets but also conceded 35 runs. A couple of days later he made his ODI debut where he had figures of 1/14 in 3 overs before rain played spoilsport.
He then started to feature in the England limited-overs sides regularly and after his good show against India in the 7-match ODI series (where he picked up 9 wickets), he found himself in the England squad for the 2007 World T20 where he was famously thrashed for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh.
Later in 2007, he made his Test debut in Sri Lanka. His Test career was not off to the greatest of starts but he bettered his record as he grew in experience. He slowly turned into one of the best new-ball bowlers for England and went onto form an outstanding partnership with veteran James Anderson.
He is only the second England bowler to take more than 400 Test wickets and currently sits at the second place on the top wicket-takers list for England (behind James Anderson). A lot of critics believe that Nottingham pacer is coming to the end but he feels he is fresh and has a few years left in him. Also, England also rely on Broad to give them early breakthroughs and he still remains one of the key components of the Test line-up.
As he turns 32 today, we wish him a Happy Birthday and also look back at 5 of his best spells in international cricket.
#5 3/15 vs NZ, Wellington – 2013 (T20I)
After winning the first T20I comfortably (2013), England lost the second one comprehensively as New Zealand won by 55 runs. In the decider at Wellington, England won the toss and decided to field first.
Skipper Stuart Broad led from the front as he took 3/15 to restrict the Kiwis to just 139 in their 20 overs. Sharing the new ball with Steven Finn, Stuart Broad scalped Hamish Rutherford in the 4th over to give England an early breakthrough. Broad bowled a tight opening spell as he conceded just 8 runs in 2 overs.
He then came back in the 16th over and dismissed Colin Munro before taking the wicket of the well-set Martin Guptill (who top-scored with 59) in his final over. The then T20 skipper’s efforts helped the visitors restrict the Blackcaps to an under-par total. England then chased the total down inside 13 overs and won by 10 wickets.