Broad strokes

MANCHESTER, July 26

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England increased their lead over the West Indies to a substantial 258 runs as an unbeaten first-wicket partnership took them to 86/0 in their second innings at tea on the third day of the third and final Test today.

Rory Burns and Dom Sibley built a steady partnership in the afternoon session but are expected to try to increase the run rate after tea as England seek to build a large lead before putting the touring side in to bat again at Old Trafford.

With the prospect of Monday’s play being curtailed by rain, England will want to leave enough time to bowl the West Indies out again and win the series 2-1.

Burns was 38 not out and Sibley, who failed to score in the first innings, was unbeaten on 40.

England began their second innings just before lunch after Stuart Broad continued his dominant role in the Test by grabbing four quick wickets in the morning to dismiss the West Indies for 197.

Broad ended with 6/31 in 14 overs, mopping up the tail to give England a 172-run first-innings lead.

But it took a frustrating 54 minutes for England to make a breakthrough today after the West Indies had resumed on 137/6, facing the possibility of being asked to bat again.

Captain Jason Holder led the fightback as he scored an important 46 runs to help his side avoid the follow-on. He and Shane Dowrich added 41 runs to the overnight total before the Windies skipper was trapped lbw by Broad.

The 34-year-old Broad trapped Rakheem Cornwall for 10, Kemar Roach followed three balls later and Dowrich was the last to fall for 37.

Dowrich was hit by a ball in the face while keeping wicket in the afternoon and had to leave the field for treatment.

The series is level at 1-1 after West Indies won by four wickets at Southampton before England secured a 113-run victory at Old Trafford. — Reuters

Broad gets batting inspiration from Warne

Stuart Broad’s experiment to adopt Australian great Shane Warne’s stance at the crease paid off yesterday as he smashed a quickfire half-century for England on the second day of the final Test against West Indies. Peter Moores, his former England coach and current mentor at Nottinghamshire, suggested a technical tweak to his game when he was up against fast bowlers and that new approach was in full display at Old Trafford. 

Broad scored the joint third-fastest Test 50 for England off just 33 balls. The 34-year-old was eventually dismissed for 62. Ian Botham is the only England player to have scored quicker Test 50s — having done so off 28 and 31 balls. Broad matched the feats of Allan Lamb and Andrew Flintoff.

“West Indies bowled beautifully and I think if I had gone out there and tried to play regulation I think there was a ball with my name on it,” Broad said. “I tried to up the momentum, hit the bowlers off a length. Tactically it was the right thing to do and something I’ve worked on with Peter Moores at Nottinghamshire. He brought me the example of Shane Warne who didn’t look particularly pretty at times but hit balls in different areas and was really effective, especially in the 2005 Ashes.”

Leg spinner Warne was one of cricket’s greatest bowlers, but he was often a major irritant to opponents with the bat as he notched up 12 Test 50s. Broad said the idea was to stay leg side to eliminate the possibility of being trapped lbw and then back his ability to hit the straight ball. “There was a little bit of thought process in the madness, but I did enjoy myself out there,” he said. Reuters