England’s ‘Swanky’ Broadway at Old Trafford
Chants of ‘He’s big, he’s bad, He’s better than his dad, Stuart Broad, Stuart Broad,’ was vividly missing due to the terrible pandemic that has prevailed over the world yet there would have been a bunch of Barmy Army members who would have quietly mummed sitting on their couches.
He might be better than his dad but surely he is better than his bowling partner, James Anderson in terms of entertainment wearing his heart on his sleeves. Punched aside at the Rose Bowl in Southampton to being classed as world’s best 224.2 miles away in Manchester, Stuart Broad’s career is nothing short of a circus. A circus which sets the town ablaze, with families flocking in thousands to get a peek of all the drama that is set to be unfurled. That is Stuart Broad’s English career in whites, nothing short of the dramatics.
When England set West Indies a first-innings total of 369, all eyes were on James Anderson and the returning Jofra Archer to do the damage. Yet a face full of expression, Broad struck first to send Kraig Braithwaite packing for a ten-ball one. The celebration kicked-off, the 34-year-old was once again in the middle of yet another extravagant celebration, trying to emulate the ageless wonder, Imran Tahir. He ran and punched his fist in mid-air, sort of to suggest that Old Trafford is the art and Broad is the artist.
At the scenic ground, the Nottingham pacer has been nothing short of an extravagant English play, where the theatrics are sophisticated yet clear and loud. His bowling at Old Trafford had a similar ring to it, complicated yet simple and clear, that he was going to be there always to pick wickets, thirty and more counting following his display against Windies in the first innings of the third Test. Even before that, he kicked-off a mood for the English fans, who were bored on the back of a classy innings from Jos Buttler and Ollie Pope.
They needed hope, they needed a Raheem Sterling on the pitch- rapid, entertaining and most importantly, highly effective. Broad was all of it (almost)rapid, certainly entertaining and mostly just highly effective. Every run of his was met with an equal measure of surprise and dismay from the Windies bowlers, who could not believe what had just met them. It was certain that there was going to be a long English tail on paper but in play? They could not just fathom what met them and crossed fate with them at Old Trafford, so couldn’t the English fans.
After being hit dearly by Varun Aaron in 2014, Broad’s batting and his technique have taken a massive hit, so much that he has been demoted to being just a bowler instead of being an all-rounder. He took it in his stride, came out with intent and left the field with a significant record, fastest fifty since the turn of his decade. When the Nottingham cricketer is around, there is a certain kind of feeling in the air that something is around the corner. Be it him not walking off the field, creating a fuss or be it him just hangin’ on his backfoot to smash the bowler to the empty stands.
Just last year, 33-year-young Broad set the Ashes stage on fire with his 100th wicket in the series and the most memorable memory of the series is Broad celebrating in vivid happiness after sending David Warner back to the dressing room for the nth time in the series. That is Broad, believe it or not, he’s not a youngster or certainly, he was not trying to make a point there but the burst of anger all resulted in such a celebration. However, after his return in the second Test in Manchester against West Indies, there was a sense of anger in his bowling one that doubted his skills no longer than a few days ago.
"I'm not a particularly emotional person but I've found the last couple of days quite tough. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement... you're disappointed if you drop your phone and the screen breaks. I feel frustrated, angry, gutted. It's difficult to understand. I've probably bowled the best I've ever bowled the last couple of years, I felt it was my shirt. I was in the team for the Ashes and going to South Africa and winning there,"
Broad told Sky Sports.
These were the very words from one of the most senior figures in the English dressing room just after missing one Test, against West Indies. And it was very well the last set of words before he ripped apart Windies batting, with a figure of 6/108. All he wished was to play alongside James Anderson in the series decider. His wish was fulfilled and in such fashion as England turned around their setup to accommodate both Broad and Anderson. At 73/4 in West Indies first innings pursuit, Broad’s nipping-in-swinger caught Roston Chase dead in front and Broad being himself did not even appeal until he realised that he could be warned off for it.
In the barest of patches when English bowlers are suffering to come with a breakthrough, he’s there and once again was on Day 3. England had already got enough of Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich, so much that they did not want more of them at the crease. Chris Woakes tried his best but forgot the line, so it was up to Broad really. After being driven for a boundary, channelling his anger Broad roared into his follow-up and rapped Holder’s pad so hard. Thud it went as Broad went the other side celebrating, even in the dimmest of days, there is Broad daylight for England, as he had his 18th five-wicket haul in English whites.
And when runs seem to be dry in the first innings, he was there once again. Whilst he was not going to have any of the textbook stuff, his shots certainly were sprayed all over the ground like Shannon Gabriel’s spell in the second Test. A larger-than-life persona that he carries makes him stand out from the rest of the good-boy English club. Be it his band, his batting, his bowling or his swanky appealing style, Broad has got it all covered for England. Would be really shocked if he can’t do Broadway or ballet.
Established in 2007, with the inauguration on December 9, this English Broadway certainly has been a long part of the country’s cricketing history. Over the years, it has had its patches of ticketless days, eventless nights but yet it has always maintained its stature as one of the country’s best. Thirteen long years later, now with the famous-ol recliner, this swanky English Broadway is destined for history with just three wickets separating him from the rest at the 500-wicket club in English cricket.