STUART BROAD produced his best bowling for more than a year as England continued their dream of finally winning a Test match this winter.
Broad took three wickets in his opening surge and then snared a further victim in the evening session.
It all added up to figures of 4-38 by the close of day two of the Second Test against New Zealand.
The Kiwis finished 192-6 – still 115 behind England’s first innings total of 307 all out.
England’s situation would have been more commanding but for a sixth-wicket stand of 142 between wicketkeeper B.J. Watling and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
Broad – plus two wickets for James Anderson – reduced New Zealand to the depths of 36-5 before Watling and de Grandhomme frustrated England for 50 overs.
The partnership ended when Broad coaxed an edge from de Grandhomme as he aimed an expansive drive.
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In the two months he spent at home between the Ashes and this tour, Broad worked on improving his wrist position and alignment. The idea was to re-discover his ability to swing the ball away from right-handers.
He worked mainly on his own in the indoor school at Trent Bridge.
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The results were apparent in the warm-up games and Broad bowled okay in England’s defeat in the First Test in Auckland.
But he was superb here – operating with decent pace and rhythm and bowling to a full length to encourage batsmen to drive.
Broad had Tom Latham caught behind for a duck, Ross Taylor held at first slip and Henry Nicholls lbw.
Anderson removed Jeet Raval, caught behind off the outside edge, and Kane Williamson, strangled down the legside.
Left-arm spinner Jack Leach bowled tidily enough on his debut without taking a wicket on day two while Ben Stokes, who has been inconvenienced by a sore back, bowled three overs – his first of the series.
Earlier, Jonny Bairstow added the three runs he needed to complete his fifth Test century.
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