WITH less than a week of the year remaining, Stuart Broad took his first haul of three wickets or more in 2017.
That’s an astonishingly low harvest for the man who sits second on England’s all-time list of wicket-takers.
Finally, after weeks of frustration on this tour, Broad discovered some rhythm and confidence.
He bowled damn well in Australia’s first innings of the Fourth Test and was largely responsible for their final seven wickets falling for just 67 runs.
Broad’s final figures were 28-10-51-4 as Australia were bowled out for 327.
He didn’t take a wicket at all in the Third Test in Perth and had gone 69 overs without a scalp before he had Usman Khawaja caught behind on day one here.
He was within a whisker of making it two wickets in two balls but Shaun Marsh survived on an “umpire’s call” lbw review.
His old mate and new-ball partner James Anderson was honest enough to admit at the close of day one that Broad bowled poorly in Perth and throughout the series in general.
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Anderson said: “As a senior player, you want to help the team in a big series.
“Being brutally honest, I think Stuart is really disappointed with the way he bowled in the previous game.”
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But Anderson also said Broad worked incredibly hard to put things right between Perth and Melbourne. It proved his hunger is still there, insisted Anderson.
Certainly, there are no signs that Broad is about to call time on his England career.
He is finished as an international white ball player but wants to play Test cricket at least until the 2019 Ashes.
When he does finish, Broad is likely to join Sky TV commentary team.
He has already done some punditry and has been on a broadcast media training course.
Anderson didn’t bowl so badly, either, and took 3-61 from 29 overs.
England’s “Big Two” bowlers dovetailed well but, with the series already lost, one could not help feel it was too late.
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