England's Stuart Broad honoured as he faces final day
Stuart Broad will bring the curtain down on his career today after day four of the final Ashes Test at the Kia Oval ended up being a damp squib with rain forcing Sunday’s play to be abandoned at 4.47pm.
Broad announced on Saturday night that he would retire following the conclusion of this series and there was potential for day four to be last.
The wet weather in south London had other ideas with rain setting in during the afternoon session with Australia on 135 without loss in pursuit of 384 after England were dismissed for 395 earlier on Sunday morning.
Broad batted, bowled and fielded during the 39.5 overs possible on day four and here we look at the penultimate day of his career.
Six of the best
Broad could not have envisaged a better start after his retirement plans were revealed at the close on day three.
A sell-out Kia Oval crowd gave him a standing ovation when he appeared from the pavilion to bat before Australia afforded him a guard of honour.
Once play did start with Mitchell Starc from the Pavilion End, singles were turned down from the first ball balls of the over before Broad launched into a short sixth delivery and pulled over square leg for a glorious six. It would prove the final ball he would face with James Anderson out to Todd Murphy in the next over.
Warner rivalry on hold
Broad raced off once Anderson’s review had been unsuccessful and took the new ball against old sparring partner David Warner, but there would be no 17th dismissal on this occasion.
Warner inside-edged Broad’s first delivery before a sweet cover drive for four concluded the over.
With little happening, Stokes changed his bowlers regularly before lunch and Broad’s first spell was restricted to three overs and his second lasted 18 balls too, with Usman Khawaja not comfortable but able to survive and Broad was not used during the first hour of an afternoon session that ended at 2.41pm.
Same place Monday?
Broad’s fiancée Mollie King and daughter Annabella were in attendance on Sunday while mum Carol and dad Chris recalled memories in BBC’s Test Match Special commentary box during the day’s play.
“Stuart is a master of making the right decision, so it’s always his decision and he’s done it again. It’s the perfect time,” Carol Broad said on BBC’s Test Match Special.
“He told me he doesn’t want a fuss but I thought, I want him to have a fuss. The first day I saw him come down the stairs I got a tingle and I still get that. I just really want them to win.”
Former England opener Chris Broad added: “Thank you to Leicestershire for seeing the ability of him as a bowler because I didn’t see that, and I was looking at his batting and I thought, well, I don’t really think he’s going to make it in first-class cricket as a batsman. But they saw him as a bowler.”
The Broad clan will have to come back today to see if the 37-year-old can bring his Ashes love affair to an end with a bang.
