Stuart Broad
After an innings reviving 136-run stand, England's overnight-pair of Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler added just four more to the board. Shannon Gabriel ripped apart the partnership before Kemar Roach reached his milestone of 200 Test wickets with the dismissal of Chris Woakes and added one more to his tally following Jofra Archer's dismissal. England were 280 for eight within the first hour of the second morning. But by lunch, England were folded for 369 runs. courtesy an entertaining and record-scripting half-century knock by Stuart Broad.
Broad struck nine boundaries and a six to frustrate the Windies attack with his 45-ball 62 that comfortably guided England past the 350-run mark. And en route to the knock, his highest in the last seven years, Broad scored England's joint third-fastest Test half-century, coming off just 33 balls.
Former England all-rounder Ian Botham stands atop in the list with his half-centuries off 28 balls (in Delhi against India in 1981/82) and 32 balls (at The Oval against New Zealand in 1986). Broad stands tied with Allan Lamb (in Auckland against New Zealand in 1991/92), and Andre Flintoff (in Wellington against New Zealand in 2001/02). This is also Broad's highest individual score since his 65 in Nottingham against Australia in 2013, and his first half-century score since his unbeaten 57 at the Lord's against South Africa in 2017.
Broad's entertainer on Saturday morning began with a six pummelled over deep mid-wicket against a shortish delivery around leg. Jason Holder then tried to trouble him early with the bouncer remininding him of that 2014 incident, but Broad cut the first one uppishly over the slip cordan for a boundary and slapped the very next one through the covers for another four. Holder struggled to find the perfect length and Broad made capitalised on the loose balls as he top-eded another one off the Windies skipper to the ropes behind the keeper and the lofted the very next over mid-off.
The very confidence of his strokeplay turned back the clock to the early part of his career when Broad was considered as a genuine all-rounder with his back-foot cover drive similar to that of Gary Sobers. Not to forget, he has his name up on the Lord's hounour board for his 169 against Pakistan in 2010, a score higher than two batting stalwarts Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss. But following a that fatal bouncer from Varun Aaron in 2014 series at home that smashes his nose, Broad's Test batting average significantly dropped.
But the knock on Saturday was a genuine reminder that beneath his fear still lies that tail-ender that can provide considerable batting advantage to England when needed.
