Stuart Broad: England box-office bowling great takes centre stage at The Kia Oval to bid final farewell | Cricket News

‘Warrior’. ‘Competitive’. ‘Clever’. ‘Skilled’.

Just some of the adjectives reserved for the brilliance of Stuart Broad since the 37-year-old England great announced he is to retire from cricket at the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test at The Kia Oval. Along with the above, Broad’s great trademark has been his ability to sniff out the moment, sense the occasion and rise to it.

As Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton so poetically put it in a tribute video played out after Broad’s announcement: “Some people say sporting success comes from talent, raw ability and skill. It can also emerge from a more elemental force, something deep inside, a fire that flickers and then burns brightly.

“Competitive instinct, in other words. That burns deep within Stuart Broad.”

This is a man who has continually reserved his very best for the Ashes, relishing revving the crowd up and feeding off the febrile atmosphere – the audience at its greatest and pressure at its highest – but even within that context Broad has picked his moments superbly.

His famous, career-best 8-15 in the 2015 Ashes came not only on his home ground of Trent Bridge, but also as he stepped up in the absence of his great mate and bowling partner in crime, Jimmy Anderson – ruled out with a side strain – and his efforts would effectively win England the Ashes before lunch on day one of that fourth Test.

It was one of three Ashes-clinching spells from Broad in successive home series, his first of 5-37 at The Oval in 2009 bowling Australia out for 160 in the first innings and setting up a 197-run win. In 2013, Chester-le-Street was the setting as Broad finished with 11 for the match, his second-innings 6-50 bundling Australia out for 224 after they were well-placed at 174-3 in pursuit of 299 to win.

While his 2015 heroics at Trent Bridge was the last time Broad would taste success in an Ashes series, he has continued to provide pure theatre on the game’s greatest stage.

Broad was England’s leading wicket-taker in 2019 with 23 wickets and he could match that feat this summer, sitting just three away from the 23 mark again, which would see him level series leader Mitchell Starc – four or more in his final bowling innings would ensure he’d stand alone at the summit.

Broad has ticked off some sizeable milestones along the way in this series, becoming just the second seamer to take 600 Test wickets, behind that man Anderson again and with the irony not lost on him that his dismissal of Travis Head came at Emirates Old Trafford and from the James Anderson End. “There’s a nice ring to it,” Broad said at the time.

Broad also became the first Englishman and just the third bowler ever (after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath) to take 150 wickets in Ashes cricket as he picked up Usman Khawaja lbw on day two of his final Test at The Oval.

“I’ve described him as the ultimate Ashes warrior,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told Sky Sports.

“You look at what he has done; over 150 Ashes wickets, he’s played in 25 consecutive home Ashes Tests. It’s hard to argue that his best cricket was played in Ashes series when his team needed him the most.”

Atherton added: “His game has improved against Australia. Like many England players, they bring their best for Ashes contests – and so that’s why he wanted to finish here, at this ground [The Oval], against Australia.”

Broad has also demonstrated his particular brand of impishness in this series, which Atherton also alluded to in his tribute video.

“He could pick a fight with the Dalai Lama, could Stuart,” he said. Or, in his particular sights this summer, Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne.”

After Jonny Bairstow was controversially given out stumped during the second Test at Lord’s, Broad told Labuschagne it was “the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket”, while a memorable exchange with wicketkeeper Carey caught on stump mic saw Broad say, “that’s all you’re ever going to be remembered for, that”.

Broad was back to the dark arts in this Test match too, playing some mind games with Labuschagne in the first innings, rearranging his bails immediately prior to his dismissal to Mark Wood and infuriating the Australian batter.

Cricinfo writer Vithushan Ehantharajah put it best when talking to Sky Sports as part of Saturday’s paper review: “Broad is exactly the type of person who would walk into your kitchen and open your fridge. It doesn’t surprise me [his mind games].

“I find him remarkable. This series has been flooded with too many people saying too many things – and Broad has spoken the most – but he has backed every single one of them up.”

That’s because Broad is more than happy to put himself in the spotlight, and his decision to retire ensured he’s centre stage one final time at The Oval.

Making an emotional journey out to the middle on the fourth morning through an Australian guard of honour, Broad provided one final flourish with the bat, firing what would prove to be his last ball faced in cricket for six over deep square-leg. The shot was greeted by a huge, guttural roar from the full house packed into the stands to witness Broad’s farewell.

The conditions then also seemed to play to the script, with bright, glorious sunshine for his brief wielding of the willow swiftly making way for low cloud cover to aid his and England’s work with the ball.

Even David Warner seemed to know what the occasion called for, facing up first ball to the man who has reduced him to ‘bunny’ status by dismissing him 17 times over the course of his career – just two shy of Atherton’s unwanted record of 19 to Glenn McGrath.

Sadly though, some stubborn resistance from Warner and Khawaja and further intervention from the weather is wreaking havoc on Broad’s dream ending, with Australia currently 135-0 in pursuit of 384 to win a first Ashes series in England since 2001.

Has Broad got one more magic Ashes spell in him?

Monday’s final day of the series and the curtain call for his exceptional career provides the perfect opportunity, one which he has made an art form out of grasping.

Watch day five of the fifth Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket on Monday. Build-up starts at 10.15am with the first ball at 11am. Stream The Ashes and more with NOW.