In his Ashes debut at Sofia Gardens in 2009 Stuart Broad found himself batting at number nine as England won the toss and chose to bat. Broad struck a quick fire 19 off 20 balls to up the tempo as England finished on 435 all out. However things went less well for Broad and England with the ball, as the Australians racked up a monumental 674-6, with Broad taking 1-129. With all chances of victory gone, England were left trying to bat out time, but they lost wickets at regular intervals, and when Broad came to the crease at number eight they seemed to be slipping to defeat. Playing a much more circumspect game than in the first innings, Broad made 14 from 47 deliveries, but England were still deep in the mire when he was dismissed, and it was left to the unlikely pair of Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar to earn an unlikely draw.
In the second test at Lord’s England batted first again, and Broad once again made a cameo appearance at eight, hitting 16 in a score of 425. However in contrast to Cardiff England then seized control with a dynamic bowling display. Anderson and Graham Onions shared seven wickets, and Broad contributed with 2-78 as the tourists were dismissed for 215. England captain Andrew Strauss declined to enforce the follow-on, and England made 311-6 declared in their second innings. Broad was 0 not out, without facing a ball. Needing more than 500 to win Australia had no realistic chance of staying in the game, but they put up stern resistance. Broad returned economical but unthreatening figures of 1-49 from 16 overs, but Andrew Flintoff and Graham Swann took five and four wickets respectively to give England a convincing 115 run victory.
Broad Finds His Form Against Australia
England bowled first at the third test in Birmingham, and Broad was again outshone by his fellow seamers. Anderson took 5 wickets and Onions 4 as Australia were hurried out for 263. In reply England were already closing in on that total by the time Broad came to the crease, with the score on 257-6. Broad hit 55 as partnerships with Flintoff and Graeme Swann took the hosts into a comfortable lead. However Australia were typically obdurate in their second innings, and with time lost to rain were able to bat the game out for a draw. Broad was the pick of the England attack with 2-38, to finish what had been, on a personal level, his most successful match of the series to date.
Having kept themselves in the series at Edgebaston, Australia struck back in the penultimate test at Headingley. Strauss won the toss and batted, but it proved to be a mistake as the England batting was blown away. Broad made 3, and only two of his countrymen reached double figures as they were dismissed for a meagre 102 all out. England needed to respond quickly, but after the loss of an early wicket Australia began to take the game away from them. Broad was again the best England bowler, dismissing Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey to keep English hopes alive. But another big partnership made the game entirely one sided, and although Broad took the wicket of centurian Marcus North, and then wrapped up the tail almost single handedly, Australia were well in command with a score of 445. If England were hoping for a spirited response in the style of the first test, it did not come. They collapsed again to 120-7, and were facing humiliation when Broad and Swann came together. A dynamic hundred partnership, to which Broad contributed 61 from 49 balls. Despite these heroics England still fell to a humbling innings defeat, and the series went down to the final test all square.
Broad is Man of the Match in Deciding Ashes Test
Needing to win at the Oval to reclaim the Ashes England batted first, but were unable to make a truly impressive total. Broad contributed a valuable 37 before being last man out as England reached 332. The Australian reply seemed to be going smoothly as they reached 70 without loss, but Broad removed Shane Watson to spark a remarkable collapse. Broad followed up his 6 wicket haul at Leeds with 5-37 as Australia crumbled to 160 all out. England then stuttered badly at the start of their second innings, but Strauss and debutant Jonathan Trott restored order, and they were in a position of dominance by the time Broad batted again, hitting a breezy 29 to add further proof of his growing confidence as an international cricketer. England declared leaving Australia needing a mammoth 546 to win, and although Broad removed Watson again, it proved to be his only success, as the tourists would not lie down quietly. Ponting made a defiant 121, but eventually Swann and Harmison bowled England to a 197 run win which brought the Ashes home again. Broad was named man of the match, and his emergence as a talented test all-rounder could not be denied. In the series as a whole he scored 234 runs, averaging a shade under 30, and with the ball he took 18 wickets, at 30.22.
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