Top 3 spells bowled by Stuart Broad in Test cricket

England has produced some great fast bowlers feared by batters worldwide. James Anderson is obviously one that comes to mind straight away. However, Anderson is now in the twilight of his illustrious career and someone to pass the baton for him is Stuart Broad. Broad’s next step in his career would be to assume the leadership of the English pace attack in the next few years to come. He is already one of the modern-day greats for England with the Red Cherry. Here are his top three spells in Tests.

3. 6/22 against Australia, Druham, 2013

Stuart Broad has historically enjoyed bowling against the Aussies. He has set his mark on the infamous rivalry with some glorious performances. It is no surprise that this list is kickstarted by one of those. In 2013’s Ashes series’ Durham Test, Broad produced a magical spell that yielded him figures of 6/22 in just 9.3 over under a gloomy sky. The visitors were chasing 299 runs in the final innings. On success, the series to have been pulled back to 2-1. However, Broad got the key wickets of Michael Clarke and Steve Smith before slicing through the lower order. He thus, won the Ashes for England with this memorable spell.

2. 6/17 against South Africa, Wanderes, 2016

Outside of the Ashes, South Africa has historically been a key opponent for the English side in the red ball game. Moreover, South African conditions also replicate the pace and bounce English pitches provide for the seamers. Therefore, the inclusion of a spell that came in the Proteas’ land is quite logical. In 2016’s England tour of South Africa’s Wanderers Test, Stuart Broad dropped, what in our opinion, is his second-best spell in Test Cricket. England were already leading the series 1-0 and Broad found movement to send opener Dean Elgar back. Next, he scalped four Proteas batters for just one run and finished with astounding figures of 6/17. England went on to win the Test and make the scoreline 2-0 in their favour.

1. 8/15 against Australia, Trent Bridge, 2015

There’s no surprise that another Ashes performance leads this list. Stuart Broad’s 8/15 at Trent Bridge in Ashes 2015 is a spell that dreams are made of. Leading 2-1 moving into the fourth Test, the English were without their pace ace James Anderson. Stuart Broad had to fill his shoes and proved that he was more than capable of assuming the leadership role in England’s bowling contingent. Broad removed both Chris Rogers and Steve Smith in the very first over of the day as all his eight wickets were caught in the slips, a dream day indeed for any pacer.