Stuart Broad will bring the curtain down on his career on Monday 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 the PA news agency looks at the penultimate day of his career.
Six of the bestBroad 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 holdBroad 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 clang will have to come back on Monday to see if the 37-year-old can bring his Ashes love affair to an end with a bang.
Greaves hits unbeaten ton as West Indies dominate Bangladesh
Justin Greaves hit an unbeaten century – his first red-ball ton – as West Indies ended day two of their first Test against Bangladesh with a commanding 410-run lead.
Greaves resumed alongside Joshua Da Silva with West Indies 250-5 after day one in Antigua, eventually slamming 115 runs off 206 balls faced as the hosts established a dominant position.
His steady knock ensured the Windies recovered nicely after slipping to 261-7 early on, while Kemar Roach hit a career-best 47 through four defiant hours at the crease.
Hasan Mahmud took three day-two wickets for Bangladesh, including that of Roach, as his short delivery angled in to clip the top of middle stump.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite declared to put Bangladesh at the crease late on, and there was no respite for the tourists against the hosts' four-man pace attack.
Zakir Hasan fell to Jayden Seales for 15, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy edged Alzarri Joseph for five shortly after being dropped, leaving Bangladesh 40-2 at stumps.
Data Debrief: Career-best for Greaves
Greaves' unbeaten 115 marked his first century in Test cricket, surpassing his previous best knock – a score of 33 versus Australia in January – by some distance.
His strike rate of 55.83 on Saturday, while steady, also bettered his effort of 55.00 during that match in Brisbane. Thanks to his efforts, Bangladesh have a real mountain to climb on day three.
Inglis hails 'hard to stop' Stoinis after ruthless knock
Josh Inglis lauded "hard to stop" Marcus Stoinis as Australia signed off their T20I series against Pakistan in style, claiming a whitewash.
The hosts raced to a seven-wicket victory with almost nine overs remaining in Monday's third match.
After Australia's bowlers had limited Pakistan to just 117 runs, Stoinis ensured they signed off their final white-ball assignment in style, with his unbeaten 61 doing the damage.
Only twice has he bettered that knock in T20Is – versus New Zealand in 2021 (78) and against Oman at the World Cup earlier this year (67*).
"It's been a great week. We've had a lot of fun as a group," Inglis said. "It's been really nice.
"When Stoinis is going like that, he is really hard to stop. One of those sixes was probably the biggest I've ever seen!"
Stoinis, who was named player of the match, added: "Nice to score some runs on a beautiful wicket but credit to the bowlers who kept the total down.
"Yeah, I actually told [Haris] Rauf that this is the first time any of us got the better of him! No, he's a brilliant bowler, bowled well this series."
During their white-ball tour, Pakistan won the ODI series, their first time doing so in Australia in 22 years, but got whitewashed in the T20Is.
Despite the heavy loss, captain Agha Salman chose to focus on the positive effect the experience will have on their young players.
"I think in the middle overs, we didn't capitalise on the start," he said. "But lots of positives.
"The way Usman [Khan] batted, the way Jahandad [Khan] bowled. These youngsters will come good.
"It's obviously a big achievement winning the ODI series, but we could have done much better in the T20Is."
Salt century gives England winning start to West Indies T20 series
Phil Salt hit a superb century as England drew first blood in their T20 series against West Indies, with a commanding eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval.
Salt's unbeaten 103 off 54 balls was the highlight for the tourists, who successfully chased down their target of 183 with 19 balls to spare.
The West Indies endured a difficult start and were reduced to 18-3 and later 117-8, with Saqib Mahmood (4-34) and Adil Rashid (3-32) doing the damage.
However, the hosts managed 65 runs in the last 5.2 overs to finish at 182-8, with Gukadesh Motie knocking 33 off 14 balls along the way.
Salt kick-started England's chase with 50 off just 25 deliveries taking them to 73-1 after six overs, with Will Jacks (17) dismissed with the final ball of the powerplay.
Jos Buttler's first match after four months out lasted just three minutes, as the skipper was caught by Motie for a golden duck.
However, it proved a false dawn for West Indies, with Salt and Jacob Bethall (58 from 36 balls) safely steering England to victory.
Data Debrief: Salt completes hat-trick of hundreds as Bethell makes historic half-century
England put their disappointing ODI series behind them, making history with the highest T20 chase at the Kensington Oval.
Salt was the hero with his third T20I century, all of which have come against West Indies in the past 12 months.
Bethell also made history on Saturday. Aged 21 years and 17 days, he become the youngest England player to score a 50 in a T20I.
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