Stuart Broad joins elite list after claiming 100 Test wickets at Lord’s
England’s veteran pacer Stuart Broad joined an elite list of players when he dismissed Kyle Verreynne to claim his 100th wicket at Lord’s, becoming only the second bowler ever to claim 100 wickets at the venue, alongside bowling partner James Anderson. The right-arm pacer also became only the fourth bowler to reach the three-figure wicket mark at a single venue.
Although his side was subjected to a humiliating defeat, their first under the reins of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, Broad had a Test to remember as he claimed his 100th victim at the the iconic venue. With that, Broad joined his compatriot Anderson, and bowling great Muttiah Muralitharan and Ragana Herath, on the list of players with 100 Test wickets at a venue.
His exploits weren’t limited to the ball only in the match, as he grabbed hold of a stunning catch to dismiss Kagiso Rabada and later came out to play an entertaining knock with the bat, as England suffered their first Test defeat of the summer. Broad’s counterpart, Kagiso Rabada was awarded the Player of the Match award as he finished with seven wickets in the match, including a five-for in the first innings. Rabada aslo completed 250 wickets in Tests during the third innings.
Kagiso Rabada takes the plaudits after his exceptional performance in the Lord’s Test
The Protean pacer has the best strike rate among bowlers with more than 113 wickets in Tests and his performance in the match highlighted his exceptional prowess with the ball in hand. At the age of just 27, the South African has already bagged 434 wickets on the international stage, a terrifying prospect for any opposition.
The bowling sensation spoke about his learning curve on the English shores and how he adjusted to the foreign surface in his post-match interview.
“It’s always special to contribute to team success. For us to get over the line at Lord’s, really special. (On Lord’s fifer) To be honest, I didn’t know about those stats. All I want to do is stick to the processes, contribute to the team and let the processes take care of the rest. You always pick up from experiences, bowling on pitches here – they aren’t as quick as back home. It was about adjusting the lines and bowling with the Dukes ball,” he said.
