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Stuart Broad injury scare adds insult to England’s high farce in St Kitts Stuart Broad injury scare adds insult to England’s high farce in St Kitts
(about 7 hours later)
England’s preparations for the upcoming Test series against West Indies descended into high farce in St Kitts on Wednesday but they also took a more sinister turn when Stuart Broad collapsed in a heap after slipping in his delivery stride. It is perhaps apt that the final “match” of the Paul Downton era at the England & Wales Cricket Board is this farce of a non-event. As the tourists went through the motions in what transpired to be a glorified net session at Warner Park, news broke that the managing director of England cricket had been sacked.
It happened moments after Jonathan Trott, now playing for the St Kitts & Nevis Invitation XI in what is notionally the second two-day tour match, was dismissed for a three-ball duck. Given the paucity of the opposition, Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow have also been drafted into the home side’s lineup. Downton, in his now defunct role, would have given the final sign-off for these two warm-up games which precede the three-Test series against West Indies. But even he could not have predicted how meaningless they would become.
Broad had complained about the state of the crease to the umpires after bowling three balls of his first over. Ground staff were summoned for running repairs after he offered to bowl around the wicket. With sawdust applied, the England bowler continued over the wicket and slipped during his follow-through, turning his left ankle. The opening two-day tour match here this week was eventually drawn when the St Kitts & Nevis Invitation XI, bowled out for 59 in their first innings, clung on for 35 overs in their second despite the fact they were at one point reduced to 24 for six.
The fall was dramatic and the treatment lengthy. However, there were positive signs when Broad walked off with the physio Craig de Weymarn. Such is the low-grade quality of the opposition England, attempting to gain some meaningful practice before next week’s first Test in Antigua, were forced to loan Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root to their hosts for this second warm-up.
With just five days before the opening Test in Antigua, an injury scare to one of their key bowlers was the last thing England needed. Thankfully, it was only a scare, and Broad returned later in the morning session after having his ankle iced. To say things did not go to plan is an understatement as Trott, dismissed for a third-ball duck by Jimmy Anderson, and Ballance, spun out on 17 by James Tredwell, both failed to capitalise on their unexpected chances for more time in the middle.
It appeared that the umpires were preparing to move this glorified net practice to the adjacent pitch after Broad’s fall. In the end more repairs were carried out and it was agreed to continue on the current strip, with Ben Stokes making sure he bowled around the wicket when he completed Broad’s over. Bairstow did make the most of his opportunity with the bat, however, scoring a fluent 98 before eventually being dismissed by Ben Stokes in the first over after tea. That said, the Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman, in the Caribbean only as back-up to Jos Buttler, has little chance of playing in the Tests.
It became apparent very quickly during the opening two-day warm-up match, on Monday and Tuesday, that the St Kitts & Nevis XI were substandard opposition. So it was no surprise when any pretence of the second of these warm-ups actually being a match was dropped. England had already successfully requested that they spend the entire 90 overs in the field. They then also managed to get the home side to invite Trott, Ballance and Bairstow into their batting lineup. Asked about Downton’s departure afterwards, Bairstow said: “We just found out at lunch. No one said anything, it was straight back out and get on with our job out here in St Kitts. I don’t know what the role entails or anything like that, it’s a decision that’s taken above us. It’s our job out here to get on with the task at hand and win a series for England.”
Peter Moores, the England coach, had made the request about including three of his players in the St Kitts & Nevis XI on Tuesday evening. It is then understood that Ottis Gibson, the West Indian who is England’s bowling coach for this tour, took over negotiations once there was a sign the home management were receptive to the idea. Bairstow’s departure brought Root to the crease, a surprise given he had not been expected to bat. Yet he looked in better touch than during his innings of 64 earlier in the week, reaching the close unbeaten on 87.
It is also understood the tourists will draft some of their bowlers into the St Kitts & Nevis “team” when the actual England XI spend a day batting on Thursday. An injury scare for Stuart Broad added to the sense of chaos on a day that had begun with the touring party unaware of Downton’s fate. The quick had complained to the umpires about a damp patch on the crease after bowling three balls of the second over of the day.
Unfortunately Trott, back for England after overcoming the anxiety that led to him returning home early from the 2013-14 Ashes tour, made a three-ball duck. The Warwickshire batsman made a promising 72 in the opening tour match but he faced a significant step up in class when facing James Anderson in the opening over and edged an outswinger from the leader of England’s attack to James Tredwell at third slip. Groundstaff were summoned for running repairs and with sawdust applied, Broad continued and slipped during his delivery stride, turning his left ankle. The fall was dramatic and the treatment by the England physio, Craig de Weymarn, lengthy.
This is not the first time England have included their own players in the opposition team for a tour game. In 2013, in a pre-Ashes warm-up match at Chelmsford, Boyd Rankin was drafted into the Essex team after several of the home side’s bowlers were injured. An injury to one of their key bowlers five days before the opening Test was the last thing England needed. Thankfully it was short-lived as Broad, who spent an hour off the field getting the ankle iced, returned to bowl without any apparent discomfort and took a wicket during the final session, knocking out the off stump of the home captain, Jacques Taylor.
It had become obvious very quickly how bad the St Kitts & Nevis XI were in this week’s first game so it was no surprise when any pretence of the second of these warm-ups actually being a match was dropped on Tuesday evening.
The tourists will also include some of their bowlers – likely to be Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett – in the St Kitts & Nevis team when the England XI spend a day batting on Thursday.