The ultimate Ashes competitor - Broad on walking, Warner and that final wicket

There are plentifulness of contenders for nan astir celebrated first shot of an Ashes series.

Michael Slater slashing Phillip DeFreitas for four. Stephen Harmison's wide. Rory Burns bowled by Mitchell Starc. Zak Crawley crunching Pat Cummins done nan covers.

As for nan astir iconic last ball, 1 man has that covered.

Stuart Broad's spot successful Ashes history was already assured earlier his fairytale finale astatine The Oval 2 years ago.

The bail-switching, nan headband, nan separator disconnected Alex Carey and nan celebrations etched into English cricketing folklore.

"I consciousness for illustration highly fortunate it ended nan measurement it did," Broad tells BBC Sport. "My past ever master ball, taking that favourite wicket you could ever return - past wicket to triumph a Test, against Australia, crowd going berserk.

"I'll ne'er get saturated of talking astir it because it takes maine backmost to a emotion and a infinitesimal that was truthful special."

Broad's last enactment arsenic an England cricketer was made cleanable by everything that had gone before. The 604 Test wickets were much than capable for a hall-of-fame career, but fewer England players are arsenic synonymous pinch Ashes cricket arsenic Broad.

No England bowler has taken much Ashes wicket than Broad's 153. No accelerated bowler connected either broadside has played much than Broad's 40 Ashes Tests. Beyond nan numbers, fewer person recovered themselves astatine nan bosom of arsenic galore Ashes battles, engineered arsenic galore typical moments aliases created arsenic galore memories.

Broad's life has been entwined pinch Ashes cricket and his early profession was heavy influenced by Australia.

When Broad was six months old, his begetter Chris was scoring 3 hundreds for England connected nan successful Ashes circuit of 1986-87. The young Broad's cricketing leader was Australia metronome Glenn McGrath, and his improvement was accelerated by a spell arsenic an 18-year-old pinch Melbourne nine Hoppers Crossing.

Broad was playing Test cricket 3 years aft his clip pinch Hoppers. With a babe look and bouncing blond hair, nan Draco Malfoy lookalike was a bowler of evident committedness but nary clear identity. It was 2 years into his career, while earning his 22nd headdress successful nan 5th and deciding Ashes Test, that Broad produced a capacity to make him consciousness astatine location successful an England shirt.

When he was handed nan shot connected nan 2nd day, his profession bowling mean stood astatine an unsatisfactory 37.63. What followed was nan first of Broad's trademark spells - Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin removed successful nan abstraction of 9 overs to push nan urn towards English hands.

"I walked disconnected nan section and felt 'maybe I do beryllium successful this England shirt'," says Broad.

"After that five-for I walked down nan stairs astatine The Oval and personification asked for my autograph. A image was connected nan beforehand page of nan paper. I retrieve looking astatine it and going 'wow, that's different'."

The adjacent clip Broad was an Ashes winner, England's celebrated triumph down nether successful 2010-11, he played only 2 Tests earlier his bid was ended by a broadside injury. He cried arsenic he was hugged by England squad expert Nick Pierce successful nan dressing room astatine nan Adelaide Oval and spent nan 3rd Test successful Perth pinch nan Test Match Special squad earlier heading location to watch nan remainder of nan bid from his sofa.

Broad was 2 from 2 successful Ashes series, but his domiciled arsenic nan Pom nan Aussies loved to dislike was not forged until 2013.

In nan tight first Test, Broad's separator disconnected nan rotation of Ashton Agar deflected disconnected nan wicketkeeping gloves of Haddin and into nan hands of Clarke astatine first slip. Broad did not walk, Australia were retired of reviews and nan runs he went connected to adhd helped England triumph nan match.

In Broad's defence, his brass cervix looked worse because of Haddin's inability to bent ont o nan edge, but that did not extremity Australia coach Darren Lehmann labelling him a "blatant cheat" whom he hoped "cries and goes home" successful nan return bid down nether six months later.

Broad knew he was going to bull it, not slightest erstwhile nan Brisbane Courier Mail refused to people his sanction and ran a header calling him a 'smug Pommie cheat'.

"In nan warm-up games I walked astir nan bound separator pinch nan scientist aliases connected my own," he says. "If you locomotion astir nan Gabba location mightiness beryllium 45,000 people, truthful you conscionable perceive noise. If you locomotion astir astatine a warm-up wherever location mightiness only beryllium 100 people, you perceive each word.

"I wanted to build a shield astir me. I wanted to perceive nan maltreatment to fortify me. I worked pinch nan psychologist, because I knew it was coming, to fortify my resolve.

"When my sanction sewage announced that I was bowling my first shot successful nan first Test astatine nan Gabba, nan boos were unbelievable.

"The time before, I'd done my pre-match intelligence routine. I stood astatine nan extremity of my mark, bowled 4 overs successful my mind and I imagined nan boos. I could consciousness it. I felt for illustration I'd been location before. It decidedly fazed me. I bowled a no-ball, a short 1 that sewage deed for 4 first ball. It was rather overwhelming."

Despite that feeling, Broad recovered to return 5 wickets and, that evening, walked into nan news convention pinch nan Courier Mail tucked nether his arm. It was England's champion time successful a bid wherever they were dismantled by Mitchell Johnson and mislaid 5-0.

Eighteen months later Broad was doing immoderate dismantling of his ain successful a career-defining and Ashes-clinching performance.

In nan 4th Test connected his location crushed of Trent Bridge, Broad was bowling England's first complete for nan first clip successful nan absence of nan injured James Anderson. Using his section knowledge, Broad urged skipper Alastair Cook to bat first if he won nan toss.

"I was marking my run-up retired and Shane Warne came complete and said 'That's a vessel first, isn't it?'," says Broad. "I retrieve reasoning Shane Warne is bat first everywhere. If he thinks it's vessel first...

"I went complete to Cookie. 'Chef, it could beryllium a vessel first'. He said 'Don't worry, I've made that telephone already'."

Broad's legs were pumping. Australian edges were swallowed by England gaffe fielders. Figures of 8-15 stay nan champion successful Ashes history by a gait bowler from either side. Australia were torn isolated successful 18.3 overs and 94 minutes. 60 each out.

"You can't return it in," says Broad. "I sewage nan five-for, it came up connected nan large surface and I didn't person a clue.

"It took a spot of clip - months - to spot nan scorecard and spot 8-15 written. What was truthful typical was Joe Root sewage a 100 successful nan aforesaid day. If we'd been bowled retired for 100, it's a different conversation."

That 2015 bid was nan past clip Broad won nan Ashes. England were again blown distant down nether successful 2017-18 and nan pursuing title successful nan UK was drawn 2-2.

For many, 2019 is remembered for nan exploits of Ben Stokes, but for Broad it was erstwhile he took a stranglehold connected David Warner. Seven times successful 5 Tests Broad sewage Warner, portion of an wide hoodoo of 17 dismissals. In Test history, only 2 different bowlers person dismissed nan aforesaid batter much frequently.

"Technically, I worked him retired astatine nan backmost end," says Broad. "I did loads of strategy and stats activity and realised he didn't deed nan shot consecutive done mid-on and didn't deed it done quadrate leg.

"In 2019 I made a complete method displacement to effort to deed his limb stump. I didn't mind if it went down nan limb side. I said to Jonny Bairstow, nan wicketkeeper, conscionable understand I'm going to beryllium bowling limb broadside truthful make judge you springiness yourself immoderate room.

"I sewage Warner 3 times successful nan first 3 innings and I thought 'I've opened thing up here'."

Even pinch Broad knocking complete Warner doubly much successful nan 3 Tests he played successful Australia successful 2021-22, England were erstwhile again hammered 4-0. Broad would later upwind up nan Aussies erstwhile much by suggesting nan bid should beryllium "void" because of nan Covid restrictions placed connected nan England squad.

Broad was near retired successful nan aftermath of that tour, only to beryllium recalled erstwhile Stokes and Brendon McCullum were installed arsenic skipper and coach respectively.

In what turned retired to beryllium nan last twelvemonth of Broad's career, nary different gait bowler took much Test wickets and, moreover pinch his aged mate Anderson hunting a 700th scalp, it was Broad who assumed nan domiciled of England's onslaught leader.

In nan epic 2023 Ashes series, erstwhile England were denied nan top comeback of each clip by nan Manchester rain, Broad was nan only location seamer to play each 5 Tests.

"Deep down, I ever knew I wanted my past shot successful master cricket to beryllium successful an England shirt," says Broad.

"I wanted to decorativeness astatine nan top. To do that, you request to make nan call. You don't want to spell connected excessively long. I had a spot of a fearfulness of a 21-year-old playing against maine and going 'I thought he was expected to beryllium good'. I decidedly could person played different mates of years."

Before nan denouement came 1 much opportunity to chastise nan Australians, 1 much chance to beryllium astatine nan centre of a red-hot Ashes tussle.

When Bairstow was controversially stumped by Carey astatine a baying Lord's, Broad was adjacent successful to subordinate Stokes. If ever a business was made for Broad, it was this - giving a portion of his mind to Carey and Australia skipper Pat Cummins, antagonising and goading nan visitors arsenic a furious Stokes flayed nan shot to each parts.

"It was reddish mist to start," says Broad. "Not needfully my sentiment complete nan dismissal - it was stepping complete that statement and emotion nan power of Lord's.

"Something triggered wrong maine that anyone successful a greenish chapeau was getting it. The ultra-competitive broadside of maine rose. After astir 20 infinitesimal I started moving pinch Stokesy and rather deliberately twisted nan business our way. How I was behaving possibly took nan Australians disconnected their scheme to Stokesy, truthful we looked to transportation that on.

"I retrieve getting home, sitting pinch my partner Mollie and we were watching a compilation BBC Sport had put together of nan delirium I'd done. I was filled pinch embarrassment. 'Oh my goodness me. What connected world was I doing?' I was 36 years old. How did I fto myself get to that stage?"

Despite nan Broad-Stokes assault, England were good beaten, 2-0 down and staring into nan abyss.

"If an incident hadn't happened that time location would person been nan communicative of 'England person thrown this away', because we had situations wherever we put ourselves connected nan backmost foot," says Broad.

The fightback began astatine Headingley, wherever a "petrified" Broad was owed successful adjacent arsenic England completed a nerve-shredding run-chase. Broad took his 600th Test wicket astatine Old Trafford but nan washout, which ended nan chance of winning nan urn, was "the worst emotion successful sport".

To The Oval, pinch a bid to tie and, arsenic it turned out, a profession to end. On nan 2nd evening of nan last Test Broad went to Stokes' edifice room.

"I knocked connected Stokesy's door, wandered in, held retired my manus retired and said 'that's me, mate'," says Broad. "Stokesy conscionable gave maine a monolithic hug.

"I said to him arsenic I near nan room 'don't show anyone', because I needed to spot really I would consciousness nan adjacent morning.

"I woke up, opened nan curtains and it felt right. The first personification I called was my dad, past my mum, past (England managing director) Rob Key. I told nan changing room erstwhile I sewage successful that morning, past I told nan property that night."

What followed was a joyous ceremony of each things Broad, scripted to nan very past ball.

As a batter, he swiped nan past transportation he faced for six. In a legendary infinitesimal of sporting theatre, Broad had Carey caught down to triumph nan Test and quadrate nan series. The instant nan shot nestled into nan gloves of Bairstow, Broad was an England subordinate nary more.

"It was nan best. Incredible," says Broad. "That saying to 'play for illustration it's your past game'. Well, it was. Go and person immoderate nosy and immoderate state - beryllium a spot silly.

"Even if I vessel different 5,000 balls, I'm ne'er going to get that emotion again. I consciousness truthful contented pinch really it ended."

Now, pinch nan adjacent Ashes connected nan horizon, nan first successful almost 2 decades without Broad successful nan England team, he has nary impulse to "lace nan boots up" and face Australia erstwhile more.

"It's everything you wish for arsenic a player," Broad says. "It tests everything astir you. It brings retired emotion, character, intelligence strength, method expertise and beingness hardship.

"If conscionable 1 instrumentality retired location will nexus maine to Ashes cricket, it gives maine awesome pride. I wanted to play and wanted to win."

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026

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