Stuart Broad leaves cricket in style as he takes final wicket to win fifth Ashes Test for England and draw series
31 July 2023, 23:59 | Updated: 1 August 2023, 00:01
Stuart Broad had a champagne finish to his cricket career as he claimed the final wicket of the 2023 Ashes to secure a drawn series for England.
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The headband-wearing fast bowler, 37, announced his retirement last week after nearly 20 years of glittering success as his final delivery saw off Australia - leading England to a 49-run win to draw the Ashes series 2-2.
Fans of both sides were on their feet at the packed ground in south London as the legendary sportsman took two wickets on his final day.
After his storybook ending, Broad said: "Woakesy [Chris Woakes] and Moeen [Ali] set the tone unbelievably and when we got a couple of wickets we really started to believe.
"The crowd was so loud and we really jumped on that energy.
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"To pick up a couple of wickets to end the Test match and contribute to the team was very special.
"When you make that decision to move on from the game you wonder what your last ball will be, so for it to be a wicket to win an Ashes Test match is pretty cool."
Broad was watched by his pop star fiancee Mollie King and their daughter, whom the paceman cited as his reason to walk away from the sport.
Sir Ian Botham, another former England great, wrote on Twitter: “Stuart Broad…a magnificent career…a great man and a wonderful person.. you did it – it was written in the stars.”
Broad’s former teammate Sir Alastair Cook said of his final-day heroics: “It had to be Stuart Broad, it just had to be.
"That’s why chasing such a big total is so hard. The crowd was right behind England, you just felt like they had that edge.”
The performance is made all the sweeter for Broad in the knowledge that he also hit a six with his final touch of the bat.
Broad took 604 Test wickets in total in 167 matches.
