400-Club... It’s Not Bad For A Wannabe Batsman!
The 400 Club has a new member to celebrate, their 15th, after Stuart Broad added New Zealand’s Tom Latham to his already impressive tally. Not bad going for someone who started out wanting to be a batsman like his Dad.
The moment came after the dinner break on the opening day of the 1st Test in Auckland, England having already been blown away for 58 by some terrific swing bowling from Trent Boult and Tim Southee. The wicket was not a collector’s item, Latham flicking casually off his pads to Chris Woakes at mid-wicket, but Broad will take it, giving access as it does to the pantheon of greatness.
His is an intriguing tale. Until now, among England bowlers at least, only James Anderson has passed the 400 mark for Test wickets. Yet, whatever Jimmy has said in the past about batting in the top five for his club in Burnley, he has grown up thinking and behaving like a bowler from a young age. Broad is different and it is rare for someone set on becoming a top-order batsman to end up as a bowler skilful and persistent enough to take that many Test wickets.
The shift from bat to ball began at Oakham School who noticed he bowled with a good wrist and a nagging accuracy. “Leicestershire U17s were still picking him to open the batting,” recalls Frank Hayes, Oakham’s cricket master. “But we had him in our 1st XI as a first change bowler who batted at nine.” Eventually, Leicestershire took note and after work with Phil Defreitas and subsequently Kevin Shine, at the ECB Academy, Broad the frontline and front-on bowler was born.
Like love, the course of being a successful pace bowler never did run smooth and Broad has had to endure role changes, action tweaks, captaincy of England’s T20 team, and injuries to end up where he is today – a true great of the game.
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