Stuart Broad toasted the near-perfect start to a big summer after his five-wicket haul helped England dismiss Ireland for 172 before the hosts finished only 20 runs behind on the opening day of the one-off Test at Lord’s.
Broad ripped through the Irish top order during the first hour on his way to figures of 5-51 from 17 overs to get himself on the Lord’s honours board for the first time since 2013.
James McCollum (36), Paul Stirling (30) and Curtis Campher (33) all made starts but could not kick on with Jack Leach helping himself to three wickets and Matthew Potts securing a brace of scalps.
It was then over to Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who wasted little time getting back into the groove and played true to the aggressive ‘Bazball’ style that has taken the nation by storm with fifties in a century opening stand to help England close on 1-152.
Stuart Broad celebrates. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
“When you win the toss and bowl, your aim is to bowl the team out in a day so to have done that was a big tick,” Broad reflected.
“It is obviously always nice when you get on the honours board at Lords but no major difference between four wickets and five wickets really.
“I thought we did really well as a whole group. It is almost the perfect start to a big summer.”
With James Anderson and Ollie Robinson rested ahead of the Ashes opener on June 16, Broad relished the chance to lead an England attack that contained debutant Josh Tongue and Potts playing his first Test since August.
Broad is not nailed on to start the first Test at Edgbaston with Mark Wood and Chris Woakes for competition but did his case no harm and accepts he will sit out some Ashes fixtures during the next two months.
He added: “I love Ashes cricket but I can honestly say to you whether I play the first, the second or the fifth (Test), my mindset is the same, just have an impact on the game, change the momentum and look to put in a performance that will win the Test.
“I think we all know, not that there has been any talk of the Ashes in our group, that we need an armoury of bowlers over the next six weeks.
“The games come round thick and fast and it is unrealistic to think any bowler will play six Tests in a row, so we’ll need a few of us to be ripe and ready.
“You only have to look at the bowlers that aren’t playing this week like Woakesy, Jimmy, Robbo and Woody to know we have a lot of strength in depth.”
England captain Ben Stokes was not required to bowl with Ireland all out in the 57th over.
England openers Duckett and Crawley then tucked into an appetising Ireland attack after tea as the hosts feasted on runs in only 25 overs to seize control of the four-day Test.
Left-hander Duckett was particularly impressive as he reached his sixth Test half century from 53 balls, ending a one-sided day on 60 not out.
Crawley, yet to convince as England’s first-choice opener despite 32 previous tests, reached his 50 off only 39 balls as Ireland’s attack wilted.
He fell for 56 but Ollie Pope continued the punishment with 29 from 35 balls before stumps.
Ireland, still looking for their first win as a Test-playing nation having lost the previous six, slumped to 3-19 as Broad, appearing in his 162nd Test match, wrought havoc with three wickets in an eight-ball spell.
First he trapped Peter Moor (10) lbw with a full and straight delivery and on the first ball of his next over Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie dangled his bat outside off stump and edged to Crawley who took a fine slip catch.
Two balls later Harry Tector flicked a rising Broad ball off his body straight into the hands of Matthew Potts at leg slip.
Broad’s next delivery rapped Paul Stirling’s pads and he was given out but reprieved after a review.
Ireland were bowled out for 38 in their previous innings at Lord’s four years ago when they were chasing a modest target of 182 for what would have been an historic victory.
There was no repeat of that shambolic collapse as Stirling launched a spirited fightback alongside opener James McCollum.
Stirling struck England’s debutant seamer Josh Tongue for successive boundaries in the 16th over and also went after spinner Jack Leach but was out for 30 off 35 balls when he gloved an attempted sweep off Leach behind to Jonny Bairstow.
Having reached 4-78 at lunch and with the sun bursting through, Ireland might have hoped to reach 200 at least.
McCollum moved to 36 after lunch before edging Broad to Joe Root at first slip and then Lorcan Tucker (18) fell lbw to Leach when he missed an attempted sweep.
Curtis Campher and Andy McBrine shared a 38-run stand before McBrine attempted to drive Potts through extra cover but nicked behind to Bairstow.
Broad completed his third ‘five-for’ at Lord’s and first at the home of cricket for 10 years by clean bowling Mark Adair (14) before Campher (33) was bowled having a swing at Leach. Potts finished it off by having Fionn Hand caught behind.
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