Veteran pacer Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes starred for England with the red cherry as they defeated West Indies by 269 runs to win the final Test at Old Trafford on Tuesday and pocket the three-match series 2-1.
Chasing a mountainous score of 399, West Indies never showed the intent to reach the target or even bat the entire Day 5. Woakes and Broad rattled through the Windies batting line up and returned with match-winning spells of 5/50 and 4/36 respectively.
Broad, who was dropped from the first match at Rose Bowl, proved instrumental in England’s turn around in the series as they won two back-to-back Tests. Broad was the sensation and was also rightly adjudged the Man of the Series, moments after he had reached the milestone of 500 Test wickets.
It was poetic justice as Broad, who scored a breezy 67 in the first innings and snared 10 wickets including his 500th, forced Jermaine Blackwood into a flashy pull and edge the ball to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for a caught behind to bring an end to the game.
It was Broad’s first 10-wicket match haul since 2013. West Indies had won the first Best but England showed who’s the boss on home turf by winning the next two in grand fashion.
The Windies were set a target of 399 and folded for 129 after England made 369 in the first essay riding on fifties from Ollie Pope (91), Buttler (67), Broad and Rory Burns (57). The tourists were shot out for 197 in their first innings with Broad returning with figures of 6/31.
Burns then scored a 90 as Dom Sibley (56) and England skipper Joe Root (68 not out) dominated the second innings to declare on 226/2.
Broad finished the visitors’ second innings with figures of 4/36 and Chris Woakes grabbed a five-for (5/50).
The man of the moment was Broad on the fifth day as he added a fresh feather to his illustrious cap by becoming the seventh bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 500 wickets.