BIRMINGHAM. — Stuart Broad hogged the limelight in the dark as England routed a hopelessly outclassed West Indies in the landmark day-night Test cricket match at Edgbaston, wrapping up victory by an innings and 209 runs on Saturday. Broad became the second most prolific wicket taker in English Test history, taking his 384th scalp on a remarkable day for the home attack as they shared around 19 wickets to put the visitors’ callow batting line-up to the sword.

The paceman went past Ian Botham’s haul of 383 wickets while ripping the heart out of the visitors’ second innings to move to second on the England all-time list behind his strike partner James Anderson, who also enjoyed a big day.

Watching in the Sky Sports commentary box amid an excited full-house enjoying the conclusion to the first day-night test to be staged in England, Botham enthused: “It’s fantastic.

“It would have been an anti-climax (for Broad) to do it in Leeds in (the second Test) with the atmosphere as great as it is here.”

The great all-rounder then added with a laugh: “It just makes me feel bloody old!”

On a cold, damp day, England had been, first, inspired by Anderson and Toby Roland-Jones as they forced the Windies to follow on, bowling them out for 168 by early in the post-lunch session in response to England’s mammoth 514 for eight declared.

Anderson had led the charge with three wickets and a run-out. Then with the floodlights on and the pink ball wobbling around, captain Joe Root naturally invited the Windies to endure further nightmares.

This time Anderson and Roland-Jones, who had also taken two first-innings wickets, soon struck again before Broad stole the show as the Windies once more crumbled, this time being bowled out for 137.

Having taken tea with four down in their second innings and already resigned to going one down in the three-test series, Broad, watched in the crowd by his father, former England batsman Chris Broad, chose his moment to move from support act to main man. — Reuters

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