Alastair Cook won the toss and decided to bowl first, a decision that is already paying dividends with Broad, whose first wicket was his 300th in Test cricket, on fire for the home side. He finished with figures of eight for 15. The conditions were overcast and suitable for swing bowling.
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Since March 2008, England have played only five Tests without Anderson.
Durham seamer Mark Wood is another vying for the role of unexpected match-winner. Broad’s complete dominance of the Australia batsmen evoked memories of former England quick Steve Harrison’s crippling 7/12 in Jamaica in 2003-04, and such was his demolition on Thursday that on Twitter there were numerous references to ‘Anderson who?’.
It started with Chris Rogers, who became Broad’s 300th Test scalp when the game was two minutes old.
Australia were nine down when they passed 47, the memorably woeful total they managed in 2011 at Cape Town. Cook continued to keep four slips, a short mid-wicket and attacked the batsmen.
Two points each are then available for winning either of the three Twenty20 Internationals that conclude the series.
Steven Smith, squared up and aiming legside, was held by Joe Root at third slip for six.
With Australia’s only victory this summer coming by a crushing 405-run margin, Cook can hardly rely on the form book to see England right and is instead banking on one or more of his charges conjuring a decisive performance. Australia neither looked in control of the innings, nor did they threaten to improve.
“There is no denying that the result of the Kia Women’s Test next week will go a long way to determining the overall outcome of this Women’s Ashes contest”.
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England’s recent Ashes series victories have been sealed by notable individual displays, be it Kevin Pietersen’s breathtaking hundred at The Oval in 2005, Jonathan Trott’s less spectacular but equally valuable debut century on the same ground four years later and Stuart Broad’s inspired spell at Chester-le-Street in 2013.
