Stuart Broad overtakes Sir Ian Botham as England hammer West Indies

Stuart Broad lent a famous hand as England took a remarkable 19 wickets on day three of this country’s inaugural floodlit Test to inflict a crushing innings-and-209-run defeat on hapless West Indies at Edgbaston.

Only Jermaine Blackwood (79no) provided any resistance in a first-innings 168 all out and not even he could hold up the England juggernaut on its second run as Broad moved into overdrive to surpass the great Sir Ian Botham and take second place behind his team-mate James Anderson in the national all-time list of Test wicket-takers.

Soon afterwards, the tourists had folded for 137 to go 1-0 down in double-quick time with two more to play in this Investec series.

What they said

Stat of the day

History in the making

England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker Anderson has pushed his career tally up to 492 while at the other end Broad’s 384 takes him a clear second ahead of Botham. England’s current pair of record-breakers have 730 victims bowling in Test match tandem and will surely arrive in Australia this winter with more than 900 between them in all.

Tweet of the day

Blackwood’s lone hand

It was curious that West Indies’ diminutive number six managed not only survival but near run-a-ball prosperity for exactly two hours in his unbeaten 79. How come none of his team-mates were able to top a first-innings individual score of 25 – courtesy of debutant Kyle Hope – between them?

What next?

More one-sided fare as West Indies fall woefully short of the world-leading standards their predecessors set for generations.