England’s Broad excited for Jofra Archer and Steve Smith showdown at fourth Ashes

Record ID: 1429738

  • Title: England’s Broad excited for Jofra Archer and Steve Smith showdown at fourth Ashes
  • Date: 3rd September 2019
  • Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 02, 2019) (REUTERS) ENGLAND BOWLING ALL-ROUNDER, JOFRA ARCHER, BOWLING AT TEAM TRAINING SESSION ARCHER SPEAKING TO COACH PLAYERS TAKING BATTING PRACTICE ARCHER BOWLING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND BOWLER, STUART BROAD, SAYING: "I'm sure when (Australia's) Steve (Smith) comes in, Jofra (Archer) will be in (Captain Joe) Root's ear wanting the ball. There's no doubt about that. And that's the intensity that test cricket brings. That's the theatre that we were just talking about, really. I might be stood at mid-on, but excited for when Jofra asks for that ball and Steve comes in. Because it was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord's. I mean, Smith obviously on 70 or 80 playing beautifully. Jofra went from 84 miles an hour to 95 and he was really charging in. So, that sort of cricket is awesome to watch on the tele and from the stands, but when you're stood at mid-on, it’s pretty special. So, hopefully we can have a battle like that again. I mean the dream is that some just nicks him off first ball and Jofra doesn't get to bowl at him, but he doesn't average 60-odd for nothing. So, there will be a period in this game that those two come together again and I'm glad, touch wood, I'll be on the pitch to view it." ARCHER BOWLING BATSMEN TAKING BATTING PRACTICE BOWLING ALL-ROUNDER, CHRIS WOAKES, BOWLING AT TEAM TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND BOWLER, STUART BROAD, SAYING: "Yeah, I mean, obviously we've not bowled at him (Smith) since Lord's. He's had a period of time without batting in the middle which is a bonus for us. The fact that every time a batsman looks in great rhythm, a period of time out of being in the middle could affect them. But he's obviously a world-class batsman. He'll be very ready for the conditions he will face here at Old Trafford. So yeah, I think there's been a little bit of to and fro between him and Jofra, hasn't there? So, Jofra will be excited to continue that battle. But yeah, it's great to have him back. No one wants to see anyone miss cricket through head injuries. And he would have been very disappointed not to play at Headingley and very hungry to come back into two crucial test matches." BATSMEN TAKING BATTING PRACTICE ARCHER WALKING BACK AFTER BOWLING BATSMEN TAKING BATTING PRACTICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND BOWLER, STUART BROAD, SAYING: "Australia would have 99% felt like they were regaining the Ashes with 70 runs needed at Headingley. And we had Stokes and (Jack) Leaches partnership was one of the greatest partnerships English cricket's seen. Australia had a really poor hour. And they'll probably reflect on that and I think they got quite a few things wrong in that. So, obviously the momentum of that test match shifted and with that, the series." BROAD BOWLING AT TRAINING SESSION
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2019 03:14
  • Keywords: Ashes England Australia Stuart Broad Jofra Archer Steve Smith
  • Location: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
  • City: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Cricket,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA001AUYUS73
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:England fast bowler Stuart Broad is excited to see another showdown between England's Jofra Archer and Australia's Steve Smith when the former skipper returns for the fourth Ashes test in Old Trafford on Wednesday (September 4).
    Smith, who scored 378 runs in three innings, is set to return to the side after missing the third test due to concussion.
    "It was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord's," Broad said at a news conference on Monday (September 2).
    "So, hopefully we can have a battle like that again," he added.
    Smith was hit on the neck by a rising Jofra Archer delivery during the second test at Lord's but Broad expects he'll be back in high gear come Wednesday.
    "Every time a batsman looks in great rhythm, a period of time out of being in the middle could affect them. But he's obviously a world-class batsman," Broad said. "He'll be very ready for the conditions he will face here at Old Trafford."
    "There's been a little bit of to and fro between him and Jofra, hasn't there? So, Jofra will be excited to continue that battle," said Broad.
    England's one-wicket win at Headingley prevented Australia from retaining the Ashes, and Broad said this was the most closely-contested series he had been a part of.
    The fourth test in Manchester starts on Wednesday with the series level at 1-1. The final match at The Oval in London begins on September 12.
    (Production: Oliver Regan, Kurt Michael Hall)
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