'Utterly unplayable': Stuart Broad stuns with 'one of the best balls ever'
Stuart Broad sent England fans into meltdown on the opening day at Headingley with an unplayable ball to dismiss Travis Head.
Broad and Jofra Archer ran through Australia’s middle order, creating chaos as the tourists lost 8-43 to be rolled for 179.
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While Archer terrorised the Aussies with his pace, Broad was at his deceptive best, moving the ball all over the place.
His delivery to get Head was an absolute cracker, angling in towards the leftie, pitching on off stump and straightening just enough to beat the bat.
The Aussie vice-captain was left gobsmacked when the ball kissed the top of off stump, sending Broad and his teammates into raptures.
"It takes a good ball for Broad to be impressed with his own bowling, and Broad is mighty impressed," former England captain Nasser Hussain said.
"That is one of the best deliveries he has ever bowled... That is unplayable."
Australian great Ian Healy was equally as impressed.
"That's just about the perfect delivery," Healy said.
"He went fuller, and attacked the stumps, and (Travis) Head really couldn't do much about it."
Fans were also in awe, with many suggesting it was the best ball Broad had ever bowled.
That’s one of the best balls in Ashes history, hands down. Peach. #Broad
— Daniel Cutts (@Journo_Slash) August 22, 2019
Best ball you’ve bowled Broad?
— Hazen Petrie (@hazenPetrie) August 22, 2019
Archer is getting all the headlines at the moment but Stuart Broad has been a joy to watch all series; consistently good stuff.
And that dismissal of Head was a beauty. #ENGAUS #Ashes— Joel Taylor (@JoelTaylorhack) August 22, 2019
Looks utterly unplayable that Stuart Broad delivery! 😮 Wow! #TheAshes
— UxbEconomist07 (@UxbEconomist07) August 22, 2019
Goodness me that Stuart Broad delivery was out of this world.
— Jon Ashley (@jonashley87) August 22, 2019
I know Wade has been out since but I'm still thinking about that delivery from Broad. Beauty. #Ashes
— Rowena Haigh (@thetwoshortlegs) August 22, 2019
There’s going to have to be something pretty spectacular to displace that wicket as my favourite of the series. #Ashes
— TheDreadPirateRowan (@AlternateRowan) August 22, 2019
Australia’s horrendous collapse
David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne shared a 111-run stand, frustrating Joe Root with the help of some sloppy fielding plus delays prompted by bad light and light rain at Headingley.
But, as is so often the case in England, one wicket quickly brought more in a collapse of 3-3 that spanned 15 balls.
Tim Paine, the only other batsman to reach double figures outside Warner and Labuschagne, steadied temporarily but Archer returned to the attack to fire out three tailenders in a collapse of 5-17 that ended the day and innings.
Archer first swung momentum with a pinpoint delivery that Warner, who helped Australia recover from 2-25, edged to keeper Jonny Bairstow.
Head and Matthew Wade were bowled for ducks in consecutive overs, with the latter out when an Archer delivery struck the thigh pad then rolled onto the stumps.
with AAP