Stuart Broad destroys Aussie top order

Stuart Broad left Australia’s Ashes campaign in disarray, skittling the tourists for 60 in a scarcely believable start to the fourth Test.

Broad snared 8-15 in 9.3 overs, while the tourists suffered an incredible collapse of 7-29 in the space of 56 deliveries after being asked to bat first by Alastair Cook at Trent Bridge.

Extras top-scored for Australia with 14.

“It’s the sort of score you expect to see at the under-9s on the village green,” Ian Botham observed for Sky Sports.

Australia were nine down when they passed 47, the memorably woeful total they managed in 2011 at Cape Town.

It was nonetheless embarrassing for Australia, their seventh-lowest Ashes total and smallest in England since 1902.

England will reclaim the urn with victory in Nottingham, a result that had looked on the cards from the moment Australia’s three best batsmen were dismissed in the opening 10 minutes.

Things went from bad to worse for Michael Clarke, who demoted himself to No.5 in the order but lashed at a wide ball with minimal footwork.

Cook snaffled the resultant catch as Clarke was out for 10, becoming Broad’s fifth victim of the match.

It was the first time since 1913 that an England bowler had a five-wicket haul before lunch on the first day of a Test.

Broad achieved the feat in 35 minutes of mayhem.

“It’s pretty unbelievable. It hasn’t sunk in,” Broad said of his career-best haul.

The visitors had no answers as the 29-year-old squared them up to find edges with ease at his home ground.

Ben Stokes plucked a spectacular catch at fifth slip to dismiss Adam Voges, while Mark Wood removed David Warner in his first over.

Otherwise, the early carnage was brought about by Broad.

It started with Chris Rogers, who became Broad’s 300th Test scalp when the game was two minutes old.

Steve Smith, the only batsman in the top four to get off the mark, went in the same opening over when Joe Root held onto a catch at third slip.

The wicket of Shaun Marsh, promoted to the side at the expense of brother Mitch, started a run of three consecutive wicket-maidens for Broad.

Clarke was the only man to make it to double figures apart from Mitchell Johnson (13), but he was arguably the most culpable given it was one of few loose balls from Broad.

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