Ashes 2013-14: Stuart Broad silences Aussies after ‘enjoyable’ day one

Stuart Broad admitted he enjoyed the opening day of the Ashes series after the England bowler took five wickets to reduce Australia to 273-8 at the Gabba.

Broad, who was on the receiving end of jeers following his controversial decision not to walk in the summer’s first Test, took day one’s opening wicket as he dismissed Chris Rodgers in the morning session.

The 27-year-old bowler went on to finish with figures of 5-65, including the scalp of Aussie skipper Michael Clarke, and Broad insisted he relished “the stick” aimed in his direction from the home supporters in Brisbane.

“There has been a lot of build-up and talk but we put everything else aside and after losing the toss to get eight wickets in the day we put ourselves in a strong position,” Broad is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

“I had prepared myself for some boos and I quite enjoyed it! The Aussies are good sports fans they like to give the opponents some stick but they respect good sport.”

Broad expressed his delight to have dismissed Clarke for one run as the medium-fast bowler continued his duel with the Australia captain from the summer series.

“Clarke’s obviously their star man and averages over fifty so it’s great,” he added.

“To have a plan and execute it as a bowler is excellent and so quickly in the first innings of the first Test is brilliant.

“The first bouncer is always the most dangerous and the reaction of the players showed how much it meant. I wouldn’t say I have a hold over him, his record is phenomenal, the key was getting him in early enough with a hard enough ball to make that plan work.”