Stuart Broad says England must raise training intensity between Tests to find consistency

Bowled over: Stuart Broad celebrates after dismissing Kagiso Rabada
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Tom Collomosse31 July 2017

Stuart Broad believes England may need to change their training regime to improve performances in back-to-back Tests.

Broad will attempt to bowl England to victory over South Africa on Monday. The hosts started the day needing to take six wickets for a 2-1 lead in the four-match Investec Series. The Proteas aimed to bat through the day to secure a draw.

Whatever the result, there will be little time for either side to enjoy it. The Fourth Test at Old Trafford starts on Friday, meaning the teams will start their preparation on Wednesday, only 48 hours after the end of this match.

The first half of this series followed a similar pattern. England won the First Test at Lord’s with plenty to spare but when the second match at Trent Bridge started five days later, they were off the pace. South Africa dominated the game and won by 340 runs. It was typical of England’s Test cricket since Trevor Bayliss was hired as coach two years ago: impressive in one game, poor in the next.

The demanding nature of Test cricket means teams are usually conservative with their preparation before the second of two back-to-back Tests, yet Broad wonders if England should look again at their plans.

He said: “Before this game, [captain] Joe Root asked us to make sure we showed high intensity during the two training sessions before the match started. When your intensity is high on those days, it always takes you into the game well.

“When you have back-to-back Tests, can you match that intensity before the second one? After we’ve finished this game, we’ll head up to Manchester and train on Wednesday.

“Some of the fast bowlers might not bowl due to workloads and that sort of thing, but do we need to raise the intensity on Wednesday to ensure we go into the Test on Friday as pumped up, mentally focused and physically ready as we can be. Old Trafford will be a big test of whether we can do that.”

“We have been very focused during this Test. We had to put Trent Bridge behind us, but we also had to speak about it to work out how to get better. The way we played on day one of this game was a good example of the lessons we learned.

“We have batsmen who score quickly, but sometimes you can rein that in slightly to play within yourself and suit the conditions. We did that on the opening day of this game but we still scored at a good rate.”

Broad took the first wicket to fall in South Africa’s second innings when he bowled Heino Kuhn between bat and pad. At one stage, the tourists were 52 for four after Ben Stokes removed Quinton De Kock and captain Faf Du Plessis with successive deliveries, and a four-day finish looked possible.

But despite taking a serious of blows to his hands and chest, opener Dean Elgar survived and resumed 72 not out on Monday, with his batting partner Temba Bavuma on 16. South Africa were 117 for four, chasing a nominal victory target of 492. Their sole priority was to survive the day and give themselves a chance of winning the series at Old Trafford.

England are on course for a 2-1 lead in the Test series
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Though the decisive work lay ahead, England could be encouraged by the performance of their seamers over the first four days. Debutant Toby Roland-Jones took five wickets in the first innings and dismissed Hashim Amla on the fourth afternoon – for the second time in the match.

After scoring a first-innings century, Stokes produced a thrilling spell on Sunday that persuade Broad to compare him with Andrew Flintoff at his most menacing. Jimmy Anderson and Broad himself have also made important contributions.

With Chris Woakes and Jake Ball still absent through injury, Root will be heartened by England’s bowling depth – though he will have another decision to make at Old Trafford.

Does he stick with Dawid Malan, who scored one and 10 in this game, as the extra batsman, or restore a second spinner?

Spinners often find assistance at Old Trafford and Liam Dawson, who played the first two Tests, will keep his fingers crossed for a swift recall.

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