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England’s Stuart Broad has ‘feeling my career is about to take off a bit’

England bowler Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad does ‘feel my time is coming. Whether it’s in these two Tests or in England, it is coming.’ Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Stuart Broad believes his England Test career is set for another trademark surge of wickets after a back-to-basics spell of self-tuition to solve problems with his bowling action.

Broad heads into the day-night series opener against New Zealand in Auckland, starting on Thursday, one short of 400 Test wickets but after a year in which his scalps came at 36 runs apiece and an Ashes series of minimal impact.

The latter highlighted the need for remedial work, with one of Broad’s strengths during a rise to No 1 in the bowling rankings two years ago – going round the wicket to left-handers – causing a loss of away movement to the right-handers.

Broad spent 10 days between tours alone in the Trent Bridge indoor nets rediscovering his “feel” for bowling and addressing the open left shoulder that was scuppering his wrist position in release. The results appear to his liking.

“I’ve just got that feeling, something in my stomach that tells me my career is about to take off a bit,” said Broad, whose last five-wicket haul came in early 2016 with his series‑sealing six for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg.

“I’m someone who can change games and that’s how I view myself as a cricketer. It actually influenced some of the changes I made in February. I felt I got too technical, constantly looking at videos. I’ve got that buzz back.”

Should Joe Root, the England captain, continue his plans from the warm-ups, then Broad will come on as first change after Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes, thus ending his long-standing new-ball partnership with the former.

While not yet confirmed, Broad sees some value in spreading their overs across the course of a session to increase the pressure on the opposition and the 31-year-old admitted the longer spells that would result may be beneficial to his game.

On his recent form he said: “I’ve not had the streaks I want but I’ve also had the most dropped catches [34] in Test cricket over the last three years, which never seems to get mentioned.

“If I get wickets in my first two or three overs, that’s when I tend to push on and I don’t know whether that’s a confidence thing or whatever. But I do feel my time is coming. Whether it’s in these two Tests or in England, it is coming.”