Man of the match Stuart Broad was keen to highlight it was a team effort after his devastating spell in Johannesburg guided England to a Test series win over South Africa.
The 29-year-old returned second-innings figures of 6-17, including a remarkable stint of five wickets for one run, as the Proteas were bundled out for 83 before England knocked off the runs for the loss of three wickets .
That handed Alastair Cook’s side an unassailable 2-0 lead with only the fourth Test at Centurion remaining, but despite being named man of the match and moving to the top of the Test bowling rankings , Broad was eager to spread the praise.
“We always talk as a team about somebody winning the man-of-the-match trophy because generally you win the game, but it’s a team trophy,” he told ecb.co.uk.
Broad felt that a 111-run stand for the fifth wicket between centurion Joe Root and Ben Stokes in England’s first innings had been particularly important in laying a platform from which he could attack, while James Taylor held a couple of stunning catches at short-leg.
So Happy!!! pic.twitter.com/k25irQK7LB
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) January 16, 2016
He added: “The bowlers can’t do their job without the batsmen getting scoreboard pressure out there – Rooty’s hundred was one of the best I’ve seen him score.
“The Stokesy partnership with him really changed the momentum of the game – it was a fantastic partnership to get us up to their score.
“Titchy [Taylor] this morning was practising them really hard – we thought short-leg was going to be an important position because of the extra bounce, and he spent a lot of time in practice working on his game there.
“When he caught them he was running away screaming, shouting – it was like Alan Shearer scoring a goal! Those sort of catches win you games.
“Through the whole of the Ashes series last summer we took some great catches and won the series and those catches have really helped us win the game today.
“To win in South Africa is on the bucket-list as a cricketer.
“I’ve never beaten them in a Test series prior to now – they’re a very tough team to play against.
“Everyone has contributed in the series so far.
He was on fire. Here’s @StuartBroad8‘s timeline as he took five in 49 mins and 31 balls: https://t.co/wTcKISdOWh pic.twitter.com/rqNBdcmawm
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 16, 2016
Broad had been unwell on the opening day of the Test, but revealed he had taken a liking to the Wanderers venue before his series-clinching heroics.
“I had a good feeling about this ground before the game actually,” he said.
“It feels a very special ground to play at.
“I wasn’t feeling overly well on the first day, but I said to the lads I’ll try and make it up to you second digs, so it’s nice to get a few wickets in the second innings.
“We got a bit of luck as well as a team really – it was the perfect day to bowl: a bit of cloud, the lights were on, it swung, it seamed, and there was a bit of bounce, but I think the bowlers were due after Cape Town.
“It was good conditions to bowl; I think the fielders played a huge part in creating pressure and taking catches, and we learned from mistakes in the first innings.
“Potentially we bowled a little bit short in the first innings, whereas I decided today I was going to pitch it a little bit fuller but bowl as quick as I could instead of floating it up there and it seemed to work.”
Source: ECB