The phrase ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ is oft uttered in the context of any sport.
Like so many of the famous proverbs, its heritage is within cricket.
When England fast bowler Cliff Gladwin first uttered the immortal words in South Africa, Stuart Broad was still 38 years from birth.
In the last decade, he has, however, become the very embodiment of those eternal words.
Two Test hat-tricks and magic spells that won the Ashes in 2009 and 2015 are a few such examples.
Today’s Broad inspired story takes us back to the nation in which Gladwin, himself a man of the East Midlands, coined the famous phrase.
While his ‘cometh the hour’ moment came with the bat, a leg-bye of the thigh for accuracy purposes, Broad is at his most inspirational with red ball in hand.
The Third Test between South Africa and England, played in the atmospheric cauldron of Johannesburg in January last, was evenly poised on first innings.
The tourists had a lead of ten, but would have to bat last.
What followed was, quite frankly, carnage.
The Nottinghamshire right-armer blew away the entire top six - Amla, de Villiers and du Plessis among them.
Five of Broad’s wickets came for the loss of a single run. James Taylor caught pigeons at short-leg. South Africa were blown away for 83.
England’s man for the big occasion concluded with figures of 6-17, shooting to the top of the world bowling rankings as the tourists celebrated a series clinching victory.
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man'.
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Ben Stokes was the pick of the England bowlers in the first innings, taking 3-53 as South Africa were all out for 313.
Joe Root scored a century in reply, striking 17 imperious boundaries in scoring 110 off 139 deliveries.
Stokes added a typically belligerent half-century of his own. However, a first innings lead of just ten left England precariously placed.
South Africa reached 23 without alarm before Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow combined to dismiss Dean Elgar.
The prized wicket of Hashim Amla came courtesy of the first of two remarkable catches by James Taylor at short-leg.
The rout continued with this caught & bowled to dismiss Faf du Plessis.
Broad collected five wickets for one run, and finished with figures of 6-17, as South Africa were all out for 83, setting England just 74 runs to win.
Root and Taylor were together at the crease at the moment of victory.
England return to Nottingham in 2017 to face South Africa and the West Indies.
With tickets for days one and two of the South Africa Test having already been snaffled, don't miss the chance to see some of the most exciting sides in world cricket go toe-to-toe in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.