England’s Stuart Broad creates Ashes history as he takes eight Australian wickets at Trent Bridge to leave the Baggy Greens shellshocked

Alastair Cook’s side have one hand on urn after stunning Trent Bridge display

Stuart Broad destroyed Australia in a freakish first session with one of the most remarkable spells in Ashes history as England took a merciless hold on the fourth Investec Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.

Australia collapsed to 60 all out, Broad an irresistible force with a career-best eight for 15– figures previously surpassed in the Ashes for England by only Jim Laker.

Then Joe Root (124no) and Jonny Bairstow (74) confirmed a position of utter dominance in a partnership of 173 which helped England close day one on 274 for four and with one hand on the urn.

Twenty-four hours earlier, captain Alastair Cook had called on his team to “etch themselves into history”, and Broad especially took him at his word.

By the time he had finished– and it took little more than an hour-and-a-half – England’s obvious chances of winning match and therefore series were reflected in odds slashed by bookmakers from a start-of-play 2-1 to 1-10.

On his home ground, Broad began the match with 299 wickets, needed just three balls to become only the fifth Englishman to 300 and in another nine over stook seven more to move into equal fourth in the national list alongside Fred Trueman.

But Broad knows the visitors will return to action today determined to “fight back hard”.

He told Sky Sports Ashes: “We’ve just had a quick chat in the changing room about enjoying the moment now, but when we come here tomorrow we’ve still got a big job to do because Australia will fight back hard.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do tomorrow and the game’s not over yet.”

Frustrated Australian captain Michael Clarke said: “We won’t give up – the Australian way is to never give up.

PA. England bowler Stuart Broad walks off to huge applause after taking eight Australian wickets on the first morning of the fourth Test.

Picture: PA. Australian captain Michael Clarke shows his dejection with Steve Smith, right, after a catching chance at slip is missed off England captain Alastair Cook.