The Ashes: Broad smiles grace Britain's front-pages

The grinning face of England's golden boy Stuart Broad adorned Britain's front pages on Tuesday after his devastating spell of fast bowling secured Ashes glory for his team.

Broad's spell of six wickets for 20 runs in 45 balls ripped the heart out of an Australian batting line-up that was, at tea, looking well set to reach the improbable 299 run target set by England.

The Sun celebrated his exploits with the headline "Superhero", the Daily Mail with "Stupendous!" while the Daily Telegraph splashed "Brilliant Broad" across its back page.

The Times headline declared "Australia hit for six by Broad" and the Guardian said England was "on top of the world".

England had already retained the Ashes after drawing the third Test in Manchester, but victory at Chester-le-Street put them 3-0 up with one game to play and ensured a series victory.

The Guardian's Andy Bull called man-of-the-match Broad's display "some of the finest pace bowling in recent Ashes history".

"Broad seemed to be fuelled by anger, as if sick of the listlessness which has dogged England through much of this Test and the last," he wrote. "His nostrils were flared, his cheeks were red, his eyes wide.

"And the crowd ...sparked into renewed life, roaring the team on towards a victory that had seemed improbable but soon became inevitable. 'He's big, he's bad, he's better than his Dad! Stuart Broad! Stuart Broad!' the Barmy Army cried."

Broad's father, Chris, scored three centuries when England won the Ashes in Australia in 1986/87.

Former England captain and Times columnist Michael Atherton called Monday "one of the most dramatic days" in cricket and paid tribute to Broad, but also to Australians Ryan Harris and Chris Rogers, who shined in defeat.

"The full stop to it all was fittingly applied by Stuart Broad," he wrote. "As tight as the cricket has been at times, the scoreline is now a crushing one.

"Test cricket can be beautiful, as Broad would confirm, and cruel, and neither Harris nor Rogers deserved to be losers last night."

The Daily Telegraph's Jim White also mused upon the "extraordinary" drama that unfolded.

"There was a moment on Monday when it became clear what an extraordinary day of cricket this was," he explained.

"As James Anderson came in to bowl to Usman Khawaja the sky behind him was coal black. Over his shoulder as he ran up, lightning sparked and sizzled in the distance.

"Even the elements, it seemed, did not want a second of this unmissable drama to be disturbed.

"It was exactly the kind of switchback day that gives the traditionalist the ammunition to argue the superiority of the long form game," he added.

Daily Mail columnist and ex-England captain Nasser Hussain said Broad had produced "one of his best spells for England".

"Broad has the ability to be a destructive, match-winning bowler -- he has done it before and will do it again," he said.

"For that reason, he is a great man to have in your side, because there may be more consistent performers around, but he has it in him to bowl a magical spell which turns a game. That is what he did yesterday, when his team really needed inspiration."