Jofra Archer returned to first-class cricket after a 1,501-day absence.
The timing was remarkably coincidental.
As India’s KL Rahul celebrated a century at Headingley, threatening to secure victory for India and further burden England’s bowlers, a significant event unfolded 90 miles away.
In his first first-class match in four years, Jofra Archer bowled Emilio Gay lbw.
This was crucial for Sussex’s pursuit of victory against Durham, but held even greater significance considering the broader context.
After a four-year struggle with severe elbow and back injuries, England harbors hopes of Archer’s Test cricket return – possibly as early as the second Test against India at Edgbaston on July 2nd. Archer, who made a dazzling international debut in 2019, ended the day with figures of 1-28 from 14 overs, showcasing an encouraging burst in the afternoon session.
Tongue keeps England alive after Rahul & Pant centuries
Archer claims wicket in Sussex return at Durham
National selector Luke Wright hinted in early June at Archer’s potential availability for the second India Test, suggesting he remains under consideration for this summer’s matches, and even potentially a high-profile Ashes series against Australia this winter.
Archer did not take the new ball for Sussex, instead replacing Ollie Robinson, another former England Test bowler, after six overs, with Durham at 9-0.
From his first delivery – with England bowling coach Neil Killeen observing – Archer appealed for caught behind, but the umpire remained unconvinced.
While Archer’s initial four-over spell yielded no wickets, conceding 11 runs, it was his pacey second spell 45 minutes after lunch that truly impressed. He forced Gay into a defensive shot, followed by a lively bouncer to Will Rhodes. A subsequent lbw appeal against Gay was unsuccessful, but he wouldn’t be denied.
Archer, arguably the fastest bowler present, alongside Robinson, Durham’s England bowler Matthew Potts, and Australian international Gurinder Sandhu, finally broke through. He bowled a fuller delivery to Gay, induced inswing, and trapped the Durham opener lbw. Following the umpire’s decision, Archer celebrated with a broad smile – his first wicket in whites since dismissing Jordan Cox against Kent on May 14, 2021.
He continued for two more overs before returning to the crease. A near-miss against Colin Ackermann, where he beat the batter’s edge, resulted in Archer’s frustration. This marked the end of an impressive six-over spell.
Archer boasts an impressive record of 42 wickets in 13 Tests before his extended break.
However, this wasn’t a match where Archer single-handedly decimated a batting line-up to cement his Test return. The County Championship match utilized a Kookaburra ball – commonly used in Australia and known for less swing than the English Dukes ball. The slow pitch and strong gusts of wind created less-than-ideal conditions for fast or swing bowling.
Furthermore, Archer hadn’t bowled more than 10 overs in a match since May 2021 due to injury management. Bowling 10 overs across his first two spells, he returned for a post-tea spell, adding figures of 0-9 from four overs, including one maiden. His second delivery was edged narrowly short of the wicketkeeper, but his final ball lacked the sting of earlier efforts.
With Durham finishing the day at 249-5, Archer’s performance across the remaining two days will be crucial in assessing his Test readiness. His elbow injuries, requiring multiple surgeries, and a stress fracture in his back significantly hampered his red-ball career. However, post-match, he declared these issues “fine”.
“Now I know my body can hold up to it, the mental part of the game [is a greater challenge],” he told BBC Radio Sussex. “Over the next couple of days I’m going to have a battle with it. It’s all good. I’ll keep trucking along. When the scoreboard got to 50 overs I was like, ‘It’s time to come off now’ but we got to the end of day and it wasn’t that bad. It was OK. The pitch didn’t do much. When the ball is moving around it feels a bit more exciting.”
Asked about his Test readiness, the typically relaxed Archer stated: “I guess so. I just want to get through the game. I’m glad I’ve finished a day of four-day cricket.”
Receive cricket news directly to your phone