Cricket-Archer back for England with a bang

By John Mehaffey

LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - England fast bowler Jofra Archer celebrated his return to test cricket after a four-year absence through elbow and back injuries with a sizzling opening spell on the second day of the third test against India at Lord’s on Friday.

Archer struck with the third ball of his opening over from the Pavilion End with a delivery of 90 miles per hour catching the edge of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat and flying to Harry Brook at second slip. The capacity crowd erupted and Archer raced to embrace his team mates.

His next delivery flashed past new batsman Karun Nair’s off stump at 94 mph.

Archer was rested after five overs before returning in the final session for a further spell from both ends to finish the day with one for 22 from 10 overs including three maidens.

Archer, 30, who was born in Bridgetown, Barbados and holds British citizenship though his English father, returned to the England test side after bowling 18 overs across four spells for Sussex against Durham in the county championship this season.

It was his first appearance in first-class cricket in four years although he has stayed active in limited-overs cricket, playing in each of his country’s eight games at last year’s T20 World Cup staged in the Caribbean and the United States.

In his two previous international appearances at the home of cricket, Archer bowled the Super Over which won the 2019 50-over World Cup final against New Zealand and made his test debut in the same year against Australia, forcing Australia’s leading batsman Steve Smith to retire hurt after he was hit on the neck.

With a series in Australia later this year, where only one England side has regained the Ashes since the infamous bodyline series in 1932-3 when the England fast bowlers bombarded the Australian batsmen with short-pitched deliveries, the England selectors are keen to get Archer back into the side.

Former England captain Joe Root, who completed his 37th test century before he was dismissed for 104 in the morning session on Friday, said everybody had been delighted to welcome Archer back.

"It’s great," he told reporters. "The noise, the pure joy everyone has seeing him back in the whites, everyone’s genuine excitement to see him back in whites playing test cricket again.

"Bowling 94 miles an hour, getting a wicket first over, that’s the kind of player he is."

Root said turning to Archer was like India bringing on the world’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who took five wickets in England’s first innings of 387.

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