England quick bowler bowls 11 overs with out luck, as he checks his elbow after damage points
Jofra Archer produced a cautious however more and more rhythmic day’s work on his return to bowling after his latest damage points, as Surrey’s reserves resisted his advances on a rain-affected second day of their 2nd XI County Championship conflict with Sussex at Hove.
By the shut, Surrey had eased alongside to 215 for three in reply to Sussex’s 487, with Ryan Patel’s unbeaten 94 offering the spine of their innings. Patel added 115 for the third wicket with Laurie Evans, who made 46, and an additional unbeaten stand of 53 with Nico Reifer (32), and has an opportunity to press on to his hundred on day three after being dropped at slip in the penultimate over.
As for Archer, he returned figures of 0 for 32 in 11 overs, unfold throughout two spells of six and 5 overs respectively, as he shelved any quest for pyrotechnics and set about road-testing his troublesome proper elbow, with the first Test towards New Zealand at Lord’s now slightly below a month away.
His introduction got here in a 25-minute burst with the new ball earlier than lunch, after Surrey’s spinner Dan Moriarty had picked off Sussex’s final three wickets for the hard-earned figures of 4 for 122 in 38.three overs.
The dwelling aspect’s mainstay was the 19-year-old Oliver Carter, who was final man out for a wonderful 160 – the first rating of observe of his skilled profession, and one which showcased an unflappable temperament and a very good straight-lined method, as he added an additional 50 runs to his in a single day 110.
When his flip lastly got here, Archer might need picked up a wicket straightaway, as Surrey’s 19-year-old opener Ben Geddes – maybe just a little daunted by the repute steaming in in the direction of him – flinched his first ball airily off the pads and into a niche on the leg aspect. But he was extra confidently ahead for the the rest of an exploratory over, earlier than choosing off a brace of boundaries as Archer twice overpitched to ease alongside to 9 not out at the break.
It was left to Will Sheffield, Sussex’s younger left-arm seamer, to upstage his senior companion in the wickets column, though he will not be encouraging too a lot of his family and friends to search out his efforts on the ECB dwell stream. His first ball after lunch was a pie to finish all pies – a hip-high full toss, swinging invitingly down the leg aspect, however Geddes – along with his guard down – may solely look on in horror as he clipped the providing straight into the pocket of sq. leg.
Sheffield’s second was an enchancment however hardly a jaffa – an inviting outswinging half-volley that Will Jacks cuffed on the up to brief cowl. At which level Archer, commandeering a plumb place at first slip in his “Sharks” woolly hat, will need to have assumed it was not to be his day.
Sure sufficient, Archer’s fortunes in his eighth over – the second of his new spell, after a 90-minute rain delay – reasonably summed issues up. His first supply, brief and sitting up exterior off, was clattered via mid-on by Patel to carry up the fifty stand. Two balls later, with Patel on 42, third slip could not cling on to his proper as Archer jammed the splice with considered one of his sharpest deliveries of the day.
And earlier than the over was out, he’d given away 5 penalty runs too, as the keeper allowed himself to be nutmegged by a size ball exterior off, which then rolled into brief leg’s helmet, perched behind him.
And that was broadly the finish of that so far as Archer’s day was involved. Joe Pocklington entered the assault along with his left-arm spin, as did Luke Benkenstein – son of Durham’s Championship-winning captain Dale – whom Reifer launched over deep midwicket shortly earlier than Patel’s late let-off. There can be stiffer checks forward for Archer, however at the very least he is again on the park.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
