Lethal Archer will bowl Australians over again, says Stokes

BEN STOKES has warned Australia that Jofra Archer is preparing to deliver another bouncer barrage in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

Archer turned in a remarkable debut performance in a rain-affected draw at Lord’s, with a visceral display of hostile fast bowling.

The wicked 92mph delivery that smashed Steve Smith in the neck and ultimately forced him out of the match with concussion proved to be the pivotal point of the game, but it was far from an isolated incident.

Archer (right) had earlier thumped Smith’s left forearm, a painful blow that required X-rays and ice compression, touching a peak of 96.1mph and even floored Test cricket’s first concussion replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, with another rocket.

It is not yet known if Smith will return to resume his compelling battle with the Sussex quick, but whoever takes the field in Leeds has been told to expect another fierce working over from Archer.

“It’s part of the game and a big part of Jofra’s game, being aggressive, not letting batsmen settle,” said Stokes. “When someone takes a nasty blow no bowler is going to say ‘I’m not going to bowl that again because I don’t want to hit them again’.

“The concern is always there when someone takes it but next ball, when you get back to the mark, it’s ‘I’m going to keep doing it’. Everything is so rhythmical with Jofra it is tough to see when that bouncer is coming. There’s no ‘tell’. He bowled a lot of them, but they don’t seem to pick it up.” England may travel north trailing 1-0 in the series, but Stokes believes they are a different side with their new recruit in tow.

“He gives another dimension to our bowling attack. The first innings he bowled 29 overs but his last spell of eight was one of the best out and out fast bowling spells I have seen since I started playing,” he said. “We’ve seen Mitchell Johnson do it to us, especially in 2013, but Jofra just makes it look so easy. I’d rather have him on my team than have to face him. He’s a frightening talent. Literally, the sky is the limit for him and he’s a great addition to our Test team.”

England named an unchanged squad yesterday morning, with Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran joining the XI that featured at Lord’s.