Archer’s turn to step up to the plate

CRICKET: Head coach Trevor Bayliss believes the mere prospect of Jofra Archer gatecrashing England’s World Cup squad inspired his bowlers to “raise the bar” in the West Indies.

Archer has loomed large over the limited-overs leg of England’s Caribbean tour with Bayliss promising the Barbados-born seamer a chance to audition for a tournament place after he formally qualifies in the coming days.

This turned the microscope firmly on more established members of the set-up with the three-match Twenty20 series providing a final chance to prove themselves before Archer’s arrival.

It was an opportunity they did not allow to slip through their fingers, with Tom Curran, Chris Jordan and David Willey each claiming four-wicket hauls as England romped to a 3-0 series sweep, twice skittling their hosts cheaply.

Having upped their own level, the onus will now be turned back onto 23-year-old Archer to show he can improve on what is already available.

“It was great to see those guys raise the bar and put in the performances they did over the T20s,” said Bayliss.

“What I will say is with the chat that has been around about Jofra in the last month or two it’s been good to see the response we’ve had from the bowlers.

“The performances on this trip have been fantastic. Sometimes the best pressure is from within and there hasn’t been a lot of pressure on the group from a bowling point of view for a while.

“With that chat about Jofra the guys we’ve got here have really stood up and bowled extremely well.”

Bayliss confirmed that 30-year-old Jordan had done enough to make himself a contender, claiming man-ofthe-series honours with six wickets for just 36 runs as well as a couple of stunning catches to add to his growing collection.