ARCHER IS QUICK TO ANSWER THE ASHES CALL
THE sight of Jofra Archer steaming in to bowl for a second consecutive day helped redress the Ashes balance somewhat yesterday as Australia piled up more runs ahead of next week’s second Test.
The prospects of Archer stepping up from Sussex’s second XI this week to a Test debut next appear cast-iron now after he followed up six wickets in the first innings against Gloucestershire with a less profitable return statistically but a greater one from a physical perspective.
His 19 overs across four spells gave a boost to England as two pieces of less encouraging news emanated from the West Midlands. First, Warwickshire fast bowler Olly Stone was ruled out of the Lord’s Test with a back injury 24 hours after confirmation that Jimmy Anderson would remain sidelined until deeper into the series due to his ongoing calf problem.
Then Travis Head carried on the form he showed in the win at Edgbaston that put Australia 1-0 up with a hundred off his former Worcestershire team-mates in a tour match at New Road.
Archer leaked 43 runs across his first eight overs at home to Gloucestershire seconds, six of them coming in one hooked stroke by Greg Willows. But the hostility increased in the afternoon when his captain Luke Wells could not get the ball out of his hand and wicketkeeper Joe Billings needed a step ladder, such was the bounce Archer extracted from Blackstone’s hybrid pitch.
There were 16 runs conceded by the bowler and 16 in byes during that sevenover burst. He returned for four more overs after tea, finishing with an overall analysis of 19-1-78-1.
The bar will be raised several notches against Australia, who piled up 266 for five declared on the opening day of their first-class fixture at Worcestershire — then took three cheap wickets in response.
But any doubt Archer will be the man to join Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes in the pace attack for the second Test dissipated when it was revealed fast bowler Stone, 25, who took three first-innings wickets on his Test debut against Ireland, experienced discomfort in his lower back in county practice on Tuesday.
Mark Wood is already out of the entire Ashes after knee surgery last week.