Stern tests for bowling prospects
JOFRA Archer made his longawaited return during a warm-up match between England’s Test side and England Lions, but could not stop bat dominating ball in Abu Dhabi.
Archer has not played competitively for 18 months due to longstanding elbow problems and a stress fracture of the lower back, but ramped up his rehabilitation by lining up for the second-string Lions.
England will be pleased by his initial outing with a red ball in hand, sending down nine overs for 38 in two different spells and finding enough menace to strike Zak Crawley on the helmet early on.
But it was a dominant day for the batters as they tuned up for the tour of Pakistan by piling up a massive 501 for seven in 79 overs.
Ollie Pope, stand-in captain in place of the rested skipper Ben Stokes, made the most of his outing at the Tolerance Oval as he cracked 146 in just 120 balls. Pope, who settled well into the number three spot over the summer, helped himself to 22 fours and three sixes as he tuned up for the first Test on December 1.
Crawley also had a profitable stay at the crease, reaching 96 before taking a quick single to Archer, who hurled down the stumps at the non-striker’s end to claim the run out.
Uncapped all-rounder Will Jacks impressed with a 84 off 48 deliveries, clearing the boundary four times, while T20 World Cupwinner Liam Livingstone made a rapid 36 on his first red-ball innings since 2020.
There was a potential nod to the Test selection at the top of the order, where Ben Duckett (28) got the nod ahead of fellow opener Keaton Jennings (40), the latter slotting in at number five in Stokes’ absence.
The Lions bowlers were left nursing some bruising figures, with part-time spinner Dan Lawrence’s two for 57 the pick of the bunch as he dismissed Jacks and Jennings.
Sam Cook, Tom Abell, Jack Carson and Sam Conners all took one wicket apiece but teenage legspinner Rehan Ahmed went at more than nine an over on the day of his Test call-up, returning nought for 73 from eight overs.
Ahmed could become England’s youngest ever men’s Test cricketer after being added to the squad for next month’s tour of
Pakistan. The 18-year-old has been training with England Lions in the United Arab Emirates over the last three weeks and has done enough to persuade the management that he is ready join the senior side, despite having just three first-class appearances under his belt.
Ahmed only made his LV= County Championship debut for Leicestershire in May and stands on the brink of full Test honours having bowled only 446 balls in first-class cricket, with nine wickets.
If he goes on to win selection in Rawalpindi, Multan or Karachi he will beat the previous record of Brian Close, who first wore the Three Lions at 18 years and 149 days in 1949.
But he has been tipped for big things from a tender age, earning media attention at just 11 when he dismissed Ben Stokes and Sir Alastair Cook in the nets having been invited to bowl at the national team.
He was picked up in The Hundred by reigning champions Southern Brave earlier this summer despite a lack of experience and was subsequently invited to train with England’s white-ball team at Old Trafford, benefiting from a lengthy session alongside fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid.