Dating back to March 2020, 678 days is the gap between Jofra Archer’s last international game for England as he made his comeback to the national colors on Friday in Bloemfontein against South Africa in the first of the 3 ODI series that is part of the ODI World Cup Super League.
Archer had made his return to professional cricket earlier this month in the SA20, the new T20 franchise competition in South Africa, and performed decently there.
The 27-year-old fast bowler, who was England’s hero at the 2019 World Cup, helping the country win their maiden ODI World Cup, had a really poor return to international cricket.
Jofra Archer finished with figures of 1/81 in his 10 overs on his return to international cricket.
In fact, Archer was the worst of the 6 England bowlers on use at the Mangaung Oval, where South Africa piled up 298/7 with the help of century from Rassie van der Dussen, who scored 111 from 117 balls.
Archer took the new ball and was straightaway in the line of an onslaught from Quinton de Kock, who seemed to have come predetermined to take on England’s fastest bowler. De Kock cracked two fours in Archer’s first two overs before Temba Bavuma took him down for a 4 and 6. De Kock collected another pair of 6 and 4 to end the first powerplay on a high, and Archer was on a low.
Then, it was van der Dussen who hit Archer for a couple of fours in the middle-overs before the fast bowler was smashed by van der Dussen and Miller, follwed by Magala in the death overs. The only wicket for Archer, that of Wayne Parnell, came in the 49th over.
Sam Curran was England’s best bowler on the show today, with figures of 3/35 in 9 overs. For South Africa, David Miller also scored a fifty while three other batters went past 30.
