Jofra Archer takes wicket on county return for Sussex second team

Archer, 29, bowled six overs in his first spell on Friday, conceding 11 runs and taking a single wicket, with 17-year-old Kent batter Ekansh Singh fending a short ball to gully

Jofra Archer geared up for his England comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup with a spell for Sussex's second team against Kent at Beckenham.

Archer, 29, bowled six encouraging overs on Friday after being parachuted in for the game's fourth day, conceding 11 runs and taking a single wicket, with 17-year-old Kent batter Ekansh Singh fending a short ball to gully. He had earlier been struck on the helmet by Archer.

Jofra Archer in action for Sussex 2nd XI today 👀pic.twitter.com/EMzmVkhgbY

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) May 17, 2024

The England quick last bowled in professional cricket during last year's Indian Premier League, playing for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings.

He has played some club cricket since then, but this was a first involvement in county cricket for some time.

^{Jofra Archer in action for Sussex's second team (Warren Little/Getty Images)}

^{Archer dismissed Ekansh Singh on his return (Warren Little/Getty Images)}

England, through managing director Rob Key, have previously made clear that Archer's focus in 2024 will be on white-ball cricket, with the hope that he can return to the longer format thereafter.

He has been riddled with misfortune since breaking onto the scene in the 2019 World Cup and the subsequent Ashes series, struggling with a recurrent elbow injury for much of the time since.

He played for England in Bangladesh last March and is set to feature in the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan ahead of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

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