Archer elated to tick off a rare injury-free summer in style as his finished with figures of 4/18 to demolish South Africa.
If there was one thing Jofra Archer would have had the the top of his checklist he wanted to tick off, it would have been a summer free of injuries.
Injuries have plagued and taken off years from his peak at a time when he was all set to take over pace bowling by storm on a global stage.
However, after having played 2 Test matches and 3 ODIs in a row, he will no doubt have been elated to finally put a tick mark on the injury-free summer.
Archer’s excellent game
Following their contrasting losses in the opening two games at Headingley and Lord’s, Archer’s outstanding statistics of 4 for 18 in nine overs were unable to save the series for England. But in his first 4.5 overs, he reduced South Africa to 18 for 5, paving the way for a resounding 342-run triumph that was precisely 100 runs greater than England’s previous biggest victory in the format.
South Africa was struggling at 24 for 6 in the powerplay after Brydon Carse took two wickets in his own opening spell and Bavuma was sidelined due to a calf strain. Adil Rashid’s three wickets in 20.5 overs sealed the victory, which was the same number that South Africa required to finish their series-opening run-chase at Headingley last week.
“I told Carse, when we were bowling, let’s just do it so nobody else has to bowl,” Archer said afterwards. “Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way, but we definitely did try. They were either going to get them or they were going to get bowled out trying to get them, and everyone’s figures are pretty good today. It’s good to win a game by that margin.”
Archer on his uplifting summer
Archer’s performance capped off an incredibly positive summer in which he has restored his reputation in a variety of forms, including his reinstatement to the England Test team for the July series against India.
After winning Player of the Match, he acknowledged that, given the previous regime’s apprehension over his workload following a string of injuries, he had not anticipated playing in his third consecutive game. He did admit, though, that it “meant a lot” to be able to give his team another excellent performance.
“To be injury-free is always a plus,” he said. “This summer is a tick for me.”