Jofra Archer marked his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket after 1501 days by turning out for Sussex in their County Championship 2025 Division One clash against Durham at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Archer, who represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, went on to pick up the wicket of Emilio Gay in his first red-ball cricket match after four years.
Fantastic to see Jofra Archer back with a red ball in hand pic.twitter.com/1TTjSmrikt
— Rothesay County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 23, 2025
The English pacer bowled a tight spell for his team, giving away just 28 runs in 14 overs by the end of the second day’s play. The tally featured six maiden overs.
Earlier, he also ensured that Sussex's tail wagged by putting on a 57-run stand with James Coles for the ninth wicket, with Jofra Archer scoring 31 off 34 balls. His knock included three fours and a six.
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Initially a part of England’s Test squad for the five-match home series against India, Archer’s return to the senior team suffered a setback after he picked up an injury late last month.
The 30-year-old Jofra Archer last played a Test match in February 2021, when he faced India in Ahmedabad. Persistent injuries to his elbow and back have kept him out of red-ball action since.
However, a good run for Sussex in the first-class outing could potentially help pave the way for a fully fit Archer’s inclusion in the England squad soon.
The first England vs India Test is currently underway at Leeds while the second one starts at Edgbaston on July 2.
England cricket skipper Ben Stokes had earlier revealed that the pacer was eager to rejoin the national side.
“He’s been absolutely desperate to put the white shirt back on,” Stokes said last Thursday ahead of the first Test. “He’s had a torrid run with injuries, but he’s managed a fair bit of white-ball cricket recently.
“The fact that we can now put a structure in place for his red-ball return is a great sign,” Stokes added.
Jofra Archer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.04, including two six-wicket hauls during the 2019 Ashes. Against India, he has picked up four wickets in two Tests.
