A Star is born – Jofra Archer’s stellar introduction to test cricket
When pundits start comparing your debut to that of the other-worldy talent of Shane Warne, you know you’ve had a successful first cap. What occurred over the rain interrupted 4 days of play in the second test of the 2019 Ashes series was fairly astonishing.
England desperately needed a result in the second test at Lords, as they had already slipped to a tame defeat in the first test added to which was the ignominy of losing their best strike bowler – James Anderson – to a recurrence of a calf injury which may well keep him out of the rest of the series. So called in as a replacement and given his test debut was 24-year-old, Jofra Archer, fresh from his devastating contribution to England’s ICC World Cup victory.
The generally sound rule followed when introducing youngsters is to do so slowly and gently, but it seems that everything to do with young Archer’s cricket career so far has been turned on its head. Thrown into the attack in the second over, his relaxed natural action propelled him up into the super quick 91 mph / 146 km/h territory almost immediately. Mark Wood on his day is capable of similar speeds but it’s the ease with which Archer achieves them that is so impressive.
Results started to come quickly for the paceman with first the dismissal of the hapless Bancroft lbw for 13. He followed that up with scalp of captain, Tim Paine for a miserly 23 and ended up with first innings figures of 29 overs, 11 maidens, 59 runs for 2 wickets. Very decent debut figures and on par with the rest of the seamers but what these figures fail to illustrate was the ferocity with which his firebolt bowling may well have turned this Ashes series on its head.
The 91mph balls started to increase up to a mind boggling 96.1mph / 155 km/h and with the increase of pace came the increase of threat. In a blistering spell in the afternoon, Archer went head to head with the world’s best batsman, Steve Smith, who was in truly imperious form have notched up scores of 144 and 142 in the first Edgbaston test. And Archer won.
In a spell of fast bowling not witnessed since the West Indies team of the 80s, Archer launched a tirade of hostility on Smith, first striking him very painfully on the arm which required the physio to be brought on (and a follow up x-ray) before bowling a ball that jagged venomously up into Smith’s unprotected upper neck area flooring him instantly.
The site of the downed Aussie batsman brought mixed emotions as nobody in cricket wants to see the kind of injury that cost Phillip Hughes his life ever recur. But the flip side of that, at least for England fans, was to see the impregnable deity Smith brought literally crashing back down to earth. It seemed inevitable that with Smith in such impeccable form and Anderson out injured, that the Ashes would be returning Down Under. But suddenly things flipped on that delivery. Smith retired injured following the new, strict concussion protocols and England had their new talisman in Archer.
It is a testament to the courage and dogged tenacity of Smith that he managed to return to the field of play and still nearly reached a century, falling just 8 runs shy lbw to Woakes. Unfortunately due to a slight worsening of his concussion symptoms, he was ruled out of the second innings and is doubtful for Thursday’s 3rd test at Headingley.
With their stalwart provider out of the picture, Australia’s batting line up looks extremely fragile and it took Archer no time at all to plough through the top order at the start of Australia’s second innings. Ripping through Warner and Khawaja for a pitiful 5 and 2 runs respectively within his first three overs and once again doing for captain Paine later in the innings.
Despite bowling a lot of overs, Archer regained the same level of aggression and intent in his second innings battering the helmet of Marnus Labuschagne – Smith’s concussion substitute – and causing Australia’s top order to flinch and sway their way to safety. The Lord’s crowd, normally so much more gentle than some of their Northern counterparts, roared with joyous approval.
After the test, centurian, Ben Stokes said of his young team mate:
“He has announced himself on the world stage in a different format. The sky’s the limit for that kid.”
Michael Vaughn, ex-captain of England during their triumphant 2005 Ashes series, said:
“Jofra Archer is already a superstar…”
Phill Tufnell, ex England spinner and TMS pundit, likened Jofra’s debut with that of the mighty Shane Warne whose first international test ball span so far around the clueless Mike gatting that it bowled him clean as he stood frozen in his crease.
Tuffnel said:
“That was absolutely compelling yesterday. It was edge-of-your-seat stuff.
Jofra has grabbed these Ashes by the scruff of the neck.
He went on to add:
“I was driving home from Edgbaston and I couldn’t see how, without James Anderson, England would take 20 wickets. Jofra has turned it on its head.”
And so the Ashes roadshow continues on to Headingly for the third gripping installment. Despite Archer and England’s best efforts, Australia squeezed a draw at Lord’s and so still lead the Ashes 1-0. If the Aussies win in Leeds then the famous urn will be on it’s way to the Southern hemisphere no matter what happens in the 4th and 5th tests but now that likelihood is far, far from certain again. The world awaits the second coming of Jofra.
