Archer, who was playing for the Second XI against Kent, bowled with a lot of pace and menace.
Jofra Archer bowled six overs for Sussex's second team to warm up for his return to action in England next week. In his second over, he struck a batsman on the helmet and then took a wicket a few minutes later.
In a warm-up match for the one-day cup that year, Archer was playing for Sussex against Oxfordshire on July 20, 2021, marking his first appearance on English soil since then. Since the Indian Premier League of the previous year, he has not participated in a professional match.
Ben Dawkins, the Kent opener, slashed him over backward point for a streaky four on the first ball in his somewhat careless first over, but he soon found his rhythm. After a short ball struck 17-year-old opener Ekansh Singh in the helmet during his second over, play was stopped so that he could undergo a concussion test. Singh flashed an edge in the next over but was easily caught at third slip.
During a tough stint that featured a lot of short stuff and the Sussex wicketkeeper taking the ball high above his head, Archer hit the other opener, Dawkins, on the hand in his fourth over. He and his Sussex teammates thought they had a catch strangled down the legside in his last over, but the umpire remained unimpressed. His term was soon over, and he departed the field.
Over the past four years, the 29-year-old has experienced ongoing discomfort due to ailments in his right elbow and back. However, he is part of England's team for the T20 World Cup in a month and the four-match series that begins on Wednesday at Headingley against Pakistan. He'll report on duty this Saturday night in Leeds.
This was a Second XI Championship match against youthful opponents, played in whites with a red ball, but based on his five-over stint for Sussex against Kent in the slumbering environs of Beckenham, he should be OK.
On the last day, Archer was substituted into the Sussex XI to bowl one stint to get ready for T20 cricket action. Kent needs to win by 282. He's been playing club cricket in his home island of Barbados for the past few weeks, but this was at a higher level.
Archer will only play white-ball cricket this season, according to England's plans. Despite making waves in the Test arena in 2019, he hasn't participated in a match since 2021. England intends to cautiously handle him until the 2025–2026 Ashes series. In their post-James Anderson world, they hope he can play a significant role.