Jofra Archer was delighted to prove he is more than just pace after a skilful six-wicket showing that sliced through Australia’s batting and left England on the front foot in the third Ashes Test.
Archer’s maiden five-wicket haul in his second Test was the highlight of a stop-start opening day in Leeds. The tourists were bowled out for 179 in 52.1 overs after Joe Root won the toss under leaden skies.
When Archer trapped Nathan Lyon lbw in the final over of the day to wrap up proceedings, he strode off the field with the match ball held aloft and figures of six for 45 – the best by an England bowler against Australia at Headingley since Bob Willis helped to level a similar 1-0 scoreline in 1981.
Archer said: “I’m over the moon to get six wickets. I guess these are the things you train for. If you train hard in the game you should be rewarded eventually. [And] I don’t need to run in and bowl 90mph every spell to get wickets. It’s shown that today.”
On his new status as a crowd favourite, Archer said: “The support is heartwarming. Whenever I walk to my mark everyone cheers. When we get a wicket there’s even more support. It’s nice to feel welcomed and appreciated.”
Archer was certainly right to highlight his shrewd use of helpful conditions, putting in a performance that stood in stark contrast to the breakneck speeds witnessed at Lord’s given he only occasionally felt the need to breach 90mph.
It was needed too as England risked squandering the conditions. In a sloppy hour after the delayed tea Root’s side shipped 79 runs in 13 overs, half-centuries from David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne moving Australia to a troubling score of 136 for two. But when Archer had Warner caught behind for a dogged 61 – the opener’s first double-figure score of the series – it sparked a dramatic collapse in which Australia lost their final eight wickets for just 43 runs. Stuart Broad bowling Travis Head with a seaming beauty was arguably the standout.
Warner said: “That’s incredible Test bowling. Joe won the toss, looked upstairs and they used that very well. As a left-hander, Stuart Broad is going to challenge you and it’s same with Jofra. It’s like [South Africa’s] Dale Steyn with the new ball – you use the conditions and then ramp it up when you need to. It was world-class bowling at its best.”
Warner was also full of praise for Labuschagne, whose 74 made it consecutive half-centuries for the right-hander since replacing the concussed Steve Smith on the final day of the Lord’s Test. Ben Stokes finally breached his defence, with a full toss striking him plumb in front.
Warner said: “I thought Marnus was outstanding with his discipline. Coming here and playing county cricket for Glamorgan, scoring runs and knowing where his off stump is, has paid off. He’s got a lot of fight in him and it was great to talk through our innings out in the middle.”
England have announced that Jimmy Anderson will play another second XI game for Lancashire next week as he looks to prove his fitness for the fourth Ashes Test at his home ground, Old Trafford, that begins on 4 September.
The 37-year-old, who pulled up lame with a recurrence of a calf injury on the opening morning of the first Test at Edgbaston, bowled nine overs in a friendly against Leicestershire in Liverpool at the start of the week under the watchful eye of Ben Langley, England’s lead physiotherapist.
Anderson, who rejoined his England teammates at Headingley on Thursday, reported no problems after a light workout that brought two wickets and will now turn out in a four-day friendly against Durham 2nd XI at Chester Boughton Hall CC from Tuesday.