Archer set for red-ball return with Sussex

Fast bowler Jofra Archer is in Sussex's squad to play Durham in the County Championship on Sunday, putting him in line for a long-awaited return to red-ball cricket.

Archer, 30, has not played a first-class match for more than four years after a series of injuries, most notably to his right elbow and back.

He has returned to the international fold in white-ball cricket but an appearance in the Division One fixture at Chester-le-Street would be a significant step, which England hope will lead to him playing Test cricket this year.

England selector Luke Wright said earlier this month that if Archer comes through the four days for Sussex he could be available for the second Test against India, which starts on 2 July at Edgbaston.

Having bowled the decisive super over in the World Cup final earlier that summer, Archer made a thrilling start to his Test career during the 2019 Ashes and was viewed as a generational talent.

He took 22 wickets at 20.27 across four Tests and bowled an electric spell to Steve Smith at Lord's, which resulted in the Australia batter retiring hurt after being hit in the neck.

Archer played a further nine Tests but has not featured in whites for England since the third Test in India in 2021.

He struggled with an issue in his right elbow on that tour and stress fractures in the joint have required multiple surgeries. He also suffered a stress fracture to his back in 2022.

He has not played any red-ball cricket since a County Championship match for Sussex against Kent in May 2021.

Archer missed the recent T20 and 50-over matches against West Indies with a minor thumb injury but he has otherwise come through 12 months of white-ball cricket unscathed, having returned for last year's T20 World Cup and featured at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

England have painstakingly managed his schedule over the past 12 months in the hope Archer, who can still reach speeds above 90mph, could yet play a significant role against India and then Australia in the Ashes this winter.

Earlier this week, Test captain Ben Stokes revealed Archer texted him about the possibility of playing in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge but instead, while Stokes' side play India in the first Test at Headingley, an eye will be kept on Archer when he does return in the north east.