Jofra Archer was a special guest at England training on Friday, linking up with the team ahead of their ODI series decider against the West Indies in Barbados.
There is no timescale on the fast bowler’s return from the latest injury setback that scotched faint hopes of a World Cup berth, but he has been rehabilitating on the island where he was born and raised.
Archer shook hands with head coach Matthew Mott and director of men’s cricket Rob Key, who has joined England in Barbados, after arriving at the Kensington Oval before some gentle drills in the nets.
He started bowling gently on the outfield before increasing his intensity as the session progressed, although England have made plain they would not be taking any risks with the player.
The 28-year-old has not played competitively since May, ruled out of the Ashes by a recurrence of a stress fracture in a right elbow that has caused persistent problems since his breakout year in 2019.
He reported soreness in the joint during a brief stint in Mumbai after being named by England selector Luke Wright as their only “travelling reserve” for the World Cup, returning home shortly afterwards.
The premium England place on Archer was underlined when he received a two-year central contract in October, despite being unavailable for the past three World Cups and two Ashes series.
Key, who also joined England in Barbados, stated last month Archer would need building up again, adding: “Elbows, from what everyone says, are a tricky part of the body that you don’t want to get wrong.”
Archer will remain in Barbados once England head for Grenada next week but his presence was a welcome boost as they look to build on the momentum gained from levelling the ODI series in Antigua.
In two matches so far, Phil Salt and Will Jacks have got England off to excellent starts with half-century opening partnerships, both off 5.4 overs, taking the attack to the Windies bowlers.
The pair have followed the blueprint first adopted by Jason Roy and Alex Hales then Jonny Bairstow – although Salt, by his own estimation, is yet to cash in after getting out for 45 and 21.
“I enjoy batting with Will,” Salt said. “It’s not just about getting off to a flyer by hitting a boundary but rotating strike. He’s probably the best partner I’ve batted with in white-ball cricket.
“When myself and Will were coming through, we understood that this is the way that you have to play if you want to play for England. More than anything it’s second nature. The clues of success are in there.
“I feel like we’re yet to go on with it and really bang them to rights outside of the powerplay. When that happens, it will be entertaining to watch.”
Salt did not receive an England central contract but “didn’t expect the call”. Asked if he had any communication from Key, Salt added: “I’ve got a couple of ‘well batted’ texts, that’s about it.”
Salt has extra motivation for wanting to end the series with a flourish, having spent six years of his childhood in Barbados.
He was nine when his property-developer father uprooted the family from Bodelwyddan in north Wales to the Caribbean island, where the now 27-year-old’s attention shifted from football to cricket.
“I love it,” Salt added. “It’s a very special place for me. I love being here and playing here. Hopefully I can put on a bit of a show.”
England could make bowling changes for their third ODI in seven days but the temptation might be to stick with the same team that recorded a six-wicket win at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday.
Windies A end Nepal tour with six wicket defeat; top five-match series 3-2
West Indies A concluded their tour of South Asia on a losing note, as they were handed a six-wicket beating by Nepal in the final encounter of a five-match T20 series at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on Saturday.
Despite the loss, the Caribbean side topped the series 3-2, but had very little to celebrate, as they failed to really put together a dominant collective display. Instead, the series win was lined with individual performances, namely from captain Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze, as well as stellar efforts from Gudakesh Motie and Obed McCoy with the ball.
It was more of the same in the curtain call contest, where Athanaze’s unbeaten 29-ball 42 and Chase’s 33 off 23 balls, were the highlight of the West Indies A innings, which ended at 172-7, after they opted to take first strike.
Sagar Dhakal (3-17) and Sompal Kami (3-16) did the damage for Nepal with the ball.
In reply, Nepal, courtesy of half-centuries from Aasif Sheikh (51) and Anil Sah (58), easily got to their target with seven balls to spare.
McCoy led West Indies A bowlers with 3-36.
Scores: West Indies A 172-7 (20 overs); Nepal 173-4 (18.5 overs)
After losing opener Kushal Bhurtel (13) to McCoy in the second over, Nepal had very little trouble fending off West Indies A’s bowling attack, as Sheikh and Sah put together a 96-run second wicket stand, which laid the platform for the victory.
Wicketkeeper Sheikh smashed two fours and five sixes in his 35-ball knock, while Sah had four fours and four sixes in his 58 off 45 balls.
Even when that partnership was eventually broken by McCoy, who removed Sheikh in the 14th over, the host remained in firm control, and the win was inevitably wrapped up by Kushal Malla, who struck three fours and three sixes in a brisk unbeaten 18-ball 37.
Earlier, West Indies A lost their top order in the eighth over with just 60 runs on the board, as Johnson Charles (24), Kadeem Alleyne (11) and Mark Deyal (11), all failed to repel the attack of Dhakal’s slow left-arm orthodox spin.
Chase, who struck five boundaries in his 23-ball 33, and Athanaze, who had one four and three maximums, tried to repair the damage with a 40-run fourth wicket stand, before the former fell in the 14th over.
Matthew Forde, with a 12-ball cameo of 23, including three sixes, added some impetus to the innings, but when he fell to Kami, West Indies A lucked out, as the right had medium fast bowler also removed Fabian Allen (three) and Motie (one) in quick succession.
Athanaze and Hayden Walsh (seven) were left not out.
West Indies win fifth T20I by eight wickets to secure 4-1 series victory
The West Indies Women defeated hosts Pakistan by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Friday to complete a 4-1 series victory.
Pakistan, after being put in to bat by the West Indies, had an excellent start to their innings with Ayesha Zafar and Sidra Ameen putting on 38 for the first wicket before Zafar fell in the fifth over for 22.
Ameen and Muneeba Ali then put on a further 46 before the latter fell for 25 in the 13th over.
That same over saw Pakistan reduced to 86-3 when Nida Dar fell for two.
What proceeded that can only be described as a collapse as the hosts then lost their next five wickets for just 35 runs in five overs.
They eventually ended their 20 overs 134-8. Ameen was the final person out for a top score of 48 as Afy Fletcher was excellent with the ball for the Windies with 3-17 from her four overs.
Qiana Joseph also bowled well with 2-26 from four overs.
The successful chase was then anchored by superstar batter Hayley Matthews.
The skipper faced 59 balls and hit 11 fours on her way to a top score of 78 as the West Indies needed just 18.2 overs to reach 136-2.
Shemaine Campbelle provided good support with 33.
Matthews was named player of the series thanks to her 205 runs and seven wickets.
Full scores: Pakistan 134-8 off 20 overs (Sidra Ameen 48, Muneeba Ali 25, Ayesha Zafar 22, Afy Fletcher 3-17, Qiana Joseph 2-26)
West Indies 136-2 off 18.2 overs (Hayley Matthews 78, Shemaine Campbelle 33)
IPL: Iyer and Starc boost Kolkata's top-two hopes after Mumbai win
Venkatesh Iyer starred with 70 for Kolkata Knight Riders before Mitchell Starc's four-wicket haul eased his side to a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
The Knight Riders only managed to post 169 at Wankhede Stadium as Iyer and Manish Pandey (42) were the only Kolkata batters to pass 15 runs on Friday.
Nuwan Thushara registered figures of 3-42 and Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets for just 18 runs as Kolkata limped to a target that appeared somewhat reachable for Mumbai.
Yet Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Naman Dhir all failed to get going in response for the Indians before Suryakumar Yadav's 35-ball 56 promised a tense ending.
However, Andre Russell forced Suryakumar to launch a full toss into the sky for a simple Phil Salt catch – with the West Indian one of three Kolkata bowlers to collect two wickets, along with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy (both 2-22).
Suryakumer's dismissal teed up Starc's three-wicket blitz to end the innings with 4-33, moving the Knight Riders up to second in the table as Tim David's quickfire 24 proved redundant for Mumbai.
Data Debrief: Iyer the hero as Mumbai play-off hopes stunted
Having been reduced to 57-5 in the first innings, Iyer stood up with his season-best 70 off just 52 balls – including six fours and three maximums – guiding Kolkata to a commendable target.
This defeat left Mumbai ninth in the table, some six points adrift of the play-offs with just three games remaining – they may live to rue not capitalising on a promising first-innings position.
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