Overview

• Archer scored 31 off 34 balls at number 10 in his first first-class match since 2021 during Sussex’s County Championship clash with Durham.
• He claimed his first first-class wicket in over four years by trapping Durham opener Emilio Gay lbw on day two of the match.
• The ECB stepped in to confirm his inclusion after Sussex initially omitted him from their published 12-man squad list.
• Captain Ben Stokes and national selector Luke Wright have publicly backed Archer’s bid to feature in the second Test at Edgbaston.
• A fit and firing Archer could strengthen England’s pace attack after a four-year absence caused by recurring elbow and back injuries.