Jofra Archer to make red-ball return for Sussex in clash with Durham
Jofra Archer is set for a long-awaited return to first-class cricket in Sussex's Rothesay County Championship clash at Durham.
The England fast bowler's appearance in the Division One clash at the Banks Homes Riverside, starting on Sunday, will be his first red-ball outing in more than four years following a litany of injuries.
He was surprisingly absent when Sussex announced a 12-strong squad to travel to Chester-le-Street on their website, raising concerns the 30-year-old had suffered another frustrating injury setback.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board later clarified Archer was among Sussex's contingent for the contest.
It is the latest and arguably most important staging post in a carefully managed return to action, with the aim of preparing Archer for a Test comeback in England's marquee series against India this summer.
If Archer comes through unscathed at Chester-le-Street, he may be primed for the third Test at Lord's – where he has plenty of history – from July 10-14, having earned the last of his 13 caps in February 2021.
Archer bowled England to victory in the 2019 World Cup final at the home of cricket, where he began his Test career weeks later in the 2023 Ashes, engaging in a gripping duel with Australia's Steve Smith.
How highly he is regarded by England has been underlined by him being on a full central contract since then, despite stress reactions in his elbow and back limiting him to ODIs and T20s in recent years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso endures nightmare comeback after six-month injury lay-off as he is SENT OFF for a horror tackle in damaging blow to his Lions hopes - as England squander 12-point lead to lose against France
Manny Feyi-Waboso endured a nightmare return to rugby as he was sent off and saw England blow a 12-point lead to lose to France. The Exeter Chiefs flier, back on a pitch for the first time in six months after shoulder surgery, caught France fly-half Antoine Hastoy with a neck-high tackle half an hour into the Twickenham friendly. British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell had hinted he could add Feyi-Waboso to his tour party, but that looks unlikely after the yellow card initially shown to the 22-year old was upgraded to red. England co-captain George Ford said: 'It's all pretty raw right now for Manny so it's hard to say anything to him other than try to keep his head up 'You just want to get around him and support him. What will be will be with the disciplinary process.' Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, refused to prejudge the matter, which will be decided on Sunday by a disciplinary panel. On Monday he names his 36-man tour squad for the three-Test tour to Argentina and the United States and is keen as mustard to have available a player who burst onto the international al scene with five tries in his first eight Tests. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's tackle. #ENGvFRA — Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) June 21, 2025 England's concerns run deeper than the fate of one player. Having given the French a 12-point head start they had the game in the bag when leading by the same margin with five minutes to go. 'When you're 24-12 up you need to be better to see the game out,' said Ford. England must learn fast as they face the Pumas on Saturday week in the first of back to back Tests against a nation celebrating its historic defeat of the Lions.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's horror hit defines England's frustrating day and poses further questions
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been in a race against time to make it to Australia with the British and Irish Lions but any lingering hopes of that ended with a red card in an England XV defeat to a France XV at Allianz Stadium. Sidelined for six months with a dislocated shoulder he suffered against Sale in December, the winger was looking to make up for lost time in his first game back but instead produced a horror high tackle on Antoine Hastoy in the first half of the 26-24 loss. His lack of game time had effectively ended any hopes of a Lions call-up, but with a strong showing here and on England's tour of Argentina, there were hopes that the 22-year-old might make a case for being next in line in case of injury. Steve Borthwick said before the game that Feyi-Waboso had been 'full of enthusiasm and full of energy' ahead of his return to action. And yet in the half-hour he had on the pitch, the rust was obvious. A minute in he knocked the ball on in the French in-goal area when it seemed he would make a dream comeback. Another knock-on followed midway through the first half before the key moment of the match. After a grubber through that he was never going to be able to chase down, the Exeter winger raced to try to close down Hastoy. In a rush of blood he leapt and caught the La Rochelle fly half clear around the neck in the sort of old-fashioned clothesline tackle that has been eradicated from the game. Even in the era of bunker reviews and 20-minute red cards, this should have resulted in instant permanent exclusion. Instead, Feyi-Waboso was shown a yellow card which was quickly upgraded to red, with England down to 14 for 20 minutes rather than 50. He will face a disciplinary hearing that will surely result in a ban that would keep him out of at least the Argentinian portion of England's summer tour, with Borthwick admitting the winger was distraught at the incident. 'He's gutted,' said Borthwick. 'You all know Manny. He's a good guy who tries his heart out. We'll all get round him and find out the situation in the next 24 hours.' Away from the red card, there were positives for Borthwick to take, as his side overcame an early 12-0 lead to take control of the game. They managed 24 unanswered points in front of the 34,129 supporters at a humid Allianz Stadium. But late tries from Guillaume Marchand and Romain Taofifenua ensured it was France's day, Hastoy converting with the clock in the red to earn a small measure of revenge for the one-point defeat they suffered here during the Six Nations. After Feyi-Waboso's early knock-on, it was France who struck first, Gaetan Barlot taking advantage of consecutive maul penalties to force his way over. Les Bleus made it 12-0 after a gliding run from the classy Theo Attissogbe, setting up Pau teammate Hugo Auradou, even if there looked to be a doubt over the grounding. England responded through Tom Willis from close range after some extended pressure, although George Ford, co-captain on the day, was fortunate to be awarded the conversion after the shot clock in the stadium had expired well before he put boot to ball. That was quickly followed by a try from Alex Coles as the French tackles started to slip off. Ford's conversion was just wide this time. Even with Feyi-Waboso seeing yellow then red, the home side were in the ascendancy and they hit the front on the stroke of half-time. Debutant Seb Atkinson juggled a ball in midfield causing the French defence to stutter. When he regathered and burst through, it seemed he would score himself but he ended up offloading to another newcomer, Joe Carpenter, for the third try. Leading 19-12 at the break, France looked to have levelled just before the hour-mark with a stunning try from Leo Berdeu's brilliant high-ball catch when Emilien Gailleton burst through a gap and sent Nolann Le Garrec over for a try. That was ruled out as Cameron Woki was spotted having connected with Jamie George's head at a ruck in the build-up – an incident missed by the officials and highlighted by the England co-captain. The fact that Woki's yellow card was later upgraded to red was a shock when compared to the Feyi-Waboso incident. England looked to be home and dry when Alex Dombrandt crashed over on the right with 20 minutes remaining, but they could not deliver the killer blow. Marchand's try from a rolling maul set up a grandstand finish, and after some late English indiscipline, the experienced Taofifenua forced his way over and Hastoy converted from in front. Having seen Argentina beat the Lions in Dublin on Friday night, England know the scale of the task that now awaits them in La Plata and San Juan. That challenge will now almost certainly be without one of their biggest X-factors.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Spain vs England live stream: How to watch Under-21 Euros quarter-final for FREE
ENGLAND take on Spain in a blockbuster Under-21 Euros quarter-final TONIGHT. Lee Carsley 's side had an underwhelming group stage, finishing second by the skin of their teeth with four points. 2 2 England 's only win in Group B came in their tournament opener - an emphatic 3-1 triumph against the Czech Republic. A 0-0 draw with Slovenia followed, before a 2-1 defeat to group winners Germany capped off the opening round. Carsley will want an improved performance against pre-tournament favourites Spain this evening. Santi Denia's side topped Group A after picking up two wins and one draw. The Three Lions will be hoping for a repeat of the 2023 final, where they beat the Spaniards to lift the trophy for a third time. How to watch Spain U21 vs England U21 FREE England's Under-21 Euros quarter-final against Spain will be available to watch on Channel 4 in the UK. You can live stream the match via Channel 4's official website/app. Jules Breach will be on presenting duties while former England pair Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe will provide punditry. England's Under-21 Euros squad in FULL ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia. Here is Lee Carsley's full squad for the blockbuster tournament: Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City) Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool) Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth) Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
