[Watch] Jofra Archer bowls an unplayable in-swinger during County Championship 2nd XI match

England speedster Jofra Archer took a small step in returning to professional cricket as he featured for the Sussex XI in County Cricket's 2nd division. In the clip on social media, the Barbadian bowled a hooping in-swinger that a right-handed batter struggled to deal with.

The County Championship's official handle on X posted the clip as Archer sent down an unplayable in-swinger to the right-hander. The batter tried to get the leg out of his way, but the ball hit the pad and the umpire raised his finger after the right-arm paceman appealed.

Watch the clip here:

Archer hasn't played for England since March 2023 and missed majority of action since 2020. At 24, Archer experienced a mercurial rise as he played a leading role in England's 2019 World Cup victory. He finished the tournament with 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 23.05.

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"Our plan is the T20 World Cup" - Robert Key hints at Jofra Archer's return

Robert Key. (Image Credits: Getty)

Speaking to the tailenders' podcast in January this year, England men's cricket's managing director Robert Key said they are looking to play Jofra Archer in the T20 World Cup 2024. The former middle-order batter has earmarked him to play an integral role in the event.

"Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly," Key said. "I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he'd never been away. I don't want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again. He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent."

England are the defending champions, having beaten Pakistan in the final of the 2022 edition. USA and West Indies will stage the 2024 T20 World Cup begins on June 1.