Jofra Archer takes three wickets on long-awaited return to cricket

Jofra Archer took three for 27 on his return to action for the first time since July 2021. Photograph: Ron Gaunt/Sportzpics/SA20

It took three deliveries for Jofra Archer to remind the world of his wicket-taking abilities, as England’s injury-plagued fast bowler returned to competitive cricket after an absence of 541 days in the opening game of South Africa’s new domestic Twenty20 competition, the SA20.

Archer took three wickets for 27 runs in his four overs as part of a three-pronged English bowling attack for MI Cape Town as they won by eight wickets against a Paarl Royals side that included Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan.