It had been 678 days since England had been able to call upon Jofra Archer and, so it felt, almost as long since they had seen the best of Jason Roy.
Here in Bloemfontein, twin waits came to an end, but a day that began with Archer’s return to action, and encompassed Roy’s emphatic return to form in the shape of an 11th international hundred, ended in defeat as South Africa claimed victory in a lively conclusion to the First One-Day International.
Roy’s 113 off 91 balls came in reply to another century from Rassie van der Dussen, but in being restricted to 298-for-seven, the Proteas appeared to have failed to take full advantage of a flat surface at Mangaung Oval. At 146 without loss and again at 196-for-three, the tourists looked well on top in the chase but a brilliantly hostile spell from Anrich Nortje turned the tide. England fluffed their lines and were skittled 28 runs short of victory as South Africa took a 1-0 lead in a series that is vital for their hopes of qualifying automatically for this year’s World Cup.
Even before he had become Nortje’s fourth and final victim, Archer’s return was not the one of which he would have dreamt, figures of one-for-81 his most expensive in ODI cricket, but both he and England must have the patience for the long game after so much time apart. For Roy, the sense of immediate jeopardy was far greater.
Dropped from England’s T20 side ahead of last year’s World Cup triumph amid a prolonged lean spell, it was true that the 32-year-old’s ODI returns - including a century in the Netherlands in July - had offered slightly less cause for alarm. But with opportunities to serve reminders of his ability in this format few and far between, the Surrey batter arrived in South Africa with serious questions over his place at the top of the order for the first time since making it his own.
Just three deliveries into his series, though, Roy was away, ball racing off the middle of bat and through midwicket for four, something telling you this might just be his day.
What followed was a knock of composure and aggression in equal parts, played with terrific tempo and a knack for the choosing of moments that can only come with having done this job for so long.
Aiden Markram tried to sneak an over of part-time off-spin at the end of the powerplay and was belted for six. A hundred-partnership with Dawid Malan was brought up hooking Nortje high over the ropes, too. When Tabraiz Shamsi overstepped, the resulting free-hit went the same way.
Having motored into the eighties, Roy’s charge was briefly put on hold as first Malan (59) fell and then both Ben Duckett and Harry Brook followed in successive overs, the latter trapped lbw for nought on debut, one of three scalps for the impressive Sisandra Magala.
On reaching his century, off just 79 balls, Roy almost hurled his shoulder out of its socket with an uppercut punch of the air in pent-up celebration. Nine months out from the World Cup, with rivals queuing up and in fine form in the world’s various franchise leagues, it was an innings that could not have been more timely. In hindsight, though, England could still have done with more.
A trip to India in October is also the goal for Archer, though, of course, there is the prospect of a Test return and Ashes series on the horizon before then, should all go to plan.
Buttler and Matthew Mott had each tried to temper expectations and Archer had declared himself only 80 per cent fit, but having seen the 26-year-old arrive back in competitive cricket with a wicket-maiden in his first over for MI Cape Town earlier this month, it was not difficult to get carried away.
In the end, though, Archer’s opening spell of five overs was simply solid, consistently reaching speeds in the high-eighties throughout without quite troubling the 90mph bracket that signals true express pace.
The major positive of Archer’s ten overs on comeback was the fact that he got through quite so many, though by the end it had clearly become something of a grind: a first international wicket in almost two years came in his final over, after the previous one had included two no-balls and cost 20.
Instead it was Sam Curran, the player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup late last year, who picked up where he left off in England colours, the pick of the bowlers as he took three-for-35 in nine overs, as well as a terrific diving catch to dismiss Temba Bavuma (36) and make the initial breakthrough after the Proteas skipper had won the toss and made a positive start to the powerplay alongside Quinton de Kock.
It is a measure of Curran’s standing now that, later, his dismissal felt like the moment English hopes disappeared. Quite why he slashed at the final ball of Kagiso Rabada’s spell, feathering behind, is anyone’s guess but eight-down with 33 still needed, the game was up.
