Archer on verge of 50 wickets after helping Sussex seal win

LONDON, CMC – Barbadian all-rounder Jofra Archer closed in on 50 wickets in his first full season of English County cricket when he snatched a three-wicket haul to help Sussex crush Worcestershire by nine wickets inside three days here Tuesday.

Beginning the day on 231 for eight in their first innings – still 199 runs behind – Worcestershire were dismissed for 268 with Barbados-born England seamer Chris Jordan ending with four for 77 and Archer, two for 61.

Rain had earlier washed out the morning session.

Jofra Archer

Barbadian seamer Jofra Archer.

With the follow-on enforced, Worcestershire were bowled out a second time for 170 with Archer claiming three for 39 and South African pacer David Wiese snared three for 35.

It was Wiese’s burst which sent the hosts reeling to 66 for five at tea and Archer came at the back of the end to clean up, taking three of the last five wickets to fall.

Ed Barnard, who got a half-century in the first innings, returned to top-score with 46 in a 44-run, sixth wicket stand with Ben Cox who made 28.

Sussex then easily wiped off the nine required for victory to mark their fifth win in seven outings. They entered the game fifth in the standings but the win bumped them up to third in the Division Two.

Archer now has 49 wickets at an average of 21, and is by far his side’s leading wicket-taker for the campaign. An attacking lower order batsman, Archer has also scored 372 runs at an average of 37.