Ashes 2019: Archer to play Second XI game ahead of Lord's Test
Jofra Archer will play a three-day Second XI fixture for Sussex next week as he looks to get overs under his belt ahead of the second Ashes Test.
Archer was left out of England's team for the series opener against Australia at Edgbaston, having battled a side strain during the successful Cricket World Cup campaign.
However, the Barbados-born paceman is expected to be handed a Test debut later in the Ashes and the chances of Archer featuring at Lord's, which hosts the second match from August 14, appeared to increase on Thursday when James Anderson suffered a fresh injury blow.
Anderson bowled only four overs on the first morning of the opening Test before he was sent for a scan due to "tightness" in his right calf, a muscle he tore last month.
While Anderson's future availability has been placed in doubt, Archer will play for Sussex versus Kent in the Vitality Blast 20-over competition on Friday, before switching to red-ball action for the club's seconds against Gloucestershire from Tuesday to Thursday.
See you tomorrow, @JofraArcher!
The World Cup winner will be available for tomorrow night's @VitalityBlast match against Kent Spitfires:
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) August 1, 2019
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Olly Stone and Sam Curran are the other pace bowlers in England's initial Test squad who missed out on selection at Edgbaston. They have also been released to play for Surrey and Birmingham Bears respectively in the Vitality Blast on Friday.
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