HOVE, England, CMC – Outstanding Jofra Archer once again pressed home his all-rounder credentials as he smashed a high class half-century to help Sussex take command of their Division Two County Championship match against Durham here yesterday.
Playing on day three, the hosts amassed a massive 668 all out in their first innings, after resuming the day on 452 for four, with the right-handed Archer striking 70 off 68 deliveries to complete his third half-century in his 10th first class match.
South African Stiaan va Zyl, resuming on 141, added only eight runs before perishing in the day’s fourth over but wicketkeeper Michael Burgess with 76 and then Archer, helped propel Sussex past the 600-run mark.
The 22-year-old Archer, who took a five-wicket haul in Durham’s first innings of 287, was at his entertaining best, belting six fours and five sixes as he put on 80 for the last wicket with Danny Briggs who finished 18 not out.
Barbadian Archer, who hit an unbeaten 60 against Kent last month in his second game of the new County Championship, now has 223 runs from just three matches.
He then combined with Barbados-born England fast bowling all-rounder, Chris Jordan, and South African seamer Vernon Philander to reduce Durham to 90 for four in their second innings – still requiring a further 284 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
While he went wicket-less, Archer’s 11 overs were sent down with pace and hostility as he shared the new ball with Philander, in what proved a torrid period for Durham.
With the batsmen unsettled, Jordan cashed in first change to claim two for 22 while Philander ended with two for 27.
