Those who follow Jofra Archer on social media will know that if there’s one thing that he loves more than cricket, it’s playing Xbox.
So when it was announced that not one, but two new Xbox consoles would be released in November 2020, he was understandably keen to find a way he could get his hands on the coveted systems.
Taking to Twitter, he tweeted at the official Xbox UK account, asking how many wickets he would need to take in the 2020 season of the IPL to earn himself a console free of charge. They replied that he would need just one – that of Australia opener David Warner, a pantomime villain to English fans, and a player who had already had his share of run-ins with Archer.
The England quick may well have been delighted at the news, since he had emphatically claimed the upper hand in the duels between the pair. In five games played between the two in 2020 before the IPL, Archer had dismissed Warner on four occasions. In last summer’s Ashes, he got the pugnacious left-hander out three times, playing the perfect foil to Stuart Broad, who dismissed Warner seven times, and made sure Xbox were aware of the fact too.
Just @JofraArcher things 👊 pic.twitter.com/vp0nK67UVl
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 11, 2020
Come the first fixture between Archer and Warner’s respective sides – Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad – the speedster was in full flow, maintaining the best economy of any fast bowler in the competition. However, dot balls wouldn’t do the trick in this instance, and even as Archer bowled two fiery overs with the new ball, no wickets were forthcoming. Though he conceded only three runs from his first two overs, he was pulled from the attack to be saved for later.
As luck would have it, when Archer came back onto bowl, Warner was still batting, by now with his eye in. He seemed to have got off strike on the second ball of the over, only for Sanju Samson to misfield and allow Warner to come back for the second. Whether by design or fortune, Archer made SRH rue the extra run, comprehensively bowling Warner with the very next delivery. Not long after, the official Xbox UK account tweeted that Archer could direct message them his address.
okay @JofraArcher, DM us your address then
— Xbox UK (@xboxuk) October 11, 2020
Perhaps none of this should have come as a surprise. Even before his first interaction with Xbox UK, Archer had tweeted “New Xbox is secured”. And that’s the thing with Jofradamus: He just doesn’t miss.
