Playing for Wildey, Archer claimed 5-7 as ESA Field Pickwick were skittled for 61. Archer’s spell consisted of eight overs and contained three maidens. The Wildey team also featured Zachary Macaskie, who has been in West Indies’ Test squad but is yet to make his international debut. He made 34 as Wildey built to 112-1 in reply.

Archer has struggled significantly with injury since his breakout debut summer in an England shirt in 2019. A series of setbacks, the latest being a recurrent elbow stress injury, kept Archer off the park for the entirety of 2022 and limited him to just seven England appearances in a stretch of over three years.

England have been careful with managing his return to action this summer, with Archer playing a full part in their failed T20 World Cup title defence, but regularly rested outside of that competition. He is also yet to play a first-class game since May 2021, with his last Test coming in February of that year.

While the game in Barbados is a three-day game played with a red ball, it does not have first-class status, but this is a step on the road to recovery nonetheless.

This isn’t Archer’s first appearance in Barbados club cricket in recent years. He turned out for Foundation, his old school team, in December 2023, to the surprise of England men’s managing director Rob Key, who learned of the development during a press conference called to discuss England’s Test squad picked to tour India.

Archer was born in Barbados and regular travels there to visit his family. He played for West Indies Under-19 before making the switch to England, following a lengthy qualification process.

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