Jofra Archer reflected on a "surreal" feeling after a "long road" back from injury following his six-wicket haul for England in Wednesday's ODI victory over South Africa.
The fast bowler has endured a torrid time with injuries across the last three years and had not featured for England in any format since March 2021, before the white-ball series against the Proteas.
Archer managed just one wicket for 81 runs on his long-awaited return as England succumbed to a 27-run opening defeat on Friday in Bloemfontein.
The 27-year-old was rested as South Africa wrapped up the ODI series with a five-wicket win in the second encounter, but helped England avoid a 3-0 whitewash in the last clash.
He took 6-40, the third-best bowling figures for England in an ODI, as England cruised to a 59-run victory after Jos Buttler paved the way with a dominant 131 in the first innings.
"It is good being back. It has been a long road," Archer said after his maiden five-wicket haul in 50-over international cricket.
"This is a small tick but I want to see how I am in April, June, July and September.
"Being back after however many weeks, months it is kind of surreal. This is just the first series, there is loads of time to get the fine-tuning done."
A fearsome pace-bowling display reinvigorated memories of the 2019 Cricket World Cup victory and the Ashes series in the same year when Archer caused Australia problems with his aggressive style.
"He is like gold dust," former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports. "He is so valuable for English cricket and world cricket.
"What I took today, was not just his class and wicket-taking potential, but what I've missed is just the effortless grace he has."
Archer will head to the Indian Premier League to test his T20 credentials before returning to train for the upcoming Ashes series with Australia, which starts on June 16.
Former England captain Michael Atherton wants the star bowler to be managed carefully, though, with his previous injuries remaining a concern.
"Back and elbow are absolutely critical so there would have been some doubt there about whether he would get back," Atherton told Sky Sports.
"He's got some way to go yet to show he can do it across formats and then cope with an ever-demanding schedule but it was a wonderful day for him."
Cornwall takes four as Leewards takes lead over Guyana at Providence
Rahkeem Cornwall took four wickets as the Leeward Islands Hurricanes shot out Guyana Harpy Eagles for 122 at Providence on the opening day of their match at Providence. At stumps, the Leewards were 133-5, a lead of 11.
Opener Matthew Nandu was the top scorer for Guyana as Cornwall took 4-27 while Javier Spencer 2-35 and Colin Archibald 2-27.
In reply, opener Kieran Powell and Keacy Carty shared in a second-wicket partnership of 69 but after Kevin Sinclair dismissed Powell for 35, the Leewards slipped from 73-2 to 84-4 with Carty and Devon Thomas losing their wickets to Veersammy Permaul for 23 and two, respectively.
Anthony Adams was dismissed by Anthony Adams for 10 with the Leewards still 18 runs behind.
Howeverm Jahmar Hamilton (35) and Kofi James (9) took the Leewards beyond Guyana’s score and have so far put on 29 for the sixth wicket when play concluded for the day.
Permaul has so far taken 2-31.
Hinds and Phillips repel Scorpions bowling to make 302; Scorpions 5-1 at stumps
Terrance Hinds and Anderson Phillip each scored crucial half-centuries to rescue Trinidad and Tobago Red Force from 119-7 to 302 all out against the Jamaica Scorpions at Torouba on Thursday. At stumps, the Scorpions had already a lost a wicket with only five runs on the board.
Trinidad were in trouble on 119-7 with only Tion Webster (30) and Joshua Da Silva (39) making useful contributions against the bowling of Marquino Mindley, Ojay Shields and Derval Green doing the early damage.
However, Hinds and Bryan Charles began the fightback with a 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket which took the Red Force to 185 when Charles was dismissed for only nine. A bigger partnership was to follow between Hinds and Phillip, who put on exactly 100 for the ninth wicket.
Hinds, who looked certain to make a hundred, was eventually dismissed for 94 by Shields who finished with 2-72.
Phillips and Shannon Gabriel took the score past 300 before Jeavor Royal dismissed Gabriel for 10, leaving Phillips unbeaten on 63.
Green took 3-56, Royal 2-60 and Mindley 2-56.
Phillip dismissed Tevin Gilzene for one to close out the day.
Jordan's 5-44 restricts Windward Islands Volcanoes to 237 despite Athanaze, Walcott half-centuries
Alick Athanaze and Tevyn Walcott both scored half-centuries but Akeem Jordan’s five-wicket haul restricted the Windward Islands Volcanoes to a first-innings score of 237 on the opening day of their fifth-round West Indies Championship match against Barbados Pride at Queens Park Oval on Thursday.
At stumps, Barbados were 48-0, trailing by 189 runs.
Athanaze, who has been in good form all season, scored 59 while rescuing the Volcanoes from a tenuous 17-3. He and Sunil Ambris added 47 for the fourth wicket. Ambris was trapped lbw by Roshon Primus for 28 after Windwards Islands Volcanoes recovered somewhat to 64-4.
Athanaze was to feature in another solid partnership, this time 98 with Walcott for the fifth wicket that added further stability to the score. However, Akeem Jordan who earlier picked up the wickets of openers Kimani Melius for a duck and Johann Jeremiah for 11, snapped up the wickets of Walcott for 55 and then Athanaze for 59 as the Windwards slipped to 164-6.
Primus made it 166-7 when he dismissed Larry Edward for one.
After Jordan dismissed Kenneth Dember for six and Jomel Warrican removed Sherman Lewis for nine, Ryan John and Preston McSween added 31 before Warrican ended John’s resolute innings for 41.
Jordan returned figures of 5-44 with Primus supporting with 2-44 and Warrican 2-57.
At the close, Barbados were 48-0 with Zachary McCaskie and Sheyne Moseley, the batsmen at the crease on 21 and 26, respectively.
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