Archer's welcome return gives battle of attrition a lift

At just before 2.45pm came the moment plenty at Lord’s had yearned for.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE AT LORD'S

The grand old ground looked resplendent in red as it showed its annual support for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, the scarlet on the shirts of the England players making names and numbers even more prominent. The members in the pavilion fixed their focus on the back of the man many had hoped to see; a clinking of glasses and warbling of throats to toast Jofra Archer’s most welcome return.

The famous facade and bright sun at his back, Archer began his languid approach. How he, and we, had wondered if this day would ever come; more than four years of recovery toil and injury turmoil between Test appearances, all of 18 first class overs amid the incidents and accidents. An easy decision might have been to step away, to content oneself with white-ball riches rather than the rigours of running in with a red – but Archer soon showed that it had all been worth it.

Ball one was tapped back gently; ball two nipped past the edge. Ball three extracted a helpless Yashasvi Jaiswal, caught at second slip; by ball four, Archer was touching 93mph. Lord’s, which can drift on days like these, was rapt. It had been from that same Pavilion End that Archer had shattered the serenity of Steve Smith on debut to continue his glorious summer of 2019 - here, at last, was hope that a Test story cut short has many more chapters to be written.