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Jofra Buttler peppers Jos Buttler in the nets as he rediscovers pace and rhythm ahead of fourth Test in Johannesburg

Jofra Archer peppered Jos Buttler in the nets - Getty Images Europe
Jofra Archer peppered Jos Buttler in the nets - Getty Images Europe

Jos Buttler suffered the blows in the nets that provided evidence Jofra Archer is back and in contention for an England return for the final Test against South Africa.

Archer bowled a quick spell at the Wanderers on Wednesday, looking sharper than at any other stage since his elbow injury flared up after the first Test in Centurion.

He was a different bowler from the one who cut a forlorn figure at nets in Port Elizabeth last week when he knew after bowling just half-a-dozen balls he would not be fit for the third Test.

But a week of rest and rehabilitation has worked and Archer is now ready to return to the England side, providing he does not suffer a further relapse over the next 24 hours.

It raises the prospect of pairing Mark Wood and Archer together for the first time in Test cricket which must be a tempting call for captain Joe Root given the Wanderers pitch is among the fastest in the world and England roughed up some South African batsmen with pace last week.

There was plenty of bounce and carry for Archer who bowled seven overs and struck Buttler a couple of blows on the body, and found his outside edge as well, in the nets adjacent to the pitch being prepared for Friday’s fourth Test.

Jofra Archer bowls quickly in the nets - Credit: getty images
Jofra Archer looked back to his 90mph best in the nets Credit: getty images

“Jofra bowled well today, bowled 6-7 overs, came in with really good rhythm and pace,” said Graham Thorpe, England’s batting coach. “So we’ll probably get a bit of back-up on it tomorrow. See how Mark Wood is. Obviously, Woody hasn’t played back-to-back Test matches for a while. I know he was a little sore at the end of the Test down in PE so we’ll see how he is. But hopefully we have a full set to pick from, that would be great. We have options. You might hear the five seamer option come out again but Dom Bess has done himself absolutely no harm the way he bowled down in PE. It’s great to see a spinner come into our team and bowl as well as he did.”

Wood was sore after Port Elizabeth where he bowled at his quickest, consistent pace in a Test match for England.

Port Elizabeth was his first game of red-ball cricket for nearly a year so England are unsure if he is strong enough to play consecutive Test matches over the course of a week.

They could rest him and recall Chris Woakes who also looked sharp in the nets. It all depends on whether England opt for five seamers and drop Bess for tactical reasons. If there is pace and carry for the seamers then there will also be bounce for the spinner too and South Africa’s batsmen looked to have significant technical problems against Bess and Root last week. If Bess plays then it will be a choice between Wood, Archer and Woakes for the last seam-bowling spot.

The nets session was arranged for those who did not play in Port Elizabeth but Buttler opted for an extra session given his recent run of low scores. While his other team-mates were playing golf, Buttler faced Archer in the nets and ran laps of the ground as he tries to work through his dip in form.

There have been suggestions that Archer is unhappy in England’s Test squad and struggling to adapt to the demands of the longer format.

Joe Root and Jofra Archer watch the net session - Credit: getty images
Joe Root (left) has made sure Jofra Archer feels included in the squad environment Credit: getty images

His injury was caused by a build-up of bowling. Known as “fast bowlers’ elbow”, the joint was swollen and painful which reduced his pace when he played in the first Test.

England are still getting to know Archer, a player who did not emerge through their own system, and Kevin Pietersen said this week in an interview that he fears English cricket could lose Archer if he is not made to feel more welcome. Root invited him to spend Christmas dinner with his family and Ben Stokes has also made an effort to make him feel included in the squad environment. Archer struck up a friendship with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid during the World Cup and their arrival next week with the one-day squad will lift him, as will playing on a fast, bouncy pitch at the Wanderers.

“From our perspective on the inside, we’ve felt we’ve managed Archer well,” said Thorpe. “We want to look out for Jofra. He’s very important. He’s had, what, eight months in international cricket, he’s done some amazing things for English cricket already so from my point of view and from the coaching staff’s point of view Jofra is an invaluable player in our team.”