Box-office' Archer spell stirs 'relentless' England bowling display

Jofra Archer bowled the fastest opening spell of his Test career as England produced a relentless, high-quality bowling display on day two of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord\u2019s. <p><a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13578255/england-vs-pakistan-ollie-robinson-and-jofra-archer-skittle-visitors-as-joe-roots-side-take-261-run-lead-in-second-test">England skittled the visitors for 110 in their first innings</a>, with Ollie Robinson taking 4-11, Archer 3-26 and Josh Tongue 2-27, with Archer having set the tone with a blistering five-over burst before lunch that brought the opening breakthrough.</p><p>According to <em>CricViz</em>, Archer's opening spell averaged 90.7 mph, with the odd delivery touching 94 mph. He picked up the flat-footed Shan Masood caught behind as Pakistan limped to lunch at 16-2 after 14.1 overs of superb pace bowling.</p><widget id="2"></widget><ul><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13578255/england-vs-pakistan-ollie-robinson-and-jofra-archer-skittle-visitors-as-joe-roots-side-take-261-run-lead-in-second-test"><strong>Robinson and Archer star as England build big lead vs Pakistan</strong></a></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">Stream England cricket and more without a contract</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaLuBby1SWsvuBCrf53l">Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp for news and more</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/podcasts/36578/11933948/sky-sports-cricket-podcast">Listen to episodes of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast</a></strong></li></ul><p>"That was quality, high quality," England fast bowler Mark Wood enthused on <em>Sky Sports Cricket</em>. "If you want to come and watch international sport at its very best, this was it.</p><p>"England were relentless with their line and length and passed it on to the next bowler and the next. It was top quality.</p><p>"Pakistan didn't do a lot wrong but the scoreboard didn't go anywhere because they were under pressure.</p><p>"Archer was very fast and intimidating, he ran in hard and just kept getting quicker and quicker.</p><p>"You could almost feel how uncomfortable it was for the batters from the commentary box."</p> <widget id="1"></widget><p><em>Sky Sports Cricket</em>'s Nasser Hussain pointed to England's varied attack as adding an extra layer of difficulty for Pakistan.</p><p>Tongue struck twice either side of the lunch interval, with Abdullah Shafique (5) and Babar Azam (8) poking edges through to the wicketkeeper and third slip, respectively, while Robinson overturned a couple of 'not out' lbw decisions on field on his way to stunning figures of 4-11 from 13 overs.</p><p>He is now averaging a staggering 8.84 with the ball since his return to the Test team earlier this summer.</p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>"The challenge of facing this England bowling attack is the difference in paces, skills and angles," Hussain said.</p><p>"Robinson has a very high release point and is bang on the perpendicular, which allows him to get bounce.</p> <widget id="3"></widget><p>"Tongue is so far past the perpendicular, so that's why he finds angles to open the right-handers up and make them vulnerable to nicking off.</p><p>"And it was a box-office opening spell from Archer."</p><h3>Broad: No luck for Archer | Pacer jokes he could 'play until 40'</h3><p>Archer continued to prove a pest to Pakistan throughout the day, albeit without benefiting from a great deal of luck as he repeatedly threatened both edges of the bat - Azan Awais (46) playing and missing as many as 14 times to the quick.</p><p>He'd ultimately helped clean up the tail - Pakistan's final five wickets falling for just 19 runs - to finish with 3-26.</p><p>"He had no luck," former England seamer Stuart Broad said on <em>Sky Sports Cricket</em>. "He could have been walking away with a five-for today, Archer.</p> <widget id="5"></widget><p>"The pace, the skill, he swung and seamed the ball, while he also bowled a couple of beautiful bouncers.</p><p>"England have been brilliant with the ball. We know this pitch is moving, but you've still got to get the ball in the right areas and threaten, and England, to a man, were on the money.</p><p>"They were relentless, they gave no free, cheap boundaries away. It looked a really impressive bowling unit."</p><p>Archer, meanwhile, believes a lack of luck has been a recurring theme for him of late.</p><p>"I haven't had luck for a few weeks now but when you are bowling you have to hang in there because when wickets come, they come in buckets," he told <em>Sky Sports Cricket</em>.</p> <widget id="6"></widget><p>"With Azan today, I have never seen someone play and miss so many balls and not get out, so whatever he did, fair play to him."</p><p>Archer, feeling fresh, added: "It is nice having extra seamers in the line-up. Everybody is fit and firing and every day it will be someone else's turn.</p><p>"I bowled 12 overs today; in the last game I bowled nine, so it's unbelievable.</p><p>"I can probably play until 40 at this rate!"</p><p><strong>Watch day three of England's second Test match against Pakistan at Lord's live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15pm on Saturday. 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