Ashes 2019: England pacer Jofra Archer left bemused by 'terrible' Australia banter at Headingley

Sport360 staff 17:19 30/08/2019
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  • England pacer Jofra Archer.

    England pacer Jofra Archer was left bemused by some ‘terrible’ Australian banter in the third Ashes Test at Headingley where the hosts prevailed dramatically by one wicket.

    Archer was the eighth England batsman to be dismissed in the second innings at Headingley after his attempted slog found Travis Head on the boundary ropes. England will still quite a distance away from a win at that stage before Stokes pulled off a blinder of an all-time great innings to steal victory.

    Looking back on the dramatic Test, Archer revealed that the Australians’ attempt to sledge him after his dismissal had only elicited a laughter from his end.

    “It was terrible chat. Nothing to worry about. It made me laugh,” Archer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

    “It was either Tim Paine or Matthew Wade but someone said ‘that is a great shot Jof’.

    “You should never get complacent … the crowd started getting on their backs and I think they panicked a bit.”

    Joe Denly registered his first fifty of the series to give England hope.

    Joe Denly registered his first fifty of the series to give England hope.

    Another Englishman to receive plenty of chat from the Aussie players at Headingley was Joe Denly. The England top-order batsman finally converted a start into a half-century in the second innings at Leeds but not before he copped a few sledges from the visitors.

    “When you first go out there, the Aussies are always in your face talking to you. Trying to get you to nibble,” Denly told KentOnline after the match.

    “They were calmly explaining to me that Joe Root would want to bat at No.4 in the next game because he hasn’t done too well at three. That I’m only playing because Joe has to try to fit me in the batting order somewhere.

    “If they don’t get you out in the first two or three overs, they go a bit quiet. They were certainly getting a bit nervous as the partnership developed.”

    The two Englishmen can expect the ‘banter’ on the field to resume when the penultimate and pivotal Ashes Test gets underway at Old Trafford on September 4. The series is currently locked at 1-1 after Stokes’ extraordinary heroics at Headingley thwarted Australia’s hopes of retaining the urn.

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