The 27-year-old’s first over was a wicket maiden,Wihan Lubbe caught at mid-off off the top edge. His second,thanks to Buttler,went for 13.

Returning at the death Archer bowled two more overs dismissing David Miller and,with a slower ball,Ferisco Adams.

“Amazing,amazing,” MI Cape Town’s captain,Rashid Khan,said. “After having that long gap that comeback is absolutely delightful to watch.

“It’s so great,he’s back in full rhythm. It was super great to watch,especially being on the field with him and not against him.”

Archer is expected to play one more match for Cape Town before joining up with Buttler’s ODI side for a three-match series against South Africa later this month.

England will manage his workload carefully with this year’s Ashes very much the target.

With 42 wickets at 31 apiece Archer’s Test record isn’t,in truth,that impressive. But the effect his raw pace has belies those numbers.

With five Tests in less than seven weeks England clearly would not risk Archer playing them all,but if they can rotate him and the equally rapid Mark Wood they could have real pace options in each match.

Further encouragement for England was provided in the same match by Olly Stone,another quick capable of bowling at 145km/h who has suffered back injury. Stone,who will join Jimmy Anderson,Stuart Broad,Matthew Potts and Ollie Robinson on next month’s tour of New Zealand,clean bowled Dane Vilas and Buttler as he collected two for 31.

AAP withPA

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