Still suffering from injury, however, Roston Chase will soon compete with Jofra Archer for the on-the-way 3 Test series between England and West Indies. It will not, by the way, be the first time that these 2 cricketers appeared to be the competitors of each other in England.
Five years ago, Chase and Archer both took part in a club cricket within the Sussex Premier League. Chase, at that time was playing for Cuckfield, had already succeeded in playing for the first-class cricket of Barbados and also a couple of months earlier had just earned two half-centuries for the West Indies Board President’s XI, defeated Michael Clarke’s Australia in a tour match in Antigua.
Archer, who is 3 years younger than Chase, at that time was playing for Middleton-on-Sea, still on it’s way to make his first-class debut for Sussex when they met for a one-day game in July 2015 at Middleton’s Sea Lane ground. “I do remember the game we played against Jofra,” Chase said. “He got five wickets, he got me out.”
Taking the new ball, Archer reduced Cuckfield, who had won the toss and decided to bat, to five for eight, an opening burst which included pinning Chase LBW first ball. After six overs, however, Archer pulled up injured. “Things became so much easier for us,” Chase said. “We ended up getting a big total and we ended up winning the game quite easily.
“I knew Jofra [already]. I did play against him in the league in Barbados. He was quite young though, playing for the Barbados youth combined schools team. He was always a good talent but he was not always that fast. He had some pace but he wasn’t as rapid as he is now.”
Chase scored four half-centuries in 14 matches for Cuckfield but only averaged in the mid-20s with the bat. Nevertheless, he credits his spell in Sussex with toughening him up.