Jofra Archer does not bowl for Sussex on final two days of clash with Kent due to sore elbow

England fast bowler Jofra Archer could be an injury doubt for the Tests against New Zealand after a sore elbow stopped him bowling for Sussex on the final two days of their County Championship clash with Kent.

Archer was making his first competitive appearance since England's IT20 series against India in March having undergone surgery to remove a piece of glass from his hand.

The elbow injury is a longstanding issue for Archer and led to him missing two of England's Test matches in India earlier this year as well as games in South Africa at the start of 2020.

England's two-Test series against New Zealand starts at Lord's on June 2.

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Having taken two wickets in the first innings of the match at Hove, Archer bowled only five overs in Kent's second innings and, following some confusion, when Sussex captain Ben Brown seemed to want the 26-year-old England man to open the bowling from the Sea End on day three, he did not bowl at all on Saturday.

"I think there was some confusion about the state of Jofra's [right] elbow," Salisbury told reporters. "Ben thought he was going to bowl but his elbow was sore and there was confusion over that and he couldn't bowl.

"He wants to win games of cricket for Sussex, as does Ben. That's where his disappointment was.

"We're desperate to win this game against our local rivals. Ben is a passionate guy and he desperately wants to win this game for his team.

"You'll have to ask the ECB. Any time that Jofra can't bowl you're going to be frustrated as a leader, or as a team.

"But it happens. In sport people get injured. That's life. That's sport. He's still willing to be out there because he wants Sussex to win.

"They [the ECB] had to give him permission to play this game. He's not our player so they had to give permission."