Carlton's Michael Archer has had a red-hot start to the cricket season.
A breakout season for Carlton in Victoria’s Premier Cricket League, a successful stint in England and an unplayable wrong-un have Tatura’s Michael Archer ready to razzle and dazzle his opposition this summer.
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After performing a match-winning role in Carlton’s miracle grand final victory in March — taking two key wickets late in the historic reverse outright win — Archer has carried his hot form into the start of the 2024-25 season.
The wily leg-spinner has taken seven wickets across his first two First XI matches, including a match-winning effort against Prahran where his 4-68 from 29 overs helped drag his True Blues over the line.
Archer’s arrows have been deadly accurate so far and there is growing belief that he could be a bullseye for state selectors.
However, Archer said he hadn’t considered himself playing professionally.
“If you had told me two years ago, I would be doing what I am doing now, I would have laughed at you,” Archer said.
“I am just happy playing at Carlton, to be honest.
“If something were to come of that it would be cool, but it is not something I think about all the time.”
When asked whether any conversations had been had with the higher-ups at Cricket Victoria, Archer had a quick response.
“Absolutely not,” he said with a laugh.
Archer has recently returned from playing a season in England for Farnsfield Cricket Club, located near Nottingham in the Midlands.
In the woods where the legend of Robin Hood roams, Archer and his quiver ran riot.
With the ball, the gun spinner took 70 wickets from 30 matches, (including a 7-20 effort) taking 28.46 per cent of his side’s poles for the season and five five-wicket hauls.
While not necessarily known for his work with the English willow, Archer still had a season to remember with the bat.
He struck 721 runs from 26 innings at an average of 37.95, had a high score of 78 not out and four 50s total.
Michael Archer enjoyed his time playing for Farnsfield Cricket Club in the UK.
Off the field, a trip to watch the darts with a few fellow Cricket Shepparton exports was a highlight of Archer’s time away, while on the field, he said a cricket tour with some of his teammates was a memorable experience.
“(Clubs in the region) do a cricket tour every year,” he said.
“They go down to like Devon and Somerset and play there — like a 5.5-hour drive from where we were.
“Down there is so pretty and the grounds we played on — near the beach — I loved that; it was so cool.
“It was fun playing in the UK, but the standard was not quite the same — I was a bit worried about how I was going to go coming back, but luckily it has been all right.
“I loved it, it was a really good club, it was similar to Tat in that it was that small community, everyone knew each other and were there to look after each other and it was a really good experience.”
Archer is now living in his hometown of Tatura, working as a casual relief teacher for St Augustine’s Primary School at Kyabram.
Enjoying his time back home, Archer said he often found himself spending his lunch breaks going through all the Tatura and Haisman Shield data and vision he can on the Play Cricket app.
“I always keep a pretty keen eye on how Tat have been going,” he said.
“The boys always get into me saying I am a massive cricket nuffie spending all my breaks on Play Cricket, but I am literally just checking out how Tat is going.
“It is good to see them have a bit of success to start the year and, hopefully, they can keep it going, because my last year it was still a similar group, with inclusions like (Daniel) ‘Coombsy’ and (Matthew) ‘Westy’ this year.
“I have been to training with them a few times because I have been living at home.
“Hopefully there will be some March cricket for them this year.”
Archer said he would once again suit up for Tatura for the T20 matches this summer.
