Liam Plunkett admits England will be a better side at the World Cup with Jofra Archer on board.

But he hopes his own performances are enough to prevent him being shunted aside in favour of the Sussex star.

Decision day is looming as selectors ponder their final 15 for the tournament.

Although a 19-over washout in the first one-day international against Pakistan barely moved the debate along, four overs of Archer was more than enough to strengthen his hand.

In a wonderful new-ball stint, the Barbados-born paceman doubled down on the positive first impressions he made in Malahide and Cardiff, moving the ball elaborately off the pitch, showcasing an impressive bouncer and bagging a thick edge to make Fakhar Zaman his first wicket on English soil.

The spell came at a grand cost of just six runs and with an average speed in excess of 90mph.

Increasingly, it seems unthinkable that he will not leapfrog one of the preliminary 15 before the May 23 deadline.

“With him in your squad, you’re going to be a better team,” said Plunkett, who took England’s other wicket before rain and hail forced an abandonment with the tourists 80-2 at the Kia Oval.

“He’s obviously a class act, he showed that today.

“He’s rocked up and bowled really nicely with pace, smashed the right areas, picked up a wicket in the first few overs and beat the left-hander on the outside edge.

“It’s always good to watch. It looks easy for him, he ambles in and bowls 93mph. It looks effortless.”

The idea that Archer will make the cut is fast becoming unanimous.