England make thrilling start to first Test, with Potts and Anderson both impressing at Lord's
- Sean Fisher
- 2 June 2022
Matthew Potts enjoyed a stunning start to his England career, taking three wickets on his debut as New Zealand struggled to 39/6 at lunch on the first day.
Ben Stokes' England put on a relentless display against New Zealand, as James Anderson claimed figures of 2-5, Potts 3-8 and Stuart Broad 1-24 on a terrible morning for the tourists, where at one point they had scored just seven runs and were three wickets down.
Tom Latham and Will Young endured a terrible start to the Test, with the openers combining for just two runs before becoming victims of the returning Anderson.
On 2-2 after just 19 deliveries, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson wasn't able to slow the England advance, with the 31-year-old falling to debutant Matty Potts, who claimed his first Test wicket after just five deliveries.
The stuff dreams are made of! 👏
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 2, 2022
Match Centre: https://t.co/kwXrUr13uJ
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 | @MattyJPotts pic.twitter.com/5AQnLog2sR
Devon Conway also offered no respite for the tourists, with Stuart Broad marking his England return by taking the 30-year-old's wicket after a smart catch from Jonny Bairstow.
Daryl Mitchell was the next to face England's pressure at Lord's, and while he put up more resistance that those before him, he managed just 13 from 35 before Potts claimed his second wicket of the innings.
Having carried over his county form with Durham directly to the England side, Potts continued to grow in confidence and came close to claiming a third wicket with New Zealand on 36-5, with Tom Blundell requiring an LBW review to come to his rescue.
Oh Jonny Bairstow! 😱
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 2, 2022
Match Centre: https://t.co/kwXrUr13uJ
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 |@jbairstow21 pic.twitter.com/Rq89Opc31D
However, the tourists managed just one more run before Potts struck again, and this time Blundell had no escape. The 31-year-old batter left the field after reaching 14 from 39 deliveries.
Lord's rose to it's feet to give a standing ovation to the 23-year-old, who is truly relishing his chance in the side.
The only negative for England was Jack Leach's injury, after he was forced to leave the field following a heavy landing on his neck while trying to stop a boundary.
He was replaced by Harry Brook after just over half an hour of play, and England have since confirmed that Lancashire's Matt Parkinson will replace him in the squad.
