Matthew Potts bags three as England blitz New Zealand on opening morning

NEW ZEALAND TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2022

England ran rampant on the first morning of  the Test summer at Lord’s, as the new captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum enjoyed the perfect start in their efforts to resurrect the team’s fortunes. Four New Zealand wickets fell inside the first hour and six before lunch, as Kane Williamson’s decision to bat first quickly rebounded on the touring side.

If England began in Stokes’ words with a “blank canvas” at Lord’s, they soon daubing pretty pictures for an expectant crowd – and such a rousing start might help squeeze a few more in through the gates in the days to come. James Anderson and Stuart Broad, back in harness with the new ball after being dropped for the tour to the Caribbean, claimed three early wickets before Matthew Potts, the Durham debutant, struck with his fifth ball and added two more for good measure during an impressive first spell in Test cricket.

Only two of New Zealand’s top six made it into double-figures, a grim sequence which included Williamson making 2 from 22 balls before edging behind off Potts, Ben Foakes swooping to his right for his maiden dismissal behind the stumps on home soil. Daryl Mitchell struck three retaliatory boundaries through the leg side, only to play on in Potts’ fifth over and the new boy had a third shortly before lunch when bringing one back up the slope to clatter Tom Blundell’s off stump.

In true McCullum style, England charged headlong into their new era – literally, in the case of Jack Leach, who suffered a concussion when throwing himself full length over the boundary rope to prevent four and had to be substituted from the game. Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire legspinner, was called in as Leach’s replacement for an unexpected Test debut and was set to join the match later on Thursday.

For all the buzz around a fresh approach to Test cricket, it was the familiar sight of Anderson and Broad taking the new ball that greeted the New Zealand openers, Tom Latham and Will Young. Stokes confirmed that he too would have opted to bat had he won the toss, but was able to settle straight into his new role orchestrating proceedings from mid-off.

It took Anderson, playing his first Test since helping to secure a draw at the SCG in January, a mere seven balls to find his groove once again. Young was lured into pushing outside off but might have got away with a fast, low edge had it not been for a fantastic one-handed catch from Jonny Bairstow, throwing himself to his left from third slip. Anderson bagged the wicket of Latham in his next over, with Bairstow again the catcher – this time throwing himself for the rebound after dropping the initial, chest-high chance.

Broad did not have to wait long to get amongst it either, luring Devon Conway into a hard-handed prod that again provided catching practice for in the slips Bairstow, leaving New Zealand deep in trouble at 7 for 3 in the eighth over.

There woes were deepened by the impact of Potts, handed his cap before play by Steven Harmison after being backed by Stokes, another Durham and England man, for his debut. Potts had never played a first-class match before at Lord’s, but walked off at lunch with figures of 3 for 8 after living up to his billing as a deck-hitting catalyst of a fast bowler.

He was on the money from the outset and his first victim could scarcely have been more illustrious, as Williamson was drawn into pushing at one in the channel. Mitchell had looked more comfortable than most of his colleagues, but was undone by some extra bounce as he looked to defend from the crease, and although Blundell survived after being given out lbw – Michael Gough’s decision overturned by the detection of an inside edge – Potts got his man in the following over, his relentless line leaving New Zealand’s wicketkeeper uncertain of his response and fatally late on an in-ducker.

There was nearly a fourth for Potts, following a tribute to Shane Warne with the interval looming, as Colin de Grandhomme was hit on the front pad. This time DRS sided with Gough’s not-out decision, with confirmation of an inside edge – despite suggestions the ball might have brushed the pad first.

Brief scores

at Lunch

New Zealand

39/6 (Matthew Potts 3-8, James Aderson 2-5) vs England

(Cricinfo)