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Matthew Potts experienced a feeling of “pure elation” when he grabbed the wicket that may have changed the course of England’s first Test against New Zealand.
Potts made his presence felt on his return to the side in Hamilton, claiming three for 75 as the tourists left their hosts 315 for nine at the end of the first day’s play.
He accounted for home captain Tom Latham and the dangerous all-rounder Glenn Phillips, but there is no doubt about the most valuable scalp in the Black Caps line-up.
Kane Williamson is the one they all want and, for the fourth time in five innings going head-to-head, Potts took him out.
Williamson was Potts’ first international scalp on his Lord’s debut in 2022 and has developed something of a blind spot against the Durham seamer.
On a Seddon Park pitch where he has hit six centuries, he eased his way to 44 before steering a sharp rising delivery from Potts back into his stumps.
He almost escaped, kicking his foot out but just failing to make the interception. He reacted with undisguised dismay, arching his back and looking forlornly at the heavens.
For Potts, the emotions could hardly have been more different.
“I didn’t have a great view of it… I was a bit confused but then I saw a bail drop down by his feet and it was pure elation after that,” he said.
“It was a massive wicket at that point in the innings. It’s less about personal milestones and achievements of getting good players out but, at that key point in time, Kane could have taken the game away from us.
“To get a massive scalp like that for the team, a player like Kane who can play the long game and score quite quickly as well, I’m pretty proud of that.”
Potts has learned to make the most of his chances in Test cricket, at times crowded out by the competition for places among the pace attack. He was rotated out to give the raw Josh Hull a debut in the last match of the home summer, played one out of three on the recent tour of Pakistan and sat out the victories in Christchurch and Wellington.
It could easily be a source of frustration but the 26-year-old insists he remains driven to do whatever he can for the cause.
“I enjoy every time that I put this England shirt on and I just hope I do it justice,” he said.
“Competition is really high and that’s great for the team. These things happen, you travel around a little bit and don’t play, but then you get an opportunity and I’m loving every moment I spend with this team.”
England picked themselves up well after an opening stand of 105 from Latham and Will Young kept them waiting until the start of the second session for their first success.
Gus Atkinson finally got them going and finished with three for 55 and Brydon Carse took two despite battling cramp. Ben Stokes also did his share of the lifting with a 23-over shift that represented his biggest workload in more than three-and-a-half years and brought him a hard-earned wicket late on.
There were also two outstanding catches, Jacob Bethell reeling in a high chance at cover and Harry Brook completing a one-man relay on the ropes.
“In this group the character is real strong – you look at the fielding input and the energy they give to all the seamers who are grafting away and not being rewarded for it,” said Potts.
“We know if we stick to our guns it will come our way eventually and wrestle the day back a little bit.”
