‘The best way it could’ve happened’ – England debutant Potts revels in four-wicket haul

Potts
ended
the
opening
day
of
the
Lord’s
Test
4-13,
with
only
a
bout
of
cramp
denying
him
a
five-for
against
New
Zealand
on
Thursday.

But
after
bowling
the
tourists
out
for
just
132,
England
were
plagued
by
familiar
problems
with
the
bat,
being
reduced
to
116
for
seven
after
losing
five
wickets
for
just
eight
runs
towards
the
end
of
the
day.

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Earlier
on,
Potts
had
needed
just
five
deliveries
to
dismiss
New
Zealand
captain
Kane
Williamson
before
going
on
to
remove
Daryl
Mitchell,
Tom
Blundell,
and
Ajaz
Patel.

Potts,
speaking
to
Sky
Sports
after
the
close
of
play,
said
his
debut
had
been
close
to
perfect,
admitting
Williamson’s
decision
to
bat
first
allowed
him
to
avoid
working
up
any
nervousness
before
his
first
delivery.

“It
was
a
great
debut,
great
to
get
some
wickets
early
on
just
to
settle
the
nerves,”
Potts
told
Sky
Sports.

“I
think
we
bowled
aggressive,
we
pitched
it
up
there
and
we
tried
to
take
wickets,
which
has
been
one
of
our
goals.

Dream
start
for
new
England
skipper
Stokes
as
Anderson,
Broad
and
Potts
deliver
early

“Honestly
I
think
it’s
the
best
way
it
could’ve
worked
out,
rather
than
building
up
the
nerves
watching
us
bat
and
then
not
knowing
how
it’s
going
to
go.

“It’s
best
to
get
it
out
of
the
way,
get
the
nerves
out
of
the
body
really
early.
It
was
probably
the
best
way
it
could’ve
happened.

“Once
that
first
ball
was
down
and
in,
there’s
no
going
back
on
that
moment,
so
it
was
into
my
work
and
away
we
went!”

Meanwhile,
Durham
paceman
Potts
admitted
to
having
had
“a
tear
in
the
eye”
prior
to
stepping
for
his
first
red-ball
appearance
at
Lord’s.

“It
was
a
great
achievement,
I’m
really
over
the
moon
with
it,”
he
said
of
his
maiden
Test
display.

“[There
was]
a
little
bit
of
a
tear
in
the
eye
this
morning,
and
I
can
imagine
my
mum
and
dad
will
have
had
a
tear
in
theirs
as
well!

“It’s
a
massive
thing.
A
lot
of
my
hard
work
is
down
to
my
family,
it’s
a
testament
to
their
hard
work
as
well
as
mine.”