Matty Potts: who is England’s new Test bowler set to face New Zealand? Stats, age, career so far

Durham’s young rising star Matty Potts will be making his Test debut against New Zealand at Lord’s.
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England and New Zealand will play their first Test of the summer against each other at Lord’s Cricket Ground this week as England start their ‘new era’ of cricket.

Harry Brook and Matty Potts have both made it into this series’ Test squad and Potts will make his international debut in the first Test this weekend.

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The 23-year-old from Durham will make up the bowling attack along with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jack Leach as they take on Kane Williamson’s men at ‘The Home of Cricket’

So who is England’s latest recruit ‘Pottsy’?

Who is Matty Potts?

Born in Sunderland in 1998, Matty Potts attended Sixth Form at St Robert of Newminster in Tyne and Wear, the same school attended by England and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Potts’ earlier career for Washington in the men’s league cricket was as an opening batter, but this did not last long and he is now one of Durham’s most consistent seam bowlers.

Potts began his first-class career in the 2017 County Championship. A year later he wold make his List A debut for the Durham at the 2018 Royal London One-Day Cup.

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In 2019, Potts went on to make his T20 debut for Durham against Northamptonshire in the 2019 t20 Blast.

In his first class career, he has played in 24 matches taking a total of 77 wickets at an average of 26.90 in total. Potts has also taken 49 T20 wickets in his 40 matches for Durham.

Potts, left, with James Anderson (who is nearly 17 years his senior)Potts, left, with James Anderson (who is nearly 17 years his senior)
Potts, left, with James Anderson (who is nearly 17 years his senior)

Potts has been a phenomenal force in Durham’s county season so far this year, taking his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket with a 5/58 against Leicestershire.

Just over a month later, Potts would bag his second five-wicket haul, taking seven wickets against Glamorgan in their second innings, overall taking 11 wickets in the match.

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He is this season’s top wicket-taker so far in the Championships with 35 to his name and four five-wicket hauls.

What has been said about Matty Potts?

When people have spoken about ‘Pottsy’, the first word that has come up is ‘confident’

His former teammate Ash Thorpe said of him: “He is cheeky in a non-offensive way but has always had that drive, chip and confidence in his own ability and he always had that belief he was going to go somehwere in the game.

“His old man is a giant - about 6ft 9in - so we knew he would end up a decent bowler. There was one game, his bowling just clicked.”

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When speaking of his county debut, Durham’s bowling coach Neil Killeen has said: “He stuck his chest out as he does. You’d have thought he’d been in the dressing room for 15 years.

“He was straight into conversations with former players, telling everyone how they should be bowling, batting or fielding.

“We had to say, ‘Matthew just find your place, mate,’

“He’s not quietly confident. He is very confident, but it is not an ‘arrogant confident.’ It is just the way he holds himself.”

Killeen also added: “His bowling spells and matches this year are some of the best displays I have seen at Durham and this is my 30th year as a player and a coach.”

When is England’s first Test match against New Zealand?

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The confident kid will make his international debut on Thursday 2 June 2022 and the match will conclude (if all five days are required) on Monday 6 June 2022.

Lord’s Cricket Ground is hosting the first Test match before the squads head up to Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and Headingley, Leeds, later in June for the second and third Test matches.

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