YOUNG POTTS AIMING FOR FIRST TEAM PLACE
YOUNGSTER TO PUT INJURY WORRIES BEHIND AND ESTABLISH HIMSELF WITH DURHAM
Durham youngster Matthew Potts is eager to put his injury worries behind him and establish himself in the side in all formats of the game, despite a tricky start to his limited-overs career.
The 19-year-old made his debut for Durham in the Specsavers County Championship last season against Kent.
He immediately earned the confidence of Paul Collingwood to bowl the last over the contest as the north east outfit needed one wicket to claim the win at Canterbury, although they were to fall just short of victory.
Potts made a fine impression with the ball in his maiden term, taking 14 wickets in five matches.
However, his development was stymied towards the end of the season due to injury – which also denied him a likely trip to New Zealand for the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
The seamer was named in Durham’s side for their opening County Championship match of 2018, only to suffer another niggle that knocked him out of first-team action for almost a month.
He said: “Injuries are frustrating, but it’s part of being a bowler so you’ve got to take it with a pinch of salt.
“Luckily it was only a short-term thing. I’ve been working really hard on my fitness and my strength in the gym. It’s just little niggles, but I’m over it and hopefully that will be it for the season.
“I’ve been working with Neil Killeen and Alan Walker. We’ve been doing a lot of action work and trying to put right things that could be potentially leading to injuries and niggles.
“There’s a few key points that I’ve been trying to work on. I’m getting a lot better at certain things, but it’s part and parcel of being a bowler that you have to continue to put the work in.
“I’ve been kind of branded with being a line and length bowler, putting in there and there about off stump.
“That’s something I want to continue being this season. I didn’t have the chance in the Championship game, I was a bit astray then I picked up the niggle. I’m feeling stronger now and confident in my line and length.”
Potts returned to the fold for Durham in their opening Royal London One-Day Cup match against Yorkshire.
Although Tom KohlerCadmore dispatched Potts along with the rest of the home side’s attack around the park, he was determined to bounce back and ended with decent figures of three for 69.
The 19-year-old has insisted that he has used his side’s struggles in the 50-over competition as a learning curve and is determined to soak up all the knowledge around him in the side.
He added: “As a bowler everyone comes at you whether you’re bowling your stock ball or bowling in a shorter format.
“It’s really good to have the experience around you in the dressing room, whether it’s to work on your action or receiving little pointers on the pitch. [Tom] Latham is in the dressing room now.
“He’s very good on the pitch having experienced a different brand of one-day cricket. They’re playing different types of opposition so it’s nice to have their perspective to take on and learn.”