Potts pressesTest claim with seven-wicket haul
MATTHEW Potts enhanced his England credentials by claiming a career-best seven-wicket haul and inspiring Durham to a dramatic 58-run victory over Glamorgan.
He took five scalps on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash at the Riverside, which Glamorgan started requiring 126 runs to win with seven wickets intact.
Potts, who had claimed two wickets on Saturday evening, was in breathtaking form as he ended the innings with figures of seven for 40 and match figures of 11 for 101.
Glamorgan were to rue a collapse from 65 for two to 137 all out in pursuit of their victory target that began when Marnus Labuschagne was out from the penultimate ball of day three.
Once Potts – who has been linked with a place in team-mate Ben Stokes’ first Test squad as England captain – made inroads in the early overs of the final morning, the momentum as truly with the home side.
And they went on to record their first win this season in the second tier.
Durham required a fast start and Potts answered the call, producing a vicious bouncer that caught the glove of Kiran Carlson. Carlson was not thrilled with the decision, but umpire Alex Wharf raised the finger.
Potts then prised out Sam Northeast, who had looked comfortable at the crease. Scott Borthwick initially spilled the catch, but managed to clamp his legs together to claim the ball at the second attempt to send Northeast on his way for 26.
Potts made way after his initial burst, but Brydon Carse ensured the intensity from the hosts did not wane.
He bowled with pace and accuracy after struggling in the first innings. An array of short-pitch bowling ended Billy Root’s stay at the crease for 10 as he gloved one behind, attempting a hook shot that had previously brought him a boundary earlier in the over.
Sensing another opportunity Borthwick brought Potts back into the attack for a short spell.
The 23-year-old claimed his fourth five-wicket haul of the season when he pinned Glamorgan skipper David Lloyd lbw, who was batting at number eight after suffering an injury on day three.
Carse turned the momentum firmly in the favour of the home side when he found Chris Cooke’s outside edge before lunch, removing the last recognised Glamorgan batter.
Potts sensed blood after lunch, and he drove his side over the line by dismissing Michael Neser lbw with a brilliant yorker before clean bowling Michael Hogan to wrap up the victory.
Speaking after the game, Potts said: “It’s always nice to get a career-best, but it hurts the bank account a little bit because you have to get the drinks in.
“It’s nice to do it and nice to do it in a winning cause to get us off the mark in Division Two. I think we’ve played some very good cricket this season so far in parts, but we have not been able to piece together a complete performance.
“We had discussions in the dressing room on Saturday night and we came out fighting for everything to get the win. I’m looking forward to playing Middlesex to go to the Home of Cricket.
“I’ve only played there once with The Hundred. It will be nice to play a red-ball game there to see what it has to offer. It has a good atmosphere and hopefully it will be a good four days of cricket. As for the news articles about England I tend not to try and read them too much.
“It would be silly to read them and get too far ahead of myself. If you look too far ahead you can lose sight of what is in front of you.
“It would be a dream to be picked and obviously to play Test cricket is something I aspire to do, having previously just been a white-ball bowler. I feel I have a lot to offer in the redball game, hopefully I can maintain my form and we’ll see what happens.”
Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard said: “I thought Durham bowled brilliantly. The wicket was a little bit up and down, but Matthew
Potts and Brydon Carse alongside Ben Raine and Chris Rushworth gave us nothing.
“I think there was one four-ball in the entire session. They bowled a good length and made life very tough for us. We said we were very comfortable chasing the target, and we said let’s play as busy as we have been.
“They set the fields very well and changed the bowlers to keep them as fresh as possible. They didn’t miss the target. Full credit to the way Durham went about it.
“I think they got a couple of decisions that went their way and we’ve paid the consequence for that. The five-penalty run offences were Billy Root as he didn’t believe he got anywhere near the ball and lifted his head and arms up.
“Michael Neser then clearly felt he hit the ball and raised his bat a little bit. We have to be careful in the game that we don’t confuse human emotion with reactions to a decision that has gone against you. But the rules are the rules, and we have broken them in both cases.”