NZ vs ENG | 1st Test | A sensational debut for Matty Potts at Lord's

New Zealand’s tour of England took off on the right note to grab the attention of the whole cricketing fraternity. The two teams are playing the first match of their three-match series at the iconic Lord’s stadium.

New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. The pitch looked like a sporty track, to say the least. The English bowlers showed tremendous control and great perseverance to limit the first innings of New Zealand to a below-par total.

While James Anderson looked in great rhythm, it’s the debutant Matty Potts who deserves special mention. The 23-year-old looked in great rhythm from the very beginning of the innings. So let us first have a look at his figure on Day 1 of the Test.

Overs: 9.2 Maidens: 4 Runs: 13 Wickets: 4 Balls Per Wicket: 14 Runs Per Wicket: 3.25

The figures show that he has been impeccable throughout the day. Potts also got Anderson from the opposite end, who was equally potent. But to bowl the way he did in his debut match is commendable. To get a better idea of how good Potts was, we need to look at the line length where he picked up most of his wickets.

Line:

Outside off Stump: 75% Off Stump: 25%

Length:

Full Length: 50% Back of Length: 50%

As we see in the case of line, he was looking more for consistency, holding the outside off-stump line. While for length looked to keep it either full or just back of a length. The most important thing to notice in his bowling is that he read the conditions perfectly and bowled according to the demands of the hour. 

Potts will surely remember the wicket of Kane Williamson in his debut. And we, as cricket fans, will surely remember his debut and make a note to keep an eye on how his career pans out.

New Zealand was dismissed for 132 runs in their first innings, but they made a strong comeback with the ball. On the back of a team effort by the bowling attack, they have got England reeling down to 116 for seven at the end of the first day’s play. We all will be looking at how the match unfolds, and from the first day’s play, an exciting encounter is on the cards.