England bowler Matthew Potts has candidly reflected on his disappointing Ashes debut in Sydney, admitting that “the cold, hard facts were I wasn’t good enough” and declaring his intention to return to his roots as a “workhorse” bowler.
Potts finally received his opportunity in the fifth and final Test in January, long after the urn had been secured by Australia. However, his two-month wait culminated in a challenging performance at the SCG.
The Durham quick endured a difficult opening spell, ultimately delivering 25 wicketless overs at a significant cost of 141 runs.
In Australia’s successful chase of 160 in the second innings, captain Ben Stokes opted for two frontline seamers and three part-time spinners, leaving Potts entirely unused.
Speaking nearly three months later from Chester-le-Street, Potts offered an honest assessment of the moment his Ashes aspirations faltered, making no excuses for his display.
“Sometimes on the big stage there’s nowhere to hide. I got dealt a few punches and I didn’t throw too many the other way,” he stated.
“The cold, hard facts were I wasn’t good enough in the last Test. That wasn’t me. There’s a little period of reflection where you sum up your day’s work and look back at it. I just had three words: ‘that was bad’.
“I’d bowled incredibly well the entire trip and felt in a really good spot. Unfortunately, you have a blip at the wrong time and it comes out that way. It happens in life and in cricket, you’ve got to crack on. Learning the hard way relatively early in my Test career probably stands me in better stead moving forward.”
Potts, however, disputes the suggestion that Stokes withheld him from bowling on the final day to protect him from further damage.
“I think Ben knows I can take things on the chin,” he explained. “No one can be protected. It was just a tactical choice and that was completely fine with me.
“You come back the next day and it’s all about having the right mindset, attack the day as if yesterday never happened. You rock up with the same intent and same approach, grafting for the team rather than throwing the towel in.”
Now, Potts is focused on earning another chance through his county performances, beginning with Durham’s home fixture against Zak Crawley’s Kent on Friday. He is preparing a revised approach, prioritising the attributes that first brought him to England’s attention four years ago.
“If we look back at what I was in 2022, I was a workhorse who bowled a lot of overs but was adaptable,” he said. “Now it is probably about going back to being a workhorse that doesn’t miss and has high skill.
“In the last couple of years I probably forgot the fact I am a high skill bowler and lost a bit of that trying different things and different ideas. I tried them, they probably haven’t worked for me and now it is time to strip back to the basics and be me.
“It is all about taking wickets and seeing what happens. Everything is on merit, nothing is given.”
