Matthew Potts had a terrible outing that day in Sydney. Believe it or not, had he conceded six more runs, it would have been the worst bowling figures for an English pacer in Test cricket.
It was the fifth and last Ashes Test earlier this year, and Potts was making his Ashes debut. The series was already gone with England trailing 3-1. But they could have salvaged some pride with a win. But then the way Travis Head and Steven Smith batted in the first innings, it became clear soon that there would be no salvaging of any kind. That innings particularly turned out to be nightmarish for Potts.
He bowled 25 overs, but almost at an ODI economy rate of 6, he conceded 141 runs, and there were no scalps to speak of either. Needless to say, England lost another game to concede the time-honoured series 4-1.
The 27-year-old recalls his nightmare. The good thing is he is honest; he is not trying to make excuses. “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’.
“Sometimes you have to roll with the punches. I got dealt a few punches, and I didn’t throw too many the other way. That’s life. Sometimes on the big stage, there’s nowhere to hide in those situations, and I wasn’t good enough in that game,” he says.
Potts only got the chance after injuries to preferred pacers Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson. On the question of whether he came into the match underprepared, having had no real practice leading up to it, Potts bravely says: “I felt ready at any point throughout the series. Could it have happened differently? Quite possibly.
“You never know, but I felt fully ready going into that game. It could have gone the exact same way in the second Test, I’m not one to dwell on could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.
“The cold hard facts were I wasn’t good enough in the last Test. That can happen in a game of cricket. With a little more experience I’m sort of able to log it as a learning experience.”
The new English county cricket season starts on Friday with Potts’ Durham lined up against Kent, and the fast bowler would hope to return to England’s scheme of things soon with a string of good performances in there. He is only 27 after all.
