Matt Potts heats up England but familiar batting woes cool expectations

At the end of a wild day featuring success with the ball followed by failure with the bat for England, the new-look team’s first response was: job well done.

“We’ve come to entertain, that’s our thing first and foremost, and it’s been an entertaining day of cricket,” said Matt Potts, whose side were 116 for seven at stumps, still 16 runs behind New Zealand.

“It’s one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, I know the team’s enjoyed it, we’re still in a contest to win a game of Test cricket and we’re going to attack the day tomorrow.”

If the performance across the afternoon was a reminder that this team is still dogged by the frailties that have seen it limp through their last 17 Tests with just a single victory, the response to it neatly encapsulates the approach their new coach and captain, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, are encouraging.

But it is no surprise that Potts enjoyed himself. He may have played his part in England’s collapse from 92 for two to 100 for seven, squirming awkwardly at a Trent Boult short ball and diverting it off his glove to slip – forgivable perhaps given that it was just his second delivery as a Test batter – but bowling figures of four wickets for 13 runs off 9.2 overs were beyond the wildest imaginings of a 23-year-old making his international debut.

It took just five balls for him to make an impact, Kane Williamson edging behind where Ben Foakes took a fine low catch. “I mean, absolute elation,” Potts said of that moment. “A Test debut at the home of cricket, in the pinnacle format of cricket, and then to get the New Zealand captain out fifth ball … absolutely over the moon. I can’t put into words how that feels.”

The day could potentially have gone even better for Potts had he not felt a slight