Ben Stokes on Matthew Potts: "He's everything I expect this team to be going forward"

The new England captain pinpointed Durham's win over Glamorgan as the moment he realised that Potts would have what it takes to make it at international level

Ben Stokes has revealed the moment he realised Matthew Potts had the talent and temperament to play Test cricket.

While the pair have, as Durham teammates, played together several times over the years, it was a recently as mid-May concluded that Potts was a man he wanted in his Test squad.

Coming into the final morning of a well-contested Championship match against Glamorgan, Potts was suffering from some stiffness in his side. While some bowlers might have reasoned that, with the possibility of a maiden Test call-up beckoning, they might be wise to sit-out the remainder of the match, Potts took responsibility for his side in claiming career-best figures of 7 for 40 – his fourth five-wicket haul of the campaign – to help Durham achieve a 58-run victory.

The performance clearly made an impression on Stokes who saw in Potts many of the characteristics of which England supporters have become familiar in their new Test captain.

"The one thing that really made my mind up about Potts getting this opportunity in the squad was when he bowled us to victory against Glamorgan," Stokes said from Lord's the day ahead of the first Test against New Zealand.

"He turned up on day four with a bit of a stiff side. Someone in his situation, with Test selection coming round the corner, they could have just sat back and said 'no, I am going to just look after myself here'.

^{Potts has impressed the new England captain at county level, where they're teammates at Durham (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

"But he didn't. He ran in and he won the game for Durham. That's the attitude that sets you at the next level and really makes you open your eyes and realise that this kid is ready. He's been phenomenal. He's an athlete and everything I expect this team to be going forward.

"I spent three games playing with him back at Durham this summer and got to know him over the years. Watching him progress, he has been outstanding in the games I have played and he has been the guy that Scott Borthwick [the Durham captain] has turned to to take wickets.

"I think one thing that has been really good this year about county cricket is that it's not been all plain sailing for the bowlers like it has been over the last few years. You've really had to work for your wickets, and he's managed to create things out of nowhere."

Stokes also had warm words for Harry Brook. The Yorkshire batter missed out on selection despite averaging 140 in the County Championship so far this season. But Stokes assured him such an opportunity was surely not far away.

"All he can do is keep banging the door down which is certainly what he has been doing," Stokes said. "But it's a great place to be when you have got someone like Harry not in the team. You would rather have it that way than wondering who is coming in next. Brook has another opportunity next match. I don’t think it's going to be long before he gets an opportunity."

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