Matthew Potts to make England Test debut vs New Zealand at Lord’s; Stuart Broad and James Anderson return | Cricket News

Matthew Potts to make Test debut at Lord’s; first match under new head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes; Stuart Broad and James Anderson recalled; watch England vs New Zealand live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 10am on Thursday

Durham seamer Matthew Potts will make his England Test debut against New Zealand at Lord’s on Thursday, live on Sky Sports.

Potts is the leading County Championship wicket-taker this season, with 35 scalps at an average of 18.57 across his opening six games in Division Two and a best of 7-40 against Glamorgan.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson are also recalled to the bowling attack for the first Test under new coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

Anderson, 39, and Broad, 35, were dropped for the recent 1-0 series defeat in the West Indies in March.

Stokes said: “It would have been illogical not to get Broad and Anderson back into the squad. I want the best players available in England.

“Not only are they England’s great bowlers but two of the best in the world. To not have them in the squad, to not have them available for selection, would have been illogical, in my opinion.”

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England are without a host of pace bowlers due to injury, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson and Matt Fisher among those sidelined.

Zak Crawley and Alex Lees are retained as openers as Ollie Pope returns to the side and is handed a promotion to No 3.

Joe Root is back at his preferred spot of No 4 with Jonny Bairstow up to No 5 following Stokes’ decision to drop himself down a position to No 6. Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes completes the top seven.

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We take a look back at some of the most memorable moments between England and New Zealand.

Somerset seam bowler Craig Overton and uncapped Yorkshire batter Harry Brook are the two members of the initial 13-man squad to miss out on the final XI.

Stokes: Potts has been phenomenal, he is ready

Stokes said of Durham team-mate Potts: “I’ve spent three games playing with him this summer and he has been outstanding. He has been the guy [Durham captain] Scott Borthwick has turned to for wickets.

“The good thing this season is that county cricket has not been all plain sailing for the bowlers like in previous years – you have really had to work for your wickets and he has created things out of nowhere.

“The one thing that really made my mind up with him being in the squad was when he bowled us to victory against Glamorgan on day four with a bit of a stiff side.

Durham seamer Potts has taken 35 County Championship wickets so far this season – the most in the competition

“With Test selection around the corner, he could have just sat back said, ‘I am going to look after myself here’ but he didn’t.

“That’s the attitude that makes you open your eyes to the fact this kid is ready. He has been absolutely phenomenal – he is an athlete and everything I expect this team to be about going forward.”

On England’s batting order, Stokes told Sky Sports’ Ian Ward: “I found with batting at No 5, especially if I had long bowling spells, that I couldn’t really get that opportunity to switch off. It was a purely tactical move.

“Joe Root wanted to bat at No 4 and in my opinion, it is his best position and always will be. I feel you have real experience in the middle order with Joe at four. Jonny [Bairstow] at No 5 and me at six that can always bat around one, two and three with the inexperience.

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Ahead of England’s first Test against New Zealand, Former England cricketer Mark Butcher says Ollie Pope’s biggest challenge is his own head.

‘Pope can become one of England’s great batters’

Pope was left out of the starting XI in the West Indies after averaging just 11.16 during The Ashes but is averaging 69.50 for Surrey in the County Championship so far this season.

The 24-year-old has never previously batted at No 3 but Stokes, who says he was adamant Pope would be in his Test XI, feels the right-hander has the skills for that spot and can become a “great” England batter.

Stokes said: “No 3 is an opportunity for Pope to go and show the world what he is all about. It’s one of the first things that I voiced – I want Ollie Pope in my Test team. I was adamant. Then it was about finding a position for him.

“He has gone back to Surrey and dominated at No 4 so No 3 is not really any different. Technically, he has made some very good improvements, not that he has a bad technique anyway.

“He takes the game on the front foot and is everything I want this team to be about. He can really change the game. Having him at No 3 is great and I see him being one of England’s great batters. He is phenomenal.”

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Matt Floyd discusses Brendon McCullum’s first England team ahead of their Test against New Zealand on Thursday, live on Sky Sports

Are New Zealand ‘there for the taking?’

Sky Sports News’ James Cole, at Lord’s:

“This is a strong New Zealand team – they are World Test champions – but they are by no means in form.

“They drew with Bangladesh and South Africa at home 1-1 and lost one of their warm-up games to a County Select XI, so haven’t had things all their own way and are likely to be missing Trent Boult as well [as he he only recently arrived from the IPL].

“Some feel New Zealand are there for the taking but we have seen English Test cricket over the last year or so and their batting collapses.”

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has confirmed that Henry Nicholls will miss the Lord’s Test due to Covid-19 with Daryl Mitchell to replace him in the No 5 spot. Seam bowler Trent Boult remains “touch and go”.

Watch England take on New Zealand in the first Test, from Lord’s, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Thursday.