ENG vs SL | Twitter in awe as Matthew Potts befuddles Angelo Mathews with absolute jaffa

ByArijit Kundu, SportsCafe Editor

08/30/2024

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A lion's roar in its den is often a warning to its prey, much like at Lord's during the second session of day two. Angelo Mathews was left visibly frustrated after falling prey to an absolute jaffa from Matthew Potts, who celebrated passionately after outsmarting the veteran in the home Test.

Eyeing to surpass a first innings trail of 427 runs, Sri Lankan batters got off to a shaky start as their openers, Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne fell cheaply to the hard new ball at the stroke of Lunch. Pathum Nissanka followed suit immediately after the break and Dinesh Chandimal joined Angelo Matthews in the middle. While the experienced campaigners tried to tick the scoreboard with some glorious strokes, the partnership fell short of the fifty-run mark, courtesy of a jaffa from Potts.

The pacer was summoned for his second spell after the 15th over when he stuck to a strict line against the Lankan pair. The fruits of hard work finally reaped in the 21st over with Potts producing a good length delivery, pitched at the middle stump line on the over’s first ball. Mathews was squared up inside the line to stonewall it, only had he known the ball would swing away late to beat the outside edge of the bat and clatter onto the top of the off stump.

Soon after, the right-arm pacer was pumped with the beautiful delivery while the Sri Lankan veteran was left disheartened. Eventually, the pacer induced a nick off captain Dhananjaya de Silva two balls later to end up with a double wicket maiden, extending his golden run at Lords after a seven-fer against New Zealand previously.

The Twitterverse loved every bit of sweat Potts shed to produce such a dream delivery and couldn’t shy away from lauding the pacer.

Game changing over!

𝗪 𝟬 𝟬 𝗪

Matthew Potts right on the money after lunch 👊 pic.twitter.com/TsTfmyqjm6
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

Stand up and applaud

Matthew Potts 👏 pic.twitter.com/opI7ILevsb
— Brooky⁸⁸ (@88Brooky) August 24, 2024

Deep trouble

Srilanka in deep trouble 83 for 5

Two in over for Matthew Potts
— Caught & Bowled (@caught1bowled) August 30, 2024

WOW

Not saying anything, but these look EXACTLY like the kind of deliveries i used to bowl when a young, impressionable Matthew Potts used to net with us 👀
— Ballbag (@JohnWickObertan) August 30, 2024

The best

This is one of the best overs you’ll see from Matthew Potts. Unreal control of length, seam, movement. Still two balls to come!
— Matt Bellotti (@MCMattSally) August 30, 2024

Definetly

Matthew Potts likes bowling at Lords as much as Gus Atkinson likes playing here #ENGvsSL
— Rhys Knott (@wrhys_writes) August 30, 2024

WOO WOO

𝗪 𝟬 𝟬 𝗪

Matthew Potts right on the money after lunch 👊 pic.twitter.com/TsTfmyqjm6
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

Crazy

@bbctms

Woo woo for

Potts.🥴🥴 pic.twitter.com/V54wygJAnu
— Matthew james ough (@MatthewOugh) August 30, 2024

Impressive

England just pressing on with being mightily impressive, as Sri Lanka's high-class batsmen are now 83-5.

Woakes got the 1st, Stone then with two in his first Test spell for 3 years + now Potts with 2-2 off 4 overs.

Still 344 behind + the bowling has been magnificent throughout. https://t.co/FSdp9hxoAb pic.twitter.com/W4Vx3LawaU
— Will Comish (@WillComish) August 30, 2024

magic