WATCH, ENG vs AUS | Matthew Potts dismantles Steve Smith’s off stumps with a stunning inswinger

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

09/21/2024

163

One of the greatest aspects of the County Championship is that it offers many young players a valuable pathway to the National Team. A prime example is England’s Matthew Potts, who became the center of attention during the England vs Australia ODI, where he bowled a beauty to dismiss Steve Smith.

‌Australia got off to a steady start as openers Travis Head and Matthew Short comfortably took the score to 41/0 in eight overs. However, the in-form Head couldn’t replicate his previous heroics and was dismissed in the ninth over by Brydon Carse. Short followed soon after, falling in the 12th over to a well-placed good-length delivery from Matthew Potts.

On the final ball of the 14th over, all eyes were on Potts as he charged in, determined to make an impact. The ball was aimed just outside the off-stump and it pitched on a full length and suddenly, with a late inswing, veered sharply back towards the stumps. The Aussie legend saw the opportunity for a classic cover drive but to no avail. He positioned himself confidently with his bat coming down in perfect sync with his plan. But with the inswing, the ball moved deceptively inward and caught Smith off guard as he had misjudged the line ever so slightly. As his bat swished through thin air, the white rock zipped past and missed the inside edge by a whisper. Additionally, it crashed into the off-stump with a satisfying thud. Knowing that Potts claimed the big fish, the packed Headingley crowd erupted into a frenzy.

Absolute Magic!