Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson have shown England there is life after James Anderson, says Nasser Hussain.
Potts and Atkinson combined to take three wickets apiece as England reduced New Zealand to 315-9 on day one of the third Test.
Durham pacer Potts, 26, repaid the selectors with three wickets on his return as he replaced Chris Woakes for the final Test in Hamilton, while Surrey seamer Atkinson, 26, took his 50th wicket in just 10 Test appearances after making his debut in July.
“It’s been an incredible year for Atkinson, a five-wicket haul, a 10-wicket haul, reaching 50 Test wickets, a hat-trick, a hundred, it has gone absolutely perfectly for him,” Hussain told Sky Sports News.
“On the back of the decision to retire James Anderson after that first Test match [against West Indies] at Lord’s in the summer, a few people were questioning whether England should go the emotional route and play Anderson, try to get him past the great Shane Warne, then maybe retire him at Old Trafford.
“They made the tough call and you can see why. England believed they needed to introduce the likes of Atkinson, [Brydon] Carse, reintroduce Potts and get people in with overs under their belt.
“Potts has got a big heart, big character, and a lot of skill as well, and he gets good players out.
“I think that’s four times in five innings now he’s got Kane Williamson out. England needed to dig deep in that middle session and Potts epitomised that.
“Every time he’s played for England, that’s exactly what he does. [Ben] Stokes knows him well from the Durham connection and wants to play him to give him experience.”
England’s Brydon Carse took 2-78 on day one of the third Test against New Zealand
While Stokes is keen to focus on the present, the men’s 2025/26 Ashes is less than a year away and England will face similar conditions to Hamilton in Australia, making this series important preparation.
“A Kookaburra ball, a flat pitch, hot conditions in the afternoon, that’s when you need to dig deep and Potts absolutely does that every time he plays for Durham or England,” Hussain added.
“Carse was struggling a little bit with cramps and some blisters in his feet. He’s played all three games but England are building up that crop of fast bowlers.”
England’s long and reliable batting line-up will put pressure on New Zealand’s bowlers as the tourists aim to build a first-innings lead on day two.
England players form a guard of honour as New Zealand’s Tim Southee walks out to bat in his final Test match
“It’ll be fascinating to watch, as it often is with this England side, in that New Zealand openers [Tom] Latham and [Will] Young played really well in the first session,” said Hussain.
“They left the ball and were a bit more old school, letting the bowlers come to them and leaving the ball outside off stump.
“That is not how England play, they go hard. It will be a big day for [Zak] Crawley. Matt Henry’s had his number in this series.
“It’s quite a quick-scoring ground, Hamilton, and they will put pressure on New Zealand’s bowlers.
“It’ll be a completely different pace of play to what we saw in that first session overnight.”
Potts: Pure elation after Williamson’s dismissal
After England chipped away three wickets in the afternoon session, Kane Williamson helped New Zealand steady proceedings before he was dismissed trying to fend the ball away from the stumps.
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson attempts to kick the ball away from his stumps but ends up hitting his middle stump
“I didn’t have a great view of it… I was a bit confused but then I saw a bail drop down by his feet and it was pure elation after that,” Potts said.
“It was a massive wicket at that point in the innings. It’s less about personal milestones and achievements of getting good players out but, at that key point in time, Kane could have taken the game away from us.
“To get a massive scalp like that for the team, a player like Kane who can play the long game and score quite quickly as well, I’m pretty proud of that.”
Potts made his England debut in the first ‘Bazball’ Test in 2022 against the same opposition and his work in Hamilton marks his 10th Test appearance.
“I enjoy every time that I put this England shirt on and I just hope I do it justice,” Potts added.
“Competition is really high and that’s great for the team. These things happen, you travel around a little bit and don’t play, but then you get an opportunity and I’m loving every moment I spend with this team.
“In this group, the character is real strong – you look at the fielding input and the energy they give to all the seamers who are grafting away and not being rewarded for it.
“We know if we stick to our guns it will come our way eventually and wrestle the day back a little bit.”
England’s Test tour of New Zealand