“Huge credit to the captain,” said Potts, a teammate from Durham. “He bowled three long spells there and one of them was eight bouncers.”
Potts returned to the England squad to make his first appearance on the tour in place of Chris Woakes.
Potts (26) has been a regular in the team since his debut in 2022. This is his tenth appearance for the team and second this winter.
He took 3-75, which included Kane Williamson playing on his own stumps, which took him to 44. Potts dismissed the Kiwi talisman four times in the five innings he bowled to him.
Asked if waiting for England opportunities was frustrating, Potts replied: “I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating, no. I enjoy every moment of being part of this squad. There is always work I can do to help.
“The competition for places is really big and that’s a great thing from a team point of view. These things happen. You travel a bit and don’t play, then you get a chance.”
England aims to become only the third visiting team to record a clean 3-0 record in this country.
Stokes won the toss and elected to field, a decision that backfired as Tom Latham and Will Young shared New Zealand’s best opening partnership in 18 months.
However, England fought back throughout the afternoon and evening, leaving the match calmly prepared. On a pitch that is likely to turn and bounce erratically later in the match, England will likely need a healthy lead in the first innings.
“It’s a question of balance,” Potts said. “The pitch played better throughout the day and started to look like a decent batting wicket.
“We were great. We held on to the ball and on the pitch and still stayed in the heat.”
