Kane Williamson reacts after his dismissal.© AFP

England recalled Matthew Potts on Friday to replace Chris Woakes for the third Test against New Zealand, with captain Ben Stokes keen to build bowling depth after wrapping up the series. Durham seamer Potts will take the new ball in the dead-rubber final Test starting in Hamilton on Saturday after England clinched a first series win on New Zealand soil since 2008 with lop-sided victories in Christchurch and Wellington. Potts has failed to nail down selection since playing the first of his nine Tests in 2022 against New Zealand at Lord’s.

He took seven wickets on debut, including twice dismissing New Zealand great Kane Williamson.

Stokes said the 26-year-old had a “massive engine” and deserved another chance in what will be an inexperienced attack.

“It’s another opportunity to look at one of the fast bowlers that we see playing a big role going forward,” Stokes said.

“Two-nil up, you put yourself obviously in an easier position to make that change.

“We want to be giving experience to the guys who don’t necessarily always get the opportunity. We’ve put ourselves in a position to be able to do that.”

It means none of England’s specialist bowlers — also comprising seamers Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir — has played more than 14 Tests.

NZ wait to name XI

Woakes has taken six wickets at an average just under 30 across the two Tests and Stokes said the 35-year-old’s form was not the reason for leaving him out.

“Chris Woakes came into the winter tours with a bit of scrutiny behind his away record but I think what he’s done has proven a lot of people wrong,” Stokes said.

“He was great over in Pakistan and obviously he’s been influential here in New Zealand in the two games he’s got.”

New Zealand captain Tom Latham confirmed Will Young will start his first match of the series, opening the batting in place of Devon Conway, who stayed home to attend the birth of his first child.

However, Latham will wait to see the Seddon Park pitch on Saturday morning before finalising his starting XI.

Spinner Mitchell Santner could yet replace one of four seamers, although Latham suggested veteran bowler Tim Southee‘s selection was safe for his 107th and final Test before retirement.

Latham said his players want to prove themselves after barely firing a shot so far against the aggressive playing style of the tourists.

“The guys, myself, we don’t need any motivation,” Latham said.

“We know we haven’t played to our potential the last couple of games but hopefully we can put on a good showing for the fans.

“We know the style that England play but it’s slightly different conditions here which may play its part.”

Teams: 

New Zealand (Squad): Tom Latham (capt), Will Young, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Will O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy.

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir.

Gus Atkinson scored a dashing maiden century before England strengthened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Friday. Atkinson’s sparkling 118 helped take England to 427 all out in their first innings after Joe Root had made a masterful 143 on Thursday to equal the England record of 33 Test hundreds held by Alastair Cook. Sri Lanka then collapsed to 87-6 on the second day. But Kamindu Mendis, fresh from a fine 113 in Sri Lanka’s five-wicket loss in the first Test at Old Trafford, made an admirable 74 to prevent complete humiliation before he was last man out in a total of 196.

All of England’s pace attack took two wickets each, Matthew Potts returning figures of 2-19 in 11 overs and Chris Woakes 2-21 in 13.

Sri Lanka were 231 runs behind but stand-in England captain Ollie Pope did not enforce the follow-on, with the hosts 25-1 in their second innings at stumps — an overall lead of 256 as they looked to go 2-0 up in a three-match series.

Ben Duckett was 15 not out with Pope, having managed just three single figure scores since replacing the injured Ben Stokes as skipper, two not out after deciding against shielding himself from the new ball with a nightwatchman.

But the day belonged to Atkinson as he cemented his love affair with Lord’s. 

The 26-year-old, whose previous highest first-class score was 91 for Surrey against a Sri Lanka Development XI in 2022, only made his Test debut against the West Indies, also at Lord’s, last month.

Atkinson marked that occasion with 12 wickets (7-45 and 5-61) to etch his name on the famed Lord’s dressing room honours boards reserved for bowlers who take five or more wickets in a Test innings and 10 or more in a match. 

Few would have backed Atkinson to get on the equivalent honours board recognising those who score Test hundreds at the ‘Home of Cricket’ — a feat that proved beyond such star batsmen as India’s Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies’ Brian Lara and Australia’s Ricky Ponting.

Atkinson was 74 not out overnight in a Thursday stumps total of 358-7.

No 8 Atkinson carried on from where he left off, hitting two fours off Friday’s first two balls, as he leg-glanced and cover-drove paceman Lahiru Kumara leg-glanced for a pair of textbook boundaries.

But to the third he was given out lbw, only for Australian umpire Paul Reiffel’s decision to be reversed by a review indicating the ball would have missed leg stump.

Atkinson went to his century in storybook fashion, driving Kumara down the ground into the pavilion for another four — his 11th in a century completed in just 103 balls and also featuring four sixes.

A spectacular innings came to a spectacular end when Atkinson mistimed a pull off an Asitha Fernando bouncer and was brilliantly caught by a diving Milan Rathnayake as he launched himself towards the rope.

Atkinson walked off to a rousing reception, having faced just 115 balls.

Fernando ended the innings by dismissing Olly Stone to secure his place on the honours boards with a return of 5-102 in 21 overs.  

Sri Lanka openers Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne then both played on for seven before wickets continued to tumble.

But in-form left-hander Mendis, again batting curiously low in the order at No 7, hooked three sixes off recalled quick Stone, the last injuring an MCC member in the pavilion, during a 120-ball innings also featuring eight fours. 

Dropped on 62 when Root floored a routine chance in the deep, the 25-year-old eventually holed out off Atkinson to round off a memorable day for the fast bowler.