England Lions claimed the advantage on the first day of the third unofficial Test against India A thanks to three Durham players.
Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse shared ten wickets before opener Alex Lees underpinned the response, ending the day two short of a half-century.
Potts has enjoyed a stellar tour of India. He now has 18 wickets at a shade over 14, with his 6-57 today (February 1) his best showing yet. He claimed the first four wickets to fall, and dismissed all of the top five, with Carse then helping to mop up the lower order.
Potts is currently outside the England squad, having impressed in his maiden summer in 2022. He took 20 wickets at 28 in that season and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, but has played just one Test since, with the returns of Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes, and the conditions have come up against, limiting his game time.
Strong Durham, strong England Lions
Six wickets for Matthew Potts and four for Brydon Carse this morning as India A are skittled for 192 pic.twitter.com/l82aptXz0I
— Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) February 1, 2024
Two India A batters emerged in credit. Devdutt Padikkal hit 65 before falling to Potts, while Saransh Jain made 64 before holing out off Carse. They had taken India A to 152-5 but they were then shot out for 192.
Lees then helmed the response, with England Lions eschewing the aggression they have favoured on the tour so far. Keaton Jennings was bowled by Akash Deep for 17 before Lees and Ollie Price added 71 to take their side to stumps, the run rate comfortably under three runs per over.
England Lions were thwarted by a KS Bharat century in the opening game having dominated the first three days, and couldn’t summon their own great escape as India A surged to an innings win in the second game. Trailing by less than 100 with nine wickets in hand, they retain strong hopes of securing a series-levelling win at Ahmedabad.
