CRICKET: Potts in line for Sydney test after Atkinson injury

MELBOURNE – England’s constantly evolving bowling attack will see another change in the Ashes finale in Sydney, with Matthew Potts expected to replace injured fast bowler Gus Atkinson for the fifth and final Test.

Atkinson was ruled out of the match, which begins on January 4, after straining his left hamstring shortly after taking his third wicket during England’s victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

He becomes the third England seamer to leave the tour early, following Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, though he will not be replaced in the squad. One-Test Surrey pacer Matthew Fisher remains the other reserve fast bowler, but 10-Test Potts may be the first choice, as he is the last unused seamer from the original 16-man squad.

If selected, it would mark Potts’ first Test since taking five wickets in England’s heavy defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton a year ago.

While England brought a deep pool of fast bowlers for the long series, few fans would have imagined that their first Test win in Australia in 15 years would be achieved with Brydon Carse and Atkinson opening the bowling, and Josh Tongue being named Man of the Match after claiming seven wickets.

Tongue has taken 12 wickets in two matches at an average of 18.58, prompting questions about why selectors waited until the third Test in Adelaide to include him.

The opportunity for Tongue arose when Wood was ruled out after the first Test defeat in Perth, but selectors opted for spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks instead of a fourth seamer for the pink-ball Test in Brisbane.

Tongue’s unorthodox action and early release of the ball have troubled Australia’s batsmen, earning praise from Steve Smith, who has been dismissed by the Nottinghamshire quick in every first-class match they have played against each other.

“He gets above the perpendicular, shapes the ball back into you with that angle, and draws you into playing, I suppose—similar to Scotty Boland in a way,” Smith told reporters after the defeat in Melbourne.

“(They have) similar release points and angles they create. He’s a good bowler, bowled really nicely in this game, and he’s done a pretty good job every time he’s had the opportunity to play for England.”

Tongue’s performance also received praise in English media during the tour, while raising questions about who will open the bowling in Sydney. Carse and Atkinson took the new ball in Melbourne, but Atkinson’s injury could see Tongue step into the lead role.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters