‘It was more formal than I expected it be,” says Matthew Potts, the morning after the night before when, in front of a packed Long Room at Lord’s, amid dickie bows and evening gowns aplenty, the fast bowler was handed a leather-bound Wisden by Mike Brearley as one of the almanack’s five cricketers of the year.

“You almost can’t believe your luck when a legend like that presents you with it – it was a very special moment,” Potts says, shortly before leaving London for Cardiff where Durham are playing their third-round fixture against Glamorgan. “I delved into Wisden a few years ago out of curiosity and so I knew a bit about it. But some of the big names who have been in there in the past … well, it’s a huge privilege to be among them.”

The award itself has become an annual source of debate online, with its idiosyncratic criteria – based on performances of influence during the previous English summer and only able to be won once in a career – often lost in the race to reply. A personal view is this quirkiness is what makes the Wisden five so special, part hall of fame, part conversation starter, and far more interesting than the bog-standard best on show.

Either way, the square-jawed, flinty-eyed Potts had every right to crack a broad smile on Tuesday evening as Brearley shook his hand and offered gentle words of praise. Through that combination of fast-medium hustle, angle and seam-up nip, his 78 first-class wickets last season were 11 clear of the next best and included 20 from his first five Test matches. As the good book notes, there were also six hauls of six wickets or more, the first seamer to do so since Waqar Younis for Surrey in 1991.

Not that he is looking back too much. The recognition, Potts says, is a proud moment for his family and Durham’s verdant production line –“confirmation I have started out on the right path,” he adds. But despite Kane Williamson (three times) and Virat Kohli sitting among his stash of Test pelts, the 24-year-old has been outside the England team since Ollie Robinson’s return to fitness last August.

“Everyone wants to play, no one is there just to be part of the squad,” says Potts. “I don’t think there’s a fast bowler in England who isn’t champing at the bit right now. But Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Robbo – they are the three best in England, so trying to displace them is going to be blooming hard. As long as I’m knocking on the door and asking the right questions, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

The schedule works in his favour at least, with this summer’s Ashes series lasting less than seven weeks and therefore making rotation among the seam attack a distinct possibility. It’s why Ben Stokes wants “eight fit fast bowlers” at his disposal, and why, despite some reserves sprinkled among the counties, Australia’s selection of only four frontline quicks in their touring squad is slightly surprising.

Similarly helpful is a trusting relationship with Stokes. “He just gives you masses of confidence,” says Potts. “I remember him saying: ‘You bowl your normal stuff, I’ll play around with the field.’ Then all of a sudden you’re bowling with two leg slips, a deep square and a catching midwicket, he’s asking you to bowl normally and you think: ‘Oh my word, what is happening?’

“But if you have an off day, he’s the first to come up and say: ‘You’ve done everything I’ve asked you to do.’ Obviously with his plans you can go for more runs than if you just went back of a length and tried to dry things up. But we want to take 20 wickets and take 20 wickets as fast as we can. We’re just not bothered about the run-rate.”

This is one aspect of a buccaneering, results-driven approach from England that Potts says Durham are similarly trying to adopt this season. Having scored at 4.3 runs per over in their first two matches, with one win and one defeat to start the third round in second, the Test captain’s mantra has certainly filtered down to his own county.

Potts, who has been rested for the match against Glamorgan, adds: “We’re trying to play the brand of cricket that is having a ripple effect down from the Test team. I think it’s a good thing – nobody wants to play four days of cricket for a draw. That sounds boring to me. We want to captivate the fans and enjoy ourselves. It can only be good for the game.”

This is the kind of buy-in that Stokes, like Brearley back in the day, has created over the past 12 months. Potts may never be one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year again but more Test caps and wickets will surely come.