Towards the end of the 1920s, Hampshire were looking to bring in replacements for the ageing Phil Mead, George Brown, Jack Newman and Alec Kennedy.
He impressed on debut, scoring 24 runs batting at number eleven, while also taking four wickets in Surrey's second innings, including those of Jack Hobbs and Andy Sandham.
[9] Pothecary returned to play for Hampshire following the end of the war, making three appearances in the 1946 County Championship.
[12] He was appointed to the first-class umpires list ahead of the 1949 season,[13] with Pothecary standing in his first match in the 1949 County Championship fixture between Middlesex and Northamptonshire at Lord's.
He stood in 254 first-class matches until 1958,[14] with Pothecary leaving the list in April 1959 in order to take up other employment.
[15] After stepping down from the first-class umpires list, Pothecary began an 18-year spell as head groundsman of the Royal Air Force Sports Ground in Uxbridge.