Making your Check debut at Lord’s is fairly particular. Taking a seven-wicket haul on the event is sensational.
Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson (7-45) confirmed England’s Check future is in secure palms as he helped the hosts skittle West Indies for 121 on day one of many first Check on the dwelling of cricket.
The 26-year-old joined the distinguished firm of Tom Hartley (vs India, 2024), Josh Tongue (vs Australia, 2023), Rehan Ahmed (vs Pakistan, 2023) and Will Jacks (vs Pakistan, 2022) as England gamers who’ve lately taken a five-for on debut, with Atkinson going two scalps additional.
In his 12 overs, Atkinson bowled 30 dot balls and claimed three wickets in 4 deliveries at one stage to go away the Lord’s crowd surprised. 4 overs later, he took two wickets in three balls as his team-mates and the spectators roared in jubilation.
It was a scene Atkinson admitted he “couldn’t have even dreamt of” when he was offered along with his cap from Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope alongside his household within the huddle.
“I was trying to keep as level as possible before and my dad kept saying it was the biggest day of my life,” he stated after the shut of play.
“I had to tell him to relax because I was trying not to think like that. I was a bit nervous to start but after the first few overs were bowled then I was pretty calm.”
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Highlights from day one of many first Check between England and West Indies
Atkinson took the primary two wickets with out conceding a run after which turned the fifth participant on debut beneath Ben Stokes to say a five-for. He additionally sits on the high of that checklist for the quickest Englishman to attain the feat, doing it in 53 balls.
Earlier this summer season, England’s managing director Rob Key stated he would prioritise bowlers who might supply tempo versus taking wickets, however Atkinson did each.
He completed with the third-best figures for an Englishman on Check debut, conceding two runs greater than tempo bowler Dominic Cork, who took 7-43, additionally towards West Indies, in 1995.
Atkinson picked up a wicket along with his second ball as he induced a bottom-edge from West Indies’ most skilled Check batter and captain, Kraigg Brathwaite (six) which cannoned onto the stumps for England’s breakthrough.
He began the day bowling cross-seam deliveries however with the pitch drier than anticipated, he switched to a tighter wobble seam which distributed the left-handers specifically with Kirk McKenzie (one) and Alick Athanaze (23) getting a thick outdoors edge to Zak Crawley and Jamie Smith respectively.
“My stock ball is that scrambled seam, it felt like today, bowling with the slope, bowling from the Pavilion End, that was my most dangerous ball,” Atkinson added.
“I was targeting fourth stump and trying to run it down the hill and with the left-handers I was trying to push it across them with the odd in-swinger. I felt like that was the best way I could get wickets.
“The seam was most likely a bit extra scrambled than I might like however that’s one thing I can work on.
“I feel like I can bowl quicker and hit the pitch harder when I bowl scrambled seam and it’s worked pretty well for me in the past.”
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Nasser Hussain and Stuart Broad talk about Atkinson’s dream debut
Having solely performed 21 first-class video games previous to his Check debut, Atkinson proved England’s scouting system to be successful, a way that makes use of and prioritises expertise above in-person choice.
The identical equipment was used to find Somerset’s off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who, like Atkinson, starred on his debut in India earlier this yr, main him to be re-selected for this Check.
What Atkinson does with the ball, Harry Brook (25no) does with the bat. The 25-year-old, who missed the India tour as a result of private causes, returned to the Check fold for the primary time since showing at The Oval towards Australia in 2023. The Yorkshireman made a unprecedented begin to his personal Check profession, amassing 809 runs in his first six appearances for England, and appears in good stead to hold England additional with the bat.
With James Anderson bowing out after the Lord’s Check, there’s a altering of the guard as Stokes’ aspect look to arrange for The Ashes in 2025, and it’s a aspect which appears not solely secure however promising by the hands of England’s kids.
Watch day two of the primary Check between England and West Indies dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 10.15am on Thursday (11am first ball).
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