Tag: Gus Atkinson

LONDON: Veteran pacer James Anderson concluded his glittering Test career on a winning note as England crushed West Indies by an innings and 114 runs in the first Test of the three-match series here at Lord’s.

The right-arm pacer playing his 188th and last Test for England, bowed out with 704 wickets, the most by any pacer in the history of the format.

“It’s been an amazing week, been overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd and everyone around the ground,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

“I’m just proud of what I’ve achieved,” he added.

However, his farewell was overshadowed by his successor Gus Atkinson, who backed his first-inning seven-wicket haul with a five-fer and recorded magnificent bowling figures of 12 for 106, the best by an England player on debut since 1890.

West Indies resumed their second innings at 79/6 on Day Three, needing a further 171 runs to make England bat again.

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But, James Anderson denied the touring side a chance to settle down as he got rid of wicketkeeper batter Joshua Da Silva (9) to open the floodgates.

Atkinson then ripped through to the toothless West Indies batting tail with three quick wickets to steer England to a massive victory in the series opener.

However, Anderson had a chance to conclude the match with a caught and bowled but dropped the dolly directed towards him by No.9 Gudakesh Motie.

The moment elicited gasps and groans and Anderson could just smile as he sank to his knees, the ball slipping out of his grasp as he reached for it one-handed.

For his record match figures, Gus Atkinson was adjudged the Player of the Match.

England now lead the three-match series against West Indies 1-0. The two sides now head to Nottingham, scheduled to host the second fixture from July 18 to 22.

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LONDON: Debutant Gus Atkinson blew away West Indies with a seven-wicket haul before Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope’s half-centuries gave England a 68-run lead on the opening day of the first Test of the three-match series here at Lord’s.

In James Anderson’s final Test, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and put West Indies into bat.

Anderson, the most successful pacer in the history of Test cricket, was honoured by his teammates as he was asked to lead the side marching onto the field.

The right-arm pacer also received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd at the home of cricket while his daughters rang the five-minute bell before the commencement of the action as visibly emotional Anderson looked on.

But the attention soon tilted towards debutant pacer Atkinson as he wreaked havoc with a seven-wicket haul.

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Gus Atkinson was supported by skipper Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Anderson as England booked West Indies on a meagre 121 in the first innings.

In response, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope’s fifties recovered England from a shaky start as opening batter Ben Duckett perished cheaply.

Crawley and Pope partnered strongly to add 94 runs for the second wicket until Jason Holder struck to get rid of the latter.

Pope scored 57 off 74 deliveries with the help of 11 boundaries.

Zak Crawley then put together a brief partnership with Joe Root before a searing Seales’ yorker drew curtains on his brilliant knock.

He remained the top-scorer for England with a brisk 76 which featured 14 boundaries.

Root (15) combined with Harry Brook (25) and together they raised an unbeaten 46 before the umpires called it a day.

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LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, announced a 16-man squad for the five-match away Test series against India, featuring three uncapped players Shoaib Bashir, Gus Atkinson and Tom Hartley.

Atkinson had a remarkable stint in the County Championship when he picked up 20 wickets in five matches at an average of 20.20, playing a pivotal role in Surrey claiming back-to-back titles.

Hartley and Bashir, on the other hand, were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.

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Shoaib Bashir, who made his professional debut in June after signing a professional contract with Somerset, has thus far played only six first-class matches and picked up 10 wickets at an average of 67.

Hartley too, has a modest first-class record for Lancashire, with 40 career wickets at 36.57.

Meanwhile, England Test captain Ben Stokes, who recently underwent knee surgery last month, is also included in the squad.

However, it remains uncertain whether the dynamic all-rounder would be fit enough to bowl in the series.

Ben Foakes, who was dropped for the Ashes, has been recalled for the India Tests, while Jack Leach and Ollie Pope both return to the squad after recovering from back and shoulder injuries during the English summer.

England’s 16-man squad for the India Tests features four spinners and as many pacers.

England Test squad: Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (captain), Mark Wood.

England’s Tour of India Itinerary:

1st Test: India v England, 25-29 January, Hyderabad
2nd Test: India v England, 2-6 February, Vizag
3rd Test: India v England, 15-19 February, Rajkot
4th Test: India v England, 23-27 February, Ranchi
5th Test: India v England, 7-11 March, Dharamsala

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