England debutant Atkinson takes centre stage in Anderson's final Test

By Sports Desk July 10, 2024

James Anderson took a wicket on the first day of his final Test but England debutant Gus Atkinson was the star of the show at Lord's.

Paceman Atkinson took seven wickets and went for just 45 runs as England dominated the opening day against West Indies, finishing with a lead of 68.

The tourists collapsed from 88-3 to 121 all out on Wednesday, with Atkinson taking three of his seven wickets during a phenomenal 35th over.

Alick Athanaze, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva could not cope with the England new boy, who had previously dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie, with Atkinson following up with two more wickets before Anderson sent Jayden Seales packing.

England subsequently took control with the bat, recovering from the early loss of Ben Duckett, with Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope taking Ben Stokes' team to 123 before the latter succumbed to an edge on 57.

Crawley (76) followed when he was done leg before wicket by Holder, but Joe Root (15 not out) and Harry Brook (25 n.o) ensured there was no further loss before the close, which England reached at 189-3.

Data Debrief: Anderson bowing out, but the future's bright

It is truly the end of an era at Lord's over the coming days, and Anderson at least has the guarantee of one wicket from his farewell Test.

He is now on 701 wickets in the longest format, and 120 of those have come at Lord's.

But Atkinson proved there is life after Anderson. His figures of 7-45 are the second best any bowler has managed on men's Test debut for England, after Dominic Cork's 7-43 at Lord's in 1995.

Related items

  • In-form Evin Lewis eyes consistency as Windies seek series clinch against England In-form Evin Lewis eyes consistency as Windies seek series clinch against England

    After a commanding match-winning 94 in the first ODI against England, West Indies opener Evin Lewis is riding high on momentum and aiming to carry his form into Saturday’s second game in North Sound, Antigua.

    Lewis’ knock, punctuated by blistering drives and calculated power hitting, laid the foundation for the Caribbean side’s eight-wicket victory, which handed them a valuable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

    Reflecting on his performance, Lewis credited his partnership with fellow opener Brandon King (30) as crucial to setting the tone for the chase after the West Indies bowlers did their part in dismissing England for 209.

    The pair’s composed 118-run opening stand gave the West Indies early control over the game, leaving captain Shai Hope and Keacy Carty, who were unbeaten on six and 19, respectively, with a relatively straightforward path to victory, as they easily got to their revised target of 157 with 55 balls to spare.

    “With the new ball, [Brandon] King and I always say once we see what the new ball does, it becomes so much easier scoring deep into the innings. So I just tried to be positive after the powerplay and bat as deep as possible,” Lewis said in an interview with CWI media.

    “It is very nice to bat with Brandon King; he is also a positive player like me, and we feed off each other. We have some good partnerships going so far and are looking forward to continuing that going forward,” he added.

    Lewis, known for his aggressive style, struck 94 off just 69 balls, including eight sixes and five fours, giving the Antiguan crowd much to celebrate as the rain failed to dampen their spirits.

    Now looking to the second ODI, Lewis emphasized the importance of carrying their positive energy forward as they aim to seal the series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.

    “I think we just have to keep playing the cricket we are playing and be positive in what we are doing. It is important to try and win the second game so that we can close out the series. We have the support from the coaching staff, so we just have to go out there and execute,” the aggressive left-handed batsman noted.

    With his confidence high and his approach focused, the Trinidad and Tobago stalwart remains one to watch as West Indies continue to progress as a team.

    Knowing his role is pivotal in guiding the West Indies to victory once again, much like he did with a well-played century in the last game of their Sri Lankan tour, Lewis’ sights are set on keeping his form intact.

    “I was pretty confident coming into this series after that century against Sri Lanka, and I am even more confident after getting off the mark in the series, and it is important that I keep scoring runs,” he ended.

  • Late collapse puts India on the back foot against New Zealand Late collapse puts India on the back foot against New Zealand

    Ravindra Jadeja took a five-for but New Zealand hit back with some late wickets of their own against India on Friday.

    India looked in complete control at 78-1 in the penultimate over of the first day of the third Test in Mumbai, having bowled New Zealand out for 235.

    Jadeja, who bowled 22 unchanged overs, was in sensational form with the ball, taking 5-65.

    Able support arrived from the excellent Washington Sundar, who finished with figures of 4-81. His haul included the wicket of Daryl Mitchell (82), who was the only New Zealand batter to really make a dent.

    Rohit Sharma's dismissal for 18 in the seventh over did not derail a positive start to India's chase, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) and Shubman Gill (31 not out) looking steady at the crease.

    However, Jaiswal was bowled by Ajaz Patel (2-33) in the 18th over, with Mohammed Siraj pinned lbw from the very next ball.

    Patel was unable to complete his hat-trick, but Virat Kohli was run out for four in the next over as New Zealand rallied, and the tourists now have plenty of momentum heading into day two.

    Data Debrief: Three of a kind

    India have won their last three Tests at Wankhede Stadium, including a 372-run win over New Zealand in their last match at the venue (3 December 2021), after not registering a win in three matches prior to that span (D1 L2).

    And they looked well placed to push on and continue that run as they looked to avoid slipping to a third defeat of the series.

    They last lost three successive Tests on home soil back in the 1970s, when they faced England, but their late capitulation has left them vulnerable to matching that.

  • Archer's 'body in good stead' as England paceman targets Test return Archer's 'body in good stead' as England paceman targets Test return

    England fast bowler Jofra Archer says that his body is in good shape, as he suggested the next target is a return to Test cricket.

    Archer is part of England's white-ball squad touring the West Indies.

    This is his first tour since he recovered from a stress fracture in his elbow, which kept him out of the 2023 Ashes series.

    Although England were beaten by eight wickets on the DLS method in the first ODI against West Indies on Thursday, the series is about more than just winning for Archer.

    "My body is in good stead. It’s only been one year of bowling properly as well," he told TNT Sports.

    "Before you can play in an ODI, you have to be bowling [10 overs] in training to make sure your body can withstand the load.

    "To be honest, I’ve not been doing anything more than [that]."

    The 29-year-old returned to international cricket following his injury at the 2024 T20 World Cup and has since played in the home ODI series against Australia.

    He needs just four wickets to reach 50 in ODIs, which would make him the 30th England player to hit that milestone in the format.

    But he has not featured in a Test since facing India in Ahmedabad in 2021. The sight of him on England duty will likely raise questions about his potential future involvement in the longer format.

    "The next phase is maybe for me to start thinking about Test cricket and doing some more loads, but for now, I’m quite happy, and the management are quite happy with everything that I’m doing," he said.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.