Gus Atkinson makes history with fourth Test fifer at Lord's
What's the story
England defeated New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test at Lord's, thanks to a stellar performance from Gus Atkinson. The match was heavily influenced by the unpredictable pitch, which made batting extremely difficult. The tourists, chasing 254, started the fourth day at 55/5. Despite rescuing knocks from Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips, they never looked like turning the game around. Meanwhile, Atikson completed his fourth Test fifer at the Home of Cricket.
Outcome
How the final day panned out
With rain washing out the majority of Day 3 and the surface further deteriorating, NZ were in for a tough challenge. They began the fourth day's play with an overnight score of 55/5. Although Conway showed promise with a 41-run knock, Ben Stokes broke through. Phillips (44*), who added 53 runs with Conway. However, he ran out of partners. As Atkinson cleaned up the tail, NZ perished for 138.
Milestone
Atkinson shines with fifth fifer
Atkinson was the pick of England's bowlers in the final innings. He took 5/30 in 11.3 overs, including three maidens. He became the joint fourth-most Test fifers at Lord's with Derek Underwood. The duo is only behind Ian Botham (8), James Anderson (7), and Fred Trueman (5). Overall, it was Atkinson's fifth five-wicket haul apart from a match haul of 10 wickets.
Numbers
A look at his numbers
Atkinson made his Test debut in July 2024 at the same venue. In just 17 matches, the speedster has raced to 76 wickets at an average of 22.5. Notably, 52 of his wickets have come in nine home Tests at 18.46. Against the Kiwis, Atkinson has taken 19 wickets from four Tests at an average of 17.78.