In just under two months since his Test debut, Gus Atkinson has made a significant impact. The 26-year-old English pacer has played five Tests in six weeks, with two at the iconic Lord’s. Remarkably, Atkinson has been inscribed on Lord’s prestigious Honors Board four times in just these two Tests.
Atkinson’s latest achievement came as he took five wickets against Sri Lanka, leading England to a commanding 190-run victory. This win secured a 2-0 series lead for England with one match remaining in the three-Test series.
Match Summary:
- England: 427 and 251 (Root 103, Brooke 37, Smith 26, Duckett 24; Asita 3/52, Lahiru 3/53).
- Sri Lanka: 196 and 292 (Chandimal 58, Karunaratne 55, Dhananjaya 50, Ratnayake 43, Mathews 36; Atkinson 5/62, Woakes 2/46, Stone 2/56).
- Result: England won by 190 runs.
- Man of the Match: Gus Atkinson
In his debut Test against the West Indies at Lord’s in July, Atkinson took a total of 12 wickets (7 and 5) across both innings, earning him a spot on the Honors Board for taking at least five wickets in each innings. This time, he also scored a century in England’s first innings against Sri Lanka, contributing 118 runs with the bat.
By the end of the third day, England was poised for victory, with Sri Lanka chasing a daunting 482 runs and already at 53/2. On the fourth day, England, led by Atkinson, managed to claim the remaining eight wickets by the afternoon.
Despite efforts from Sri Lankan players like Dinesh Chandimal (58), Dimuth Karunaratne (55), Dhananjaya de Silva (50), and Milan Ratnayake (43), Atkinson’s bowling proved decisive. He took the wickets of Chandimal, de Silva, Ratnayake, Kamindu Mendis, and earlier in the day, Nishan Madushka. His bowling figures were 16-4-62-5.
Atkinson was named Man of the Match and expressed his delight at excelling in both batting and bowling: “Couldn’t have asked for anything more. It’s an incredible feeling to be named on both honors boards (batting and bowling) at Lord’s.”
Read More: West Indies Dominate South Africa in T20 Series Sweep
The third Test of the England-Sri Lanka series will begin on September 10 at the Oval.
