England’s New Cricket Sensation
During the England vs West Indies Day 1, I had the pleasure of watching Gus Atkinson’s Incredible Test in the first Test of England’s summer at Lord’s, and it was nothing short of remarkable. This match was supposed to be all about James Anderson’s farewell, but it turned into the Gus Atkinson show. The West Indies batters were left in shambles as they collapsed from 88 for 3 to 121 all out, with Atkinson taking an unbelievable 7 for 45.

Gus Atkinson after his incredible first outing at Lords.
A Stellar First Day
From the very beginning, Atkinson showed he meant business. He took two wickets in his first 14 balls on the first morning. But it was his second spell that really changed the game. In his ninth over, he took three wickets in four balls, completely dismantling the West Indies’ middle order. By his 11th over, he had added two more wickets to his tally. His figures were the second-best by an England bowler on their Test debut, only behind Dominic Cork.
James Anderson, playing his 188th and final Test, was expected to steal the show. He bowled nine wicketless overs before lunch and finally took the last wicket of the innings, trapping Jayden Seales lbw to a huge cheer from the Lord’s crowd. However, it was Atkinson, the fast bowler from Surrey, who led England off the field after a truly amazing first day as a Test cricketer.

James Anderson walking out for his final Test match.
Speed and Skill on Display
On a pitch that was a bit slow, Atkinson was the fastest bowler on display for England, consistently hitting speeds around 90mph/145kph and maintaining an average speed of 86mph/138kph. His ability to subtly adjust his grip and use a scrambled seam to move the ball both ways off the surface was a joy to watch.
England’s lead overnight was largely thanks to Zak Crawley’s quickfire 76. He rode his luck at times but his attacking intent paid off, scoring heavily on either side of the point and dragging through midwicket and square leg when the West Indies bowled short. He fell just 24 runs short of a fifth Test hundred, with Seales knocking his leg stump back with a perfect inswinging yorker.
Early Breakthroughs and a Strong Start
Seales made the initial breakthrough for the West Indies, getting Ben Duckett to edge through to Joshua Da Silva. Crawley and Pope then combined well after a bad-light stoppage, scoring at nearly five runs per over. Both men fell before the close, but Joe Root and Harry Brook remained unbeaten.
Atkinson was one of two players handed their England Test caps on the first morning, along with his Surrey teammate Jamie Smith. Having made his white-ball international debuts last year, Atkinson struck with the second ball of his first spell, getting Kraigg Brathwaite to chop onto his stumps while attempting a slap through the off side.
In his third over, Atkinson got another wicket, angling a full ball across the left-handed Kirk McKenzie, whose thick outside edge flew quickly to Zak Crawley at second slip. After his first five-over spell, Atkinson had remarkable figures of 2 for 2, with four maidens and just a single scoring shot.
Dramatic Middle Order Collapse
Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge added 44 runs in a partnership that spanned the lunch interval. But when Athanaze edged a low catch to Root at first slip, it sparked a dramatic collapse. Jason Holder, playing his first Test in a year, was squared up first-ball and caught in the slips. Then, Da Silva’s inside edge gave Smith his first Test dismissal.
Hodge saw three wickets fall in four balls while standing at the non-striker’s end and decided to take charge, aiming to drag the West Indies to a respectable total. He hit a cut shot off Chris Woakes that flew straight off the middle of his bat, only for Ollie Pope to take a spectacular diving catch at point. Hodge threw his head back in disbelief.
Brief Resistance and Final Flourish
Atkinson’s figures were briefly dented by Alzarri Joseph, who hit four boundaries in five balls: two wristy whips through square leg, a textbook straight drive, and a beautiful lofted extra-cover drive which even had his fellow Antiguan Vivian Richards standing to applaud from the hospitality boxes.
However, Joseph soon chipped one up in the air to mid-on, giving Atkinson his sixth wicket. Two balls later, Shamar Joseph was caught comically by Pope at point, losing his footing while attempting to pull the ball through the leg side. Anderson wrapped up the innings with an inswinger that struck Seales straight in front.
Anderson occasionally beat the bat but bowled a fraction too short, especially in his first spell. He was greeted with applause by the Lord’s crowd when leading England out for the national anthem, with his close family present and his daughters, Ruby and Lola, ringing the five-minute bell on the pavilion balcony.
Ben Stokes and England’s Bowling Prowess
Ben Stokes, who opted to bowl under cloud cover, managed to send down eight overs after declaring himself fully fit, having skipped the T20 World Cup to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury. He removed Mikyle Louis, who played brightly on debut, thanks to an excellent diving catch from Brook at second slip.
Louis, the first man from St. Kitts to play Test cricket for the West Indies, was handed his cap by Richards. He played with a confidence that belied the fact that this was only his eighth first-class appearance. He hit consecutive boundaries in Anderson’s first over, which cost nine runs, and his 27 made him the West Indies’ top scorer. Both Crawley and Pope had surpassed him when the umpires took the players off for bad light in the evening session. Holder thought he had them trapped lbw, but the Decision Review System saved both: Pope was given out, but the inswinger was projected to miss leg, while Holder convinced Brathwaite to review a not-out decision off Crawley, which was upheld.
Holder did eventually trap an overbalancing Pope in front for 57, ending a second-wicket partnership worth 94 runs shortly after England had nudged into the lead. It was Pope’s first 50-plus score in a Test since his 196 against India in Hyderabad and only his second against a red ball in this English summer.
Struggles of West Indies Bowlers
Shamar Joseph, playing his first-class match for the first time since leading the West Indies to a famous win at the Gabba, bowled nine wicketless overs and suffered from cramp. His namesake Alzarri, who had also spent the last six months playing T20, was short on rhythm and consistency, bowling three no-balls and leaking 6.6 runs per over. While on other hand Jayden Seales got the crucial wicket of Zak Crawley by bowling him a toe-crushing yorker which was a sight to behold for all cricket fans.

Crawley clean bowled by Seales
Gus Atkinson’s debut was nothing short of phenomenal. His performance overshadowed James Anderson’s farewell, making a significant impact on his first day as a Test cricketer. The way Atkinson bowled with pace, precision, and the ability to move the ball both ways was truly impressive. His figures of 7 for 45 set the stage for what looks to be a promising career in Test cricket. England’s bowling attack, with the inclusion of Atkinson, looks stronger than ever. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Watch the England vs West Indies Day 1 highlights from the link given below,
