Gus Atkinson took seven wickets on a sizzling England debut as he ripped the headlines from the retiring James Anderson and rolled West Indies for 121 on a dominant day for the hosts at Lord’s.
The series opener is Anderson’s 188th and final Test for England with management wanting to focus on constructing a side able to regain The Ashes in Australia in the winter of 2025-26 – which, on this early evidence, Atkinson could form a key part of.
The notoriously shy Anderson, 41, was given a tremendous reception from the Lord’s crowd ahead of play on Wednesday, at the venue where he took a five-wicket haul on debut versus Zimbabwe in 2003.
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Watch all seven of Atkinson’s wickets at Lord’s as West Indies’ innings lasted just 41.4 overs
However, he was outshone by Surrey seamer Atkinson (7-45) as the new boy became the eighth England bowler to bag seven wickets on Test debut and the second this year after spinner Tom Hartley achieved the feat against India in Hyderabad in January.
England closed on 189-3 to lead by 68 with Ollie Pope (57) and Zak Crawley (76) sharing a busy second-wicket stand of 94, one that was briefly paused by bad light in the evening session before the day ended in the glorious sunshine that is also forecast for day two.
Earlier, Atkinson struck with his second ball as West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite chopped on, while he then claimed three wickets in four balls in the 35th over, including Jason Holder for a golden duck, amid the tourists losing four wickets for no runs from 88-3.
Atkinson’s figures are the third-best by an England bowler on Test debut
Anderson picked up the final wicket of the innings – his first of the day and the 701st of his glittering Test career – when he pinned Jayden Seales lbw, sparking another huge Lord’s roar.
But the day belonged to Atkinson, who, admittedly while dismantling a highly-inexperienced West Indies batting line-up, showed there will be life after Anderson as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s men build for that Ashes assignment in 16 months’ time.
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The Lord’s crowd erupted when James Anderson took his first wicket of the Test and the 701st of his England career
More to follow.
Watch day two of the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord’s live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Thursday.
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