Innings break – West Indies 121 (Atkinson 7-45) vs England
They came for James Anderson, but they got Gus Atkinson. The first Test of England’s summer at Lord’s was meant to be a farewell for their greatest-ever seam bowler, but West Indies’ batters rolled out the red carpet for a debutant instead: they collapsed from 88 for 3 to 121 all out, with Atkinson taking remarkable figures of 7 for 45.
Atkinson took two wickets in his first 14 balls on the first morning, but it was his second spell that sent West Indies into a tailspin. He took three wickets in four balls in his ninth over, ripping the heart out of West Indies’ middle order, then took two in three in his 11th. His figures were the second-best by an England bowler on their Test debut, behind only Dominic Cork.
Anderson, playing his 188th and final Test, bowled nine wicketless overs before lunch and was brought back to take the final wicket of the innings, trapping Jayden Seales lbw to a loud ovation from the Lord’s crowd. But it was Atkinson, the Surrey fast bowler, who led England off the field after a remarkable first day as a Test cricketer.
Atkinson, who made his white-ball international debuts last year, was one of two players handed their caps on the first morning along with his county team-mate Jamie Smith. He struck with the second ball of his first spell as Kraigg Brathwaite chopped onto his own stumps while attempting a leaden-footed slap through the off side.
He struck again in his third over, angling a full ball across the left-handed Kirk McKenzie whose thick outside edge flew quickly to Zak Crawley at second slip. Atkinson bowled with good pace, regularly touching 90mph/145kph, and after his first five-over spell he had figures of 2 for 2, with four maidens and a single scoring shot.
Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge, the Dominican batters, added 44 in a partnership that spanned the lunch interval. But when Athanaze steered a low catch to Joe Root at first slip, it sparked a dramatic slide: Jason Holder, playing his first Test in a year, was squared up first-ball and caught in the slips, before Joshua 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 it was up to him to drag West Indies to a respectable total, laying into a cut when Chris Woakes offered him some width. The ball flew straight off the middle of his bat, only for Ollie Pope to take a spectacular diving catch in tight at point. Hodge threw his head back in disbelief.
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 lofted extra-cover drive which had his compatriot Vivian Richards standing to applaud.
But he soon chipped one up in the air to mid-on to give Atkinson a sixth, and two balls later, Shamar Joseph was comically caught by Pope point, losing his footing while attempting to pull him through the leg side. Anderson wrapped up the innings with an inswinger which struck Seales straight in front.
On a slowish pitch, Atkinson was the quickest England bowler on show, repeatedly touching 90mph/145kph and maintaining an average speed around 86mph/138kph. He made subtle adjustments to his seam position but generally used a scrambled seam, allowing him to move the ball both ways off the pitch.
Anderson occasionally beat the bat but bowled a fraction too short, particularly in his first spell. He was applauded onto the pitch 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, who had no hesitation opting to bowl under cloud cover, was able 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 made a bright 27 on debut, thanks to an excellent diving catch from Harry Brook at second slip.
Louis, who became the first man from St Kitts to play Test cricket for West Indies, was handed his cap by Richards and played with a confidence that belied the fact this was only his eighth first-class appearance. He hit consecutive boundaries in Anderson’s first over, one slashed through backward point and the second pressed dismissively through mid-off.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
