Gus Atkinson gets to 50 Test wickets: Decoding his numbers
Rising England cricket star Gus Atkinson has reached a major career milestone. The 25-year-old took his 50th Test wicket in just his 11th match on the first day of the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. He now stands as the fifth-fastest England bowler to achieve the milestone since World War II, sharing the record with Dominic Cork and Ollie Robinson.
Atkinson's impressive start in Test cricket
Atkinson made his debut in July this year against the West Indies at Lord's. He had an impressive start, taking seven wickets in his first innings and finishing with figures of 7-45. He followed this up with another five-wicket haul in the same match, totaling 12 wickets for the game. In his Test career so far, Atkinson has bowled in 20 innings and has gone wicketless only once.
Atkinson's consistent performance and Test hat-trick
Atkinson has taken at least two wickets in 16 innings and has also picked three five-wicket hauls. He also completed a Test hat-trick last week, becoming the 14th England bowler to do so and the first since Moeen Ali in 2017. Ahead of the third Test against New Zealand, Atkinson had taken 48 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 22.29. He has now raced to 51 scalps at 22.06, having finished Day 1 at 3/55 (19 overs).
Atkinson's journey to 50 Test wickets
The pacer opened his account by trapping Will Young (42) at Seddon Park before claiming his 50th wicket with Daryl Mitchell's scalp. Tim Southee was his final victim as NZ finished Day 1 at 315/9. With this, Atkinson has become the 13th-fastest England bowler to achieve this feat and only the fifth-fastest since World War II. Frank Tyson is the fastest Englishman to reach 50 Test wickets, having done so in just nine matches back in 1955.
Do you know?
Atkinson, who made his Test debut in July, became just the second bowler in Test history to pick 50 wickets in their debut calendar year. The youngster is also the first player since former Australia national cricket team pacer Terry Alderman to achieve this feat. Terry Alderman recorded this feat in 1981. Meanwhile, Atkinson became just the second bowler after India's Jasprit Bumrah (53) to complete 50 Test wickets in 2024.
