July 10-12, Lord’s Cricket Ground, 1st Test Match
West Indies 121 (Louis 27, Atkinson 7-45, Stokes 1-14) & 136 (Motie 31*, Athanaze 22, Atkinson 5-61, Anderson 3-32) England 371 (Crawley 76, Smith 70, Seales 4-77, Motie 2-41)
England won by an innings & 114 runs
Toss: England, who elected to field Officials: Nitin Menon, Rod Tucker, Adrian Holdstock, Javagal Srinath, Russell Warren
England married the old and the brand new in a clinical thrashing of West Indies at Lord’s, James Anderson bidding farewell with a final masterclass and Gus Atkinson giving a glimpse of what’s to are available in an exhilarating debut.
Anderson was all the time going to be the headline act in his 188th and last Test appearance and the 41-year-old duly delivered by taking 3-32 within the visitors’ second innings to finish his profession with 704 wickets. But he shared the stage with Atkinson, the Surrey speedster, who followed his first-innings haul of 7-45 with 5-61 within the second to record the perfect match figures by an England debutant for 134 years and bowl the hosts to victory by an innings and 114 runs before lunch on day three. West Indies dis not manage to bat the length of an ODI innings in either of their attempts, while England appeared barely more measured than previously, scoring at a comparatively modest 4.12 runs per overs across 90 overs.
Anderson missed the chance to follow within the footsteps of Stuart Broad and claim a wicket along with his final delivery in Test cricket when he shelled Gudakesh Motie off his own bowling, but he had earlier given the Lord’s crowd a final memory to savour when he nicked off Joshua Da Silva with a trademark outswinger, adding to the 2 dismissals he had taken on day two and his solitary first-innings scalp.
“I attempted to benefit from the week,”
That’s all folks:Jimmy leaves the sector for the ultimate time as an England cricketer
PICTURES: Alamy
Anderson told Sky Sports after the match. “I just desired to enjoy every minute, absorb the atmosphere and revel in doing something I’ve loved for 20-odd years. Thankfully it swung somewhat bit at times and the pitch did enough throughout the sport to check the batters out.
“I got somewhat bit emotional walking onto the sector when the 2 teams were lined up [for the guard of honour on day three]. I just tried to settle in and get wickets. Perhaps I attempted a bit too hard towards the top. Forgot to place my hands up and dropped a catch!”
Anderson, who will proceed to be a part of the England set-up this summer in a mentoring capability, paid tribute to Atkinson, who was named Player of the Match.
“It’s downhill from here after 12 on debut! What an incredible week he’s had. The thing I like about Gus, he went to India within the winter, didn’t play, but worked so hard on his game and his run-up. He’s going to be an incredible cricketer for England. We’ve got an awesome group of young bowlers coming through. I’m really looking forward to working with them.”
England’s victory was never doubtful from the moment they skittled West Indies for 121 on day one, Atkinson opening the floodgates by dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite along with his second delivery and later bowling a triple-wicket maiden in a spectacular begin to his Test profession.
The hosts were already 68 runs ahead by stumps and only three wickets down, with Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (57) making half-centuries before Joe Root (68), Harry Brook (50) and debutant Jamie Smith (70) did the identical on day two to offer England a first-innings lead of 250.
Each of the five half centuries was fluent, however the 23-year-old Smith’s was perhaps probably the most eye-catching innings, as he got here into the side to switch Ben Foakes, ostensibly to make sure an England wicket-keeper could bat with the tail while playing a more expansive game. Smith ticked every box, setting out steadily when in company of Root and Woakes but opening his shoulders in a while, hitting two huge sixes, one in all which went clean out of the bottom. England added 42 runs for the last three wickets without their numbers 9, 10 or 11 scoring a run.
Smith’s keeping was also blemish-free, with 4 catches taken and no byes conceded on a ground that’s notoriously hard for keepers with the ball often swinging after it passes the bat.
The Windies’ inexperienced batting line-up slumped to 79-6 by stumps, Anderson dismissing Brathwaite for the eighth times in Tests before outfoxing Alick Athanaze. Ben Stokes chipped in with two in an otherwise quiet match for the England skipper – although his willingness to bowl long spells bodes well for the balance of the side –, and Atkinson upped his match tally to nine to depart the tourists staring down the barrel.
The third and final day began with an emotional guard of honour for Anderson, who bowled unchanged from the Nursery End and gave England supporters a reminder of what they’ll be missing with a peach to send Da Silva on his way.
Then it was over to Atkinson, who picked up the ultimate three wickets to finish his dozen, Ben Duckett nonchalantly catching Jayden Seales on the midwicket boundary to seal the victory.
“I just wish to say because of Jimmy,” said Atkinson within the post-match presentation. “Playing here in his last Test has been incredible. Growing up, Jimmy was someone I’d come here to Lord’s to look at. I used to be at mid-off looking over at Jimmy running in considering,
‘I’ve seen this so over and over on TV’. What’s so good with this group is you’re allowed to are available in and be the player you should be.”
The series now moves to Trent Bridge, with the second Test starting on Thursday. Life without James Anderson may appear unthinkable for a lot of England fans, but Stokes insisted the long run is in good hands, praising the immediate impact of Atkinson and Smith.
“Before the sport starts, it’s all the time amazing seeing two young lads with a boatload of talent receive those caps,” said the England captain. “For them to go on and put in performances like they did may be very pleasing. The long run for those two is looking superb.”
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