West Indies player Kavem Hodge reacts after being sent off during the first day of the first test cricket match between England and West Indies at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on July 10, 2024. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP)
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — England rookie Gus Atkinson outdid James Anderson’s retirement with a sensational seven-wicket haul on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s Ground on Wednesday, but the West Indies were routed by 121 all out.
The build-up to the three-match series has centred around England great Anderson, who will be playing his final five-day match after a record-breaking Test career in which he took 701 wickets, the most by a fast bowler at that level.
But it was Surrey’s speedy Atkinson who stole the show with impressive figures of 7-45 from 12 overs, which included three wickets in just one over.
In contrast, Anderson did not add to his Test match wicket tally until he had the final batsman, Jayden Shields, struck LBW to end West Indies’ innings.
West Indies debutant Mikhail Lewis top-scored with 27 as the touring team was eliminated in the 42nd over.
After Ben Duckett caught a Shields delivery behind for three, England fought back to reach 30 for one by tea time.
The West Indies had played just one warm-up match prior to this Test match and with three inexperienced top-order batsmen – Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanadze and Kavem Hodge – with just nine caps between them, it was not surprising that they struggled after losing the coin toss under overcast skies.
West Indies were 88 for 3 when Atkinson bowled his 35th over, having already claimed two wickets before lunch.
He got Athanase caught at slip by Joe Root on the second ball of the over to score 23 runs.
Atkinson delivered a fine delivery with the next ball but Jason Holder, returning to Test cricket after nearly a year, could only edge to Harry Brook inside the cordon.
Joshua da Silva survived for a hat-trick but on the very next ball he too was down for a duck, caught off an inside edge by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who was playing his Surrey team-mate Atkinson’s Test debut.
Atkinson took three wickets in four balls after removing Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph for a final figure of no runs, the second-best on Test debut by an English bowler after Dominic Cork’s 7-43 against the West Indies at Lord’s in 1995.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes won the coin toss and opted to defend, meaning Anderson was thrown into the game straight away.
But despite a strong performance with the new ball, in which he scored 11 runs in five overs, the 41-year-old Anderson could not get past West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite or fellow opener Lewis.
Meanwhile, Chris Woakes was bowled for an unwise six down the leg side by 23-year-old Lewis, the first West Indies Test cricketer from St Kitts.
The West Indies were hoping for a big score from Brathwaite, who was playing his 90th Test match.
But when Atkinson batted on his second ball in Test cricket, he hit it back onto the stumps and made just two runs.
Lewis’ promising 58-ball delivery ended just before lunch when he was felled by a superb low catch by Brook, diving at third slip off a Stokes delivery.
West Indies’ predicament was summed up when Hodge fell for 24 after Woakes’s fierce square cut-off was nicely caught by Ollie Pope at point, the batsman dropping to his knees in disbelief.
