On Saturday, December 14, on the first day of the third Test match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton, England fast bowler Gus Atkinson created history. Atkinson’s accomplishment made him just the second bowler in Test history to accomplish this feat.
After winning the toss, England decided to bowl first. The hosts handled the early seam-friendly conditions well, reaching 93-0 in the first session. Gus Atkinson, however, dismissed the composed Will Young, who hit 42 runs off 92 balls, including 10 fours, as England rallied in the following session.
After winning the toss, England captain Ben Stokes decided to bowl first. After winning the first two Tests, he was looking for a series whitewash. With a strong start of 63 runs, captain Tom Latham was well-supported by Will Young (42) and Kane Williamson (44).
At the end of the first day, Mitchell Santner’s undefeated fifty helped New Zealand record 315/9, despite a few cheap middle-order wickets. Brydon Carse claimed two wickets for England, while Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson both claimed three.
Gus Atkinson completes 50 Test wickets in his debut year, becomes second bowler to do this
After that, Gus Atkinson dismissed Daryl Mitchell to reach 50 Test wickets for the England national side. In 11 Test matches played in 2024, the right-arm fast bowler achieved the milestone.
The first bowler to take more than 50 wickets in his debut year of playing Test cricket was Terry Alderman, a former Australian pacer. On June 18, 1981, Alderman made his debut for Australia in a match against England in Nottingham. In 10 Test matches that year, he claimed 54 wickets.
Gus Atkinson has 50 Test match wickets for England! 🏴
REMINDER: He made his debut in July 🤯 pic.twitter.com/OdjqnxJp7U
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 14, 2024
On July 10, 2024, at Lord’s, Atkinson made his Test debut for England against the West Indies, taking seven wickets for 45 runs in the opening innings. He became one of the bowlers to reach 50 Test wickets or more in 2024, joining India’s top fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
Gus Atkinson has become England’s 13th fastest bowler to 50 Test wickets, and the fifth fastest since World War II. He equaled Dominic Cork and Ollie Robinson’s record.
Frank Tyson holds the record for the fastest English bowler, taking 50 wickets in nine matches. Overall, Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya is the fastest to 50 wickets since World War II, having reached the milestone in his seventh Test.
Fastest England Bowlers to 50 Wickets:
| Player | Matches Taken for 50 Wickets | Year |
| Frank Tyson | 9 | 1955 |
| Fred Trueman | 10 | 1956 |
| Ken Higgs | 10 | 1966 |
| Ian Botham | 10 | 1978 |
| Dominic Cork | 11 | 1996 |
| Ollie Robinson | 11 | 2022 |
| Gus Atkinson | 11 | 2024 |
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