Image Source : Depositphotos
Gus Atkinson’s Performance at Lord’s Wins Series for England
Gus Atkinson’s Performance at Lord’s Wins Series for England
Half-centuries for Karunaratne, Chandimal and Dhananjaya not enough to prevent heavy Sri Lanka defeat. Gus Atkinson claimed his third five-for in four innings at Lord's.
Gus Atkinson had an amazing debut summer as an England Test cricketer, earning his fifth spot on the Lord's Honours boards. He took five wickets in the second innings and scored his first hundred runs, helping to break Sri Lanka's resistance in the second Test.
Sri Lanka, needing 483 runs to stay in the series, fought hard in their fourth innings to avoid their first Test defeat at Lord's since 1991. Despite strong half-centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dhananjaya de Silva, and a determined effort from Milan Rathnayake in his second Test, they lost by 190 runs in four days.
There weren't many people at Lord's to watch the match, but those who were there applauded Sri Lanka's efforts. They also cheered for Gus Atkinson when he took his fifth wicket, raising the ball in celebration after dismissing Rathnayake. This brought his total to 19 Test wickets at an average of 10.94 in just two matches at Lord's. He has three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match, along with his first professional century.
Atkinson's achievements make him one of only three England Men's players to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test match.
On Sunday morning, England needed eight more wickets to secure a 2-0 series lead and their fifth consecutive Test win this summer. It wasn't easy, as Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, and Shoaib Bashir, along with Gus Atkinson, had to work hard against Sri Lanka's determined batters.
Karunaratne faced 129 balls for his 55 runs before being dismissed by Stone. Chandimal then advanced, scoring a quick fifty off 43 balls around lunchtime. Dhananjaya and Rathnayake formed the highest partnership of the innings, with Dhananjaya reaching his fifty after tea. However, when he was bowled by Atkinson with the second new ball, Sri Lanka's hopes began to fade.
Ollie Pope, England's stand-in captain, tried various strategies, but his success with the Decision Review System (DRS) didn't improve, with three unsuccessful reviews, making his record eight failed reviews as captain.
England's frustration reached its peak when Chandimal's lbw decision was overturned due to a tiny edge detected by UltraEdge. Despite Woakes' disbelief, Chandimal's innings, which included 11 boundaries, ended with a bat-pad catch off Atkinson. Atkinson then dismissed Kamindu Mendis in his next over.
Dhananjaya and Rathnayake put up a strong resistance, just like they did in the first innings at Old Trafford, extending the match into a third session. Rathnayake bravely faced Stone's short-ball attack and, after being dropped by Joe Root, seemed set for another fifty. However, he was caught behind off a pull shot, and Woakes' slower ball ended the innings, with Lahiru Kumara chipping to mid-on.
The match started with some drama as Karunaratne survived an lbw review and a tough catch. Woakes eventually dismissed Jayasuriya, but Karunaratne and Mathews put up a strong partnership. Karunaratne played cautiously but managed to score his first fifty of the tour.
Mathews tried to attack Bashir but was eventually caught out. Chandimal counterattacked, scoring quickly and reaching fifty, but was later dismissed. Despite some resistance from Sri Lanka, England closed in on victory, aiming for a clean sweep before the final Test at The Oval.
England 427 (Root 143, Atkinson 118, Asitha 5-102) and 251 (Root 103, Asitha 3-52) beat Sri Lanka 196 (Kamindu 74, Potts 2-19) and 292 (Chandimal 58, Karunaratne 55, Dhananjaya 50, Atkinson 5-62) by 190 runs
England 427 (Root 143, Atkinson 118, Asitha 5-102) and 251 (Root 103, Asitha 3-52) beat Sri Lanka 196 (Kamindu 74, Potts 2-19) and 292 (Chandimal 58, Karunaratne 55, Dhananjaya 50, Atkinson 5-62) by 190 runs
Top Articles
See more
Shami, fully pain-free, aims to play domestic matches to prove his fitness for Australia
22 Oct 2024
New Zealand Fast Bowler Ben Sears Misses India Tour; Uncapped Jacob Duffy Added to Squad
15 Oct 2024
Sri Lanka Selects Former England Star Ian Bell as Batting Coach for Upcoming Test Series
14 Aug 2024
Get live cricket scores and insightful articles at Giritech Data Intelligence Pvt. Ltd. Follow your favorite matches and read expert analyses, player profiles, and more. Your ultimate destination for cricket updates and in-depth coverage.
Any Questions? Contact us at: contact@gamegiri.com
Copyright & Design By Giritech Data Intelligence Pvt. Ltd - 2025 All rights reserved.