England had named Atkinson and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith as the two debutants ahead of the start of the first England-West Indies Test at Lord's. Winning the toss, they elected to field on an overcast morning, and after a steady start by the West Indies openers, the floodgates opened for England and Atkinson.
The Surrey seamer came in first-change in the 11th over and got a wicket off his second ball, Kraigg Brathwaite dragging a wide ball onto his stumps. Four overs later he got Kirk McKenzie caught at slip, before Ben Stokes dismissed Mikyle Louis courtesy of a stunner at slip by Harry Brook.
West Indies went into lunch at 61-3. The pair of Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge did a decent job to get them to 88-3 when all hell broke loose in the 35th over of the innings.
Atkinson got Athanaze caught by Joe Root at first slip by getting him to edge a good length ball on off stump. The very next ball, he squared up Jason Holder with an outswinger, getting him to edge to third slip. Joshua da Silva kept the hat-trick ball out, but couldn't do much about the next one as he inside edged a length ball outside off that seamed back in.
In the space of four deliveries, West Indies went from 88-3 to 88-6, and Atkinson went from two wickets to a five-for on debut.
He then also got the wickets of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph in the same over to reach seven wickets in the innings - the most taken by an England Test debutant at Lord's.
Watch Atkinson bowl a triple wicket maiden, taking three wickets in four balls on debut
💥 BANG! BANG! BANG! 💥
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 10, 2024
THREE WICKETS IN FOUR BALLS FROM GUS ATKINSON! 🤩#EnglandCricket | #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/5CtwELJC5V
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