England fast bowler Gus Atkinson made history on Saturday, December 14, during the opening day of the third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Atkinson became only the second bowler to take 50 wickets in their first year as a Test cricketer and the first player since Terry Alderman.
England won the toss and chose to bowl first. The hosts reached 93-0 in the first session after successfully handling the early seam-friendly conditions. However, England fought back in the next session, with Gus Atkinson dismissing the well-set Will Young, who scored 42 runs off 92 balls, including 10 fours.
Gus Atkinson Becomes Second Bowler to Take 50 Test Wickets in Debut Calendar Year
Atkinson then removed Daryl Mitchell to complete his 50 wickets in Test cricket for the England national cricket team. The right-arm fast bowler reached the landmark in 11 Tests played in 2024. He picked up three wickets for 55 runs in 19 overs. New Zealand scored 315/9 in 82 overs at stumps on Day 1.
Former Australian pacer Terry Alderman was the first bowler to take over 50 wickets in his first year as a Test cricketer. Alderman made his debut for Australia against England on June 18, 1981, in Nottingham. He took 54 wickets in 10 Test matches that year.
50 – Gus Atkinson is the second player in Test history to take 50 wickets in their first calendar year and the first since Terry Alderman in 1981 (54 wickets). Fresh.#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/GyiqmmIjEp
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) December 14, 2024
Atkinson made his Test debut for England against the West Indies on July 10, 2024, at Lord’s, where he took 7 wickets for 45 runs in the first innings. He joined India pace bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the list of bowlers who have taken 50 or more Test wickets in 2024.
In his 20 innings in Test cricket, Atkinson has gone wicketless just once, with at least two wickets in 16 of those innings. He has secured three five-wicket hauls and taken four wickets in an innings twice. Recently, Atkinson also achieved a Test hat trick, becoming the 14th player from England to do so.
Gus Atkinson Becomes One of The Fastest to 50 Wickets Among England Bowlers
Gus Atkinson has become the 13th-fastest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets and the fifth-fastest since World War II. He equaled the record of Dominic Cork and Ollie Robinson.
Frank Tyson holds the record for the fastest English bowler, achieving 50 wickets in just nine matches. Overall, Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, who reached the milestone in his seventh Test, is the fastest to 50 wickets after World War II.
Fastest England Bowlers to 50 Wickets (Since the Second World War)
| 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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