Gus Atkinson has put his name in the iconic honours board at the Lord’s cricket ground as he scored his maiden Test hundred on Day 2 of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka on August 30, Friday. Atkinson, primarily known for his bowling skills, had provided a solid hand with the bat on Day 1 as he came into Friday not out on 74. The start from the England star was superb and it sort of set the tone for him early on.
Sticking to the Bazball method, Atkinson started the day with no half measures and 2 consecutive boundaries off Lahiru Kumara, before being adjudged as leg before wicket off the third ball of the day. However, a smart review would save him and the England star wouldn’t look back after that. The next two overs from Milan Rathnayakeand Kumara saw Atkinson get 2 more boundaries and race into the 90s. The 93rd over from Kumara would see Atkinson start things with a boundary, before hitting another one to get to the magical 3-figure mark in fine fashion.
He would follow it up with another boundary to see off the over. Atkinson came in with England at a spot of bother on Day 1 and quickly helped them consolidate and post a challenging total at Lord’s. This turned out to be Atkinson’s highest first-class score as well.
Atkinson finally got out after scoring 118 runs off 115 balls, thanks to a smart catch from Rathnayake. His innings consisted of 14 boundaries and 4 sixes.
“I’ll tell you why it was good watching Gussy bat at the end, being at the other end when he hit those straight sixes, they were unbelievable. It’s like watching someone like Jacques Kallis play. It was a great little innings from him, and there was some good partnerships along the way and we’ve found ourselves in a really good position now,” Root said in a video uploaded by ECB.
Atkinson’s hundred meant that England went past 400-run mark with ease in the end.
