Within a short period after making his test debut, Gus Atkinson has a test hundred, a ten-wicket haul and now also a hat-trick.
Gus Atkinson feels ‘Greedy’ for more milestones after taking the side’s 15th hattrick wicket during the second test of the England-New Zealand Tests at Basin Reserve.
Atkinson became the 14th England cricketer to have a Test hat-trick, Stuart Broad and two and first since Moeen Ali against South Africa in 2017.
The 26-year-old dismissed Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with consecutive deliveries in his ninth over as England bowled out for 125 to take a 155-run lead. Currently, England leads the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first test by eight wickets.
🏴 Gus Atkinson on…
🎩 Taking a hat-trick
📆 Our plan for tomorrow
🔥 The form of Brydon CarseWatch the full interview right now 👇
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 7, 2024
“It was great. It’s not something as a bowler you think about. You think about five-fors and ten-fors, those sorts of things, but there’s not many chances when you’re on two wickets from two balls,” Atkinson said.
“Obviously it’s been a great year for me personally and hopefully I can get a few more milestones and help the team.
“You always want to get more and be greedy. You want to take as many as you can and that’s something I want to try and do in the future.”
While picking three wickets off three balls, Atkinson had Nathan Smith leaving the ball into stumps, Matt Henry bounced out and Tim Southee pinged plumb in front.
“I fully went for the bluff,” Atkinson said. “I was just thinking about bowling a yorker, getting it full and straight, go for the stumps. There was no discussion over what ball I was bowling. It was just, ‘be greedy, try and get the hat-trick’ basically.”
Atkison said he had a hunch about picking a hat-trick when he was running into bowl to southee.
“I felt pretty confident as I was running in for that third ball that I had a good chance of getting it,” he said.
England posted a score of 378 on day 02 and secured an mammoth lead of 533 runs losing five wickets with Joe Root and Ben Stokes at the crease at the stumps at Basin Reserve.
