Gus Atkinson is a man of few words, but in his first year as a Test cricketer the deeds have pretty much spoken for themselves. Even capping off what has been a sparkling 2024 with a hat-trick was met with a shrug, albeit there was a hint of the drive that underpins his cricket with an insistence he is “greedy” for more.
Speaking at the end of day two in Wellington, England having closed with an imposing lead of 533 and a series win over New Zealand in sight, Atkinson said he had been confident the early wickets of Nathan Smith and Matt Henry would be followed by a third in three balls. The plan, with the field spread for a bouncer, was to send down a yorker. Though his length was missed, Tim Southee’s front pad was very much not.
The 15th hat-trick by an Englishman in Test cricket overall – the first since Moeen Ali’s at the Oval seven years ago – added to an astonishing set of milestones for Atkinson inside his first 10 outings. The 26-year-old boasts three five-wicket hauls, a 10-wicket debut against West Indies at Lord’s, plus a century against Sri Lanka there too. The last feat still pleases him the most but the hat-trick comes close.
“As a bowler you think about five-fers, 10-fers, but there’s not many chances to take a hat-trick,” said Atkinson. “On my Test debut I took two in two balls and felt pretty confident then. I can’t really remember what was said out there this time. It was probably just: ‘Yorker, go for the stumps, go all out for it.’
“I thought I had a good chance of getting it. I fully went for the bluff and [Tim Southee] is someone even on a hat-trick who might take it on. You always want to be greedy and take as many milestones as you can. It’s been a great year for me and hopefully I can get a few more milestones and help the team.”
Henry, the second victim in a morning cascade that left New Zealand trailing by 155 runs on first innings, politely said: “What’s left? He’s had a hell of a year. To have the start he has had, it’s been special for him. Test hat-tricks aren’t easy and you don’t see many of them, so I’m sure he’ll be absolutely thrilled.”
This was Atkinson’s second hat-trick, the first coming as a teenager for Bradfield college against Radley college in 2015. “The one at school I enjoyed a lot but this was probably better,” Atkinson said, somewhat underplaying the difference.
He has taken to Test cricket despite no great back catalogue for Surrey in the County Championship. A record of 52 wickets at 27 from 16 appearances was clearly respectable, but 47 wickets at 21 for England marks him down, like a few others, as a chiefly attributes-based selection.
Asked how the setup has allowed a good number to transcend their domestic returns, not least Jacob Bethell with 96 on the second day, Atkinson said: “The environment of ‘no pressure and play your own game’ and ‘don’t worry about the outcome’ has helped myself and helped others, too. “I probably didn’t have the stats for Test cricket before I played and I know Beth hasn’t got a first-class hundred. But the way he bats, the way he’s played in the ODI and T20 teams, just shows how much of a quality player he is. The way he plays fast bowling and spin, he’s just a class batter all-round.”
