Gus Atkinson equals Ian Botham’s legendary record with century at Lord’s

Having scored 118 runs in the first innings against Sri Lanka in the ongoing second Test, England’s Gus Atkinson etched his name within the history books and became only the second English cricketer after Sir Ian Botham to score a Test century and take a 10 wicket haul at Lord’s in the same season. 

Towards the end of his innings, Atkinson managed to rack up 69 runs in 14 overs. His knock helped England post a total of 247 runs in the first innings and put Sri Lanka under a lot of early pressure. 

It is worth noting that former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad was the first and only non-English cricketer to score a century and take a five-fer at the Lord’s. England’s Gubby Allen, Stuart Broad, and the current pace spearhead Chris Woakes have scored a ton and taken a five-fer but have done so in different seasons. 

As for the game between England and Sri Lanka, the Test began with England coming in to bat first and openers Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence scoring 40 and nine runs, respectively. Skipper Ollie Pope was dismissed for just one run, with Joe Root scoring 143 runs in 206 deliveries. 

Furthermore, after short cameos by Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, Atkinson completed his century and helped England post 427 runs on the board in the first innings. As for Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando was the highest wicket taker with five wickets to his name. Lahiru Kumara and Milan Rathnayake took two wickets each, with Prabath Jayasuriya striking once. 

Coming in to bat, Sri Lanka quickly fell prey to England’s bowling masterclass. Openers Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne departed for seven runs each. Pathum Nissanka and Angelo Mathews scored 12 and 22 runs, respectively, with Dinesh Chandimal adding 23 runs onto the scoreboard. 

Kamindu Mendis was the highest run getter for his side in the first innings with 74 runs in 120 deliveries, but despite his knock, Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 196 runs in the first innings, still trailing by a huge margin. Day 2 of the game ended with England batting on a score of 25 runs, having lost the one wicket of Dan Lawrence, aiming to maximise their lead.