1st Test
Day-1 Evening Session Highlights:
Debutant Gus Atkinson has played an important role for England on Day-1
At the Stumps of Day-1:
West Indies scored 121/10, where as England scored 189/3.
So, finally West Indies trial by 68 runs.
A sensational debut bowling performance from Gus Atkinson, followed by commanding batting from Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, put England in a strong position against the West Indies at the end of Day 1 of the first Test at Lord’s.
West Indies, starting the second session at 61/3, were bowled out for a mere 121 as Atkinson became the seventh Englishman to take seven wickets in an innings on debut—his 7/45 only bettered by Dominic Cork’s 7/43 against the West Indies at the same venue in 1995.
England then capitalized on this advantage, with Crawley’s 76 and Pope’s 57 helping them score 159 runs at a run-rate of 4.9 in the final session, leading to a total of 189/3 at stumps, and a lead of 68 runs.
Both teams’ debutants impressed early on, with England’s steady strikes giving them an advantage in the first session after opting to bowl.
Mikyle Louis, a 23-year-old opener for the West Indies, began confidently, hitting regular boundaries, including a pick-up shot for six off Chris Woakes, while the experienced Kraigg Brathwaite struggled against the moving ball.
Despite his probing lines, the 41-year-old James Anderson, playing his farewell Test, couldn’t claim a wicket in his initial spell.
Atkinson then made an immediate impact, dismissing Brathwaite (inside edge onto the stumps) and Kirk McKenzie (caught at second slip).
Attention was also on Ben Stokes and his fitness, as the England captain skipped the IPL and the T20 World Cup to regain top form.
Stokes brought himself on in the 14th over and bowled eight overs in his first spell, moving the ball both ways and varying his lengths to keep the batters guessing.
His persistence paid off when Louis edged to third slip, where Harry Brook took a stunning one-handed catch.
Anderson and Stokes bowled until the end of the first session, but Hodge and Alick Athanaze ensured no further damage before lunch.
The second session saw Atkinson continue his fine form, dismissing Athanaze (edged to first slip) and Holder (first-ball duck).
Joshua Da Silva avoided a hat-trick but soon edged to debutant wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Atkinson’s haul of five wickets made him the ninth England bowler to achieve this feat on Test debut at Lord’s.
More milestones followed as Pope’s sharp catch off Woakes gave the bowler his 150th Test wicket.
Alzarri Joseph’s aggressive batting, including four fours in an over off Atkinson, briefly boosted the West Indies, but Atkinson claimed his sixth and seventh wickets, and Anderson finished the innings by trapping Jayden Seales lbw.
England’s openers began cautiously, with Crawley eventually finding his rhythm to score consecutive boundaries off Seales.
Ben Duckett survived a dropped catch but was soon out edging to the keeper.
Pope batted positively, overturning a leg-before decision and surviving a review, as England’s scoring rate slowed briefly due to bad light.
However, boundaries flowed again, with Pope and Crawley both reaching half-centuries and extending their partnership to 94.
Crawley fell to a yorker from Seales, missing out on a century for the seventh time after reaching the 70s.
Root and Brook then added an unbeaten 36-run stand, with Brook contributing 25, including three fours, as England ended the day with a handy lead.
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