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Gus Atkinson ensured that his name would be on three honours boards at the home of cricket when he scored his maiden Test century in sparkling against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
Atkinson started the second day at Lord’s unbeaten on 74 from just 81 deliveries, playing positively but well for his chanceless innings, and carried on in exactly the same fashion, showing very few nerves.
Having burst onto the international scene at the start of the summer, taking 12 wickets including a five-wicket haul in his first Test match, which was also James Anderson’s last, he has now added a century. Atkinson’s triple figures came at an impressive run a ball including 11 fours and four sixes.
Atkinson’s hundred saw him become only the sixth player to hit a century, take five wickets in an innings and take 10 wickets in a match at Lord’s. He was eventually out for 118 when he was caught on the boundary, and given a standing ovation as he left the field.
The intent was evident from the first ball of the day, when he clipped Lahiru Kumara away for four, and followed it up with a second boundary through the covers.
Atkinson was struck on the pad when on 82 and given out lbw, but reviewed it immediately and DRS overturned the on-field decision with the ball missing the stumps because it was moving too much. Marcus Trescothick punched the air on the England balcony.
He followed it up with a streaky inside edge for a single, and then another four took him to 87, and another thick edge evaded the hands of the fielders.
Atkinson moved into the nineties with a pulled hot off his hip, eclipsing his highest first-class score of 91 which came for Surrey against a Sri Lanka development XI at Beckham two years ago.
The 26-year-old moved to 99 with a drive through extra cover up to the Warner Stand. It took Joe Root 12 deliveries to move from 99 onto the three figures. Atkinson was similarly nervy, pushing at one outside the off stump that just evaded the edge of the bat.
Atkinson drove down the ground up to the pavilion for his three figures, and ran off celebrating with both fists in the air, before taking off his helmet.
