NZ vs ENG: Gus Atkinson Joins Unique List, Becomes 14th England Player to Claim Test Hattrick

NZ vs ENG: Gus Atkinson on Saturday (December 7) joined a unique list after the England pacer claimed a hattrick during day 2 of the second Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Atkinson, who has splendid 2024 with the red ball, removed New Zealand's Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee to achieve this latest feat, which made him first England bowler to claim a hattrick in seven years.

The 26-year-old claimed the 47th hattrick in the longest format and the 14th Englishman to achieve the feat after he cleaned up Nathan Smith for 14 before having Henry caught behind and Southee trapped LBW for golden ducks.

The last England player to claim three wickets in a row was all-rounder Moeen Ali, who achieved the feat in 2017 when he removed South African opener Dean Elgar as well as tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel.

Before Ali, former England pacer Stuart Broad had claimed two hattricks. Broad is the only English player to take two trebles in Test cricket. Here is a look at the England players who claimed hattricks in Tests:

Hattrick in Tests by England players

Billy Bates (England) vs Australia in Melbourne (1882-83)
Johnny Briggs (England) vs Australia in Sydney (1891-92)
George Lohmann (England) vs South Africa in Port Elizabeth (1895-96)
Jack Hearne (England) vs Australia in Leeds (1899)
Maurice Allom (England) vs New Zealand in Christchurch (1929-30)
Tom Goddard (England) vs South Africa in Johannesburg (1938-39)
Peter Loader (England) vs West Indies in Leeds (1957)
Dominic Cork (England) vs West Indies in Manchester (1995)
Darren Gough (England) vs Australia in Sydney (1998-99)
Matthew Hoggard (England) vs West Indies in Barbados (2003-04)
Ryan Sidebottom (England) vs New Zealand in Hamilton (2007-08)
Stuart Broad (England) vs India in Nottingham (2011)
Stuart Broad (England) vs Sri Lanka in Leeds (2014)
Moeen Ali (England) vs South Africa in The Oval (2017)
Gus Atkinson (England) vs New Zealand in Wellington (2024)

Coming back to the Welington Test, Atkinson's hattrick helped England bundle out New Zealand for 125 in their first innings. Atkinson (4 for 31) and Brydon Carse (4 for 46) were the top wicket-takers for England.

Later, England piled on their lead past 400 after Jacob Bethell (96) and Ben Duckett (92) scored swiftly in the second innings. Earlier, England rode on Harry Brook's century to post 280 in their first innings after being put into bat by the Kiwis.