NZ vs ENG: Gus Atkinson Overtakes Bumrah to Achieve Remarkable Feat in First Calendar Year of Test Cricket

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England pacer Gus Atkinson went past India's Jasprit Bumrah and West Indies great Curtly Ambrose to achieved one of the rarest of feats in Test cricket during the third Test against New Zealand at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday (December 14).

On the opening day of the third Test between England and New Zealand, Atkinson crossed 50 wickets in his first year of Test cricket, having made his debut earlier in July 2024 against the West Indies.

Atkinson dealt a crucial blow to the hosts by breaking the 105-run opening stand by removing Will Young, who edged one to force a sharp catch from Harry Brook at second slip. Later, Atkinson dismissed Daryl Mitchell thanks to skipper Ben Stokes' stunning catch.

The 26-year-old carried on his impeccable run and struck again when New Zealand tried to force a comeback through a partnership between Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee. The England pacer removed Southee, who holed out to Brydon Carse.

Following the dismissal of Southee, Atkinson took his tally to 51 Test wickets in 2024, his debut calendar year, the second-highest by any player in the history of the format. Australia's Terry Alderman sits at the top after he claimed 54 Test wickets in his debut year in 1981.

While he remained behind Alderman, Atkinson breezed past pace sensations Ambrose (49 Test wickets, 1988) and Bumrah (48 Test wickets, 2018) in the feat. Atkinson still has a chance to overtake Alderman's feat in the second innings of the Test in Hamilton.

Notably, Atkinson became first English bowler to bag 50 Test wickets in a calendar year since the iconic James Anderson had claimed 55 scalps in 2017. Atkinson also became the second bowler to take 50 wickets in 2024 after Bumrah, who achieved the feat earlier this month.

Most Test Wickets in 2024

1. Jasprit Bumrah (India) - 53 wickets in 23 innings
2. Gus Atkinson (England) - 51 wickets in 20 innings
3. Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) - 48 wickets in 18 innings
4. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) - 47 wickets in 21 innings
5. Shoaib Bashir (England) - 47 wickets in 24 innings

Coming back to the Hamilton Test, New Zealand skipper Tom Latham (63) and Young's (42) put the visitors on the back foot. But, the home side surrendered the advantage, collapsing from 142/2 to 231/7. However, the day ended with Mitchell Santner scoring an ubeaten 50 to take New Zealand to 315/9 at stumps.