England fast bowler Atkinson completes 50 wickets in the calendar year, New Zealand 9/315

England fast bowler Gus Atkinson registered a special record on the first day of the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton on Saturday. He completed 51 wickets for New Zealand in the calendar year 2024 by taking three wickets. Earlier in 1981, Australia’s Terry Alderman had taken 54 wickets in the first year of his career. Atkinson left Windies’ Curtly Ambrose (49 wickets, 1988) and Jasprit Bumrah (48 wickets, 2018) behind. Before Atkinson, the last English bowler to take 50 Test wickets in a calendar year was James Anderson who lost 55 wickets in 2017.

On the first day of the Hamilton Test at Seddon Park, captain Tom Latham (63) and Will Young (42) gave a great start to the team by making a partnership of 105 runs for the first wicket. After this Atkinson destroyed the Kiwi batting. At the time of stump, Mitchell Santner was playing after scoring 50 runs. Tim Southee, playing the last Test of his career, contributed 23 runs.