Gus Atkinson Joins Unique List As 14th England Player To Achieve Test Hattrick Against New Zealand

Gus Atkinson made headlines on December 7 by securing a hattrick during the second Test against New Zealand at Wellington's Basin Reserve. This achievement places him among a select group of cricketers, as he became the first England bowler in seven years to accomplish this feat.

Atkinson's remarkable performance in 2024 with the red ball continued as he dismissed Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, and Tim Southee. This made him the 14th Englishman to achieve a hattrick in Test cricket. He bowled out Smith for 14, then had Henry caught behind and trapped Southee LBW for golden ducks.

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

The last England player to achieve a hattrick was Moeen Ali, who did so against South Africa in 2017. Ali took down Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, and Morne Morkel consecutively. Before him, Stuart Broad had claimed two hattricks, making him the only English player with two such achievements.

In the Wellington Test, Atkinson's hattrick was instrumental as England bowled out New Zealand for just 125 runs. Atkinson finished with figures of 4 for 31, while Brydon Carse also impressed with 4 for 46.

England extended their lead beyond 400 runs thanks to Jacob Bethell's quickfire 96 and Ben Duckett's solid 92. Earlier, Harry Brook's century helped England post a total of 280 after being asked to bat first by New Zealand.

This performance by Atkinson not only highlights his skill but also adds another chapter to England's rich history of cricketing achievements. His contribution was crucial to England's dominance over New Zealand during this Test match.