Gus Atkinson took to Test cricket like fish to water as the right-arm quick demolished West Indies on day 1 of the Lord's Test on Wednesday, July 11 to put England in the driver's seat.
The 26-year-old claimed a seven-wicket haul while conceding 45 runs in 12 overs and justified Ben Stokes' decision to field first.
The debutant Mikyle Louis (27 runs) and captain Kraigg Brathwaite got the visitors off to a tentative start as they survived the new ball burst from James Anderson and Chris Woakes.
When West Indies negotiated England's new ball bowlers it seemed that they were heading for a good score but in came Atkinson and wrestled back momentum in the favour of the hosts.
Brathwaite dragged a wide one onto his stumps and gave the Three Lions the much-needed opening. He dismissed Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva to complete his maiden five-wicket haul in the longest format of the game.
The Middlesex-born got rid of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph to finish with figures of 7/45 and was the wrecker-in-chief for England.
Outgoing veteran James Anderson bagged a solitary wicket alongside Stokes and Woakes. West Indies could only manage 121 before getting bundled out in 41.4 overs with Louis top-scoring.
In reply, England lost Ben Duckett with just 29 runs on the board but the pair of Zak Crawley (76 runs off 89 deliveries) and Ollie Pope came together to avoid further damage against the new ball.
The pair added 94 runs for the second wicket before Pope (57 runs off 74 balls) was pinned in front of his stumps by Jason Holder.
Crawley fell soon after as Jayden Seales cleaned him up with a searing yorker. Harry Brook and Joe Root added 36 runs for the fourth wicket before the umpires called it a day.
