Gus Atkinson added a prized Test hat-trick to his growing collection of England achievements in Wellington and admitted he was “greedy” for even more.
Atkinson flattened the New Zealand tail as the tourists moved into an emphatic series-winning position on day two of the second Test, knocking over Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with three successive deliveries in his opening spell.
That was just the 15th hat-trick by an English bowler in the 147-year history of the format, with Moeen Ali bagging the last at the Oval in 2017.
Atkinson is just five months and 10 caps into his Test career but has already racked up an enviable list of feats, including a five-wicket haul and 10-wicket match on debut and a century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
The 26-year-old did not have three in a row on his to-do list this week but has developed an appetite for the big moments.
“I wasn’t thinking too much at all about a hat-trick – as a bowler you think about five-fors, 10-fors, that sort of thing – but there’s not many chances when you’re on two wickets from two balls,” he said.
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“I felt pretty confident as I was running in for that third ball that I had a good chance of getting it. You always want to get more and be greedy. You want to take as many as you can and that’s something I want to try and do in the future.
“It’s been a great year for me personally and hopefully I can get a few more milestones to help the team.”
Despite the rarity of his latest triumph, Atkinson still holds his unexpected ton dearest. Asked which was harder to achieve, he swiftly answered: “The hundred, definitely.”
The only other hat-trick Atkinson can recall came in his schooldays with Bradfield College in 2016, but he did have a chance on his memorable first appearance in England whites.
Back in July, during James Anderson’s emotional farewell appearances against the West Indies, he dismissed Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder with consecutive balls before Josh Da Silva blocked out the next.
Atkinson made it three in four balls at the very next attempt but was even more ruthless this time. He suckered Southee in by feigning for a short ball with fielders set deep then blew his front pad off as he sent one right up to the stumps.
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“I fully went for the bluff,” he grinned.
“I was just thinking about bowling a yorker, getting it full and straight, go for the stumps. There was no discussion over what ball I was bowling. It was just ‘be greedy, try and get the hat-trick’, basically.”
Atkinson’s four for 31 and Brydon Carse’s four for 46 left the Black Caps 125 all out and 155 adrift, a position England ruthlessly exposed with some enterprising batting.
Rookie Jacob Bethell made 96 before falling agonisingly short of his first century in professional cricket, Ben Duckett scored 92 and there was an unbeaten 73 from Joe Root.
That left England with an enormous lead of 533 with five wickets in hand, leaving three days to seal the series 2-0 up with one to play.