{"id":718430,"date":"2026-06-06T05:59:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T05:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/718430\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T05:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T05:59:14","slug":"gus-atkinsons-double-leaves-new-zealand-reeling-after-emilio-gay-hits-fifty-on-england-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/718430\/","title":{"rendered":"Gus Atkinson’s double leaves New Zealand reeling after Emilio Gay hits fifty on England debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gus Atkinson<\/a> struck twice late on the second day as England<\/a> pressed for victory in the first Test against New Zealand<\/a> at Lord’s on Friday.<\/p>\n

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England’s strong position also owed much to debutant opener Emilio Gay’s valuable fifty in a low-scoring game.<\/p>\n

New Zealand were 36-3 in their second innings at stumps. They need a further 218 runs to reach a victory target of 254 after collapsing to 113 all out first time around on a bowler-friendly pitch.<\/p>\n

They suffered a woeful start to their run-chase on Friday when captain Tom Latham fell for a third-ball duck, edging a loose drive off Atkinson to Harry Brook in the slips.<\/p>\n

Kane Williamson, in what could be the key batsman’s final appearance at Lord’s, battled hard for 18 before he was lbw to fast bowler Josh Tongue shortly before the close.<\/p>\n

New Zealand sent out a nightwatchman in Will O’Rourke but he was bowled for a duck by paceman Atkinson, who had close figures of 2-10 in 3.5 overs.<\/p>\n

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Earlier, Jamie Smith helped England recover from a middle-order collapse before the hosts were dismissed for 226 in their second innings of a frenetic clash in north London.<\/p>\n

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Earlier, Jamie Smith helped England recover from a middle-order collapse before the hosts were dismissed for 226 in their second innings of a frenetic clash in north London.<\/p>\n

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Gay was England’s top scorer in their second innings with 57 and wicket-keeper Smith made 39 in the 150th Test staged at Lord’s — the most of any ground.<\/p>\n

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Gay was England’s top scorer in their second innings with 57 and wicket-keeper Smith made 39 in the 150th Test staged at Lord’s — the most of any ground.<\/p>\n

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New Zealand quick Nathan Smith took 6-70.<\/p>\n

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New Zealand quick Nathan Smith took 6-70.<\/p>\n

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But given New Zealand were dismissed for just 113 in the first innings, they need a vastly-improved batting effort to prevent England going 1-0 up in the three-match series.<\/p>\n

‘Tough day’
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But given New Zealand were dismissed for just 113 in the first innings, they need a vastly-improved batting effort to prevent England going 1-0 up in the three-match series.<\/p>\n

‘Tough day’
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“A tough day, the pitch had its demands,” Gay told the BBC. “That’s the beauty of Test cricket, the challenges it brings.<\/p>\n

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“A tough day, the pitch had its demands,” Gay told the BBC. “That’s the beauty of Test cricket, the challenges it brings.<\/p>\n

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“The most important thing was trying to embrace it and see it as an opportunity. When it’s a low-scoring game, partnerships of 20 and little bits of momentum there are massive.”<\/p>\n

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“The most important thing was trying to embrace it and see it as an opportunity. When it’s a low-scoring game, partnerships of 20 and little bits of momentum there are massive.”<\/p>\n

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Nathan Smith, meanwhile, said: “The game has moved pretty quickly in the first couple of days. We lost one too many wickets tonight but the wicket (pitch) is offering a lot for the seamers.”<\/p>\n

England lost four wickets for just one run as 126-2 became 127-6 before Jamie Smith steadied the ship during a seventh-wicket partnership of 57 with Atkinson.<\/p>\n

Atkinson, however, gave his innings away on 14 when a miscued pull off Kyle Jamieson was caught by the towering fast bowler.<\/p>\n

This is England’s first Test since a 4-1 series loss in Australia where they squandered several promising positions.<\/p>\n

It appeared that they might be suffering a repeat of their Ashes debacle when Brook, fresh from a first-innings fifty, and England captain Ben Stokes were both dismissed without scoring on Friday.<\/p>\n

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There was little Jamie Smith could do when Nathan Smith bowled him with a delivery that kept low.<\/p>\n

Gay, who survived a Henry lbw appeal when the Durham batsman would have been out for 24, pressed on to an 84-ball fifty, including seven fours, before he was caught behind off Smith to leave England 126-3.<\/p>\n

Brook was trapped in front by O’Rourke for a duck and Joe Root fell in similar fashion to Smith for eight.<\/p>\n

Stokes was bowled by an excellent Smith delivery that clipped the top of the left-hander’s off stump.<\/p>\n

Ollie Robinson made a useful 29 before he was last man out.<\/p>\n

The Sussex pace bowler had previously marked his return to England duty with a five-wicket haul.<\/p>\n

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Robinson, in his first Test in over two years, produced a triple-wicket maiden on Thursday during a sensational 4-10 in six overs as New Zealand slumped to 61-6 at stumps.<\/p>\n

And on Friday, he bowled last man Matt Henry for a duck to finish with his Test-best figures of 5-39 in 10.1 overs.<\/p>\n

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