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England: In the first Test of the three-Test series, West Indies lost a horrible innings on day three against England, conceding 114 runs in two days and one hour. With four overnight wickets remaining, the visitors needed to score 171 more runs to allow England to bat again. But this did not happen as West Indies could only score 57 more runs from their overnight 79 for 6, with England’s quick attack of James Anderson and Gus Atkinson doing a great job.
Within ten minutes of the start of the match, Anderson played a beautiful off-spinner in the third over, which Joshua da Silva could only hit behind the wicket, resulting in a final score of 88-7.
Next, Gus Atkinson took three more runs to add to his two the day before, and indeed in the first innings he took seven (45) and five more to finish with 106 for 12-0. Anderson took four runs in the match, bringing his Test wicket tally to 704. Atkinson’s score was the best by an English player on Test debut since 1890.
His being named Man of the Match was no surprise, but all eyes were on Anderson as he bid farewell to Test cricket, surrounded by his family. There is no doubt that this will be his most memorable Test cricket.
7,722 days after his debut against Zimbabwe, his final Test appearance, Anderson had to undergo further ceremony – this time a guard of honour from players from both teams. The sky was grey but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he tipped his hat to thank the crowd for their applause.
The next wicket to fall was at 96, when Atkinson caught Alzarri Joseph’s ball for 8, and then he uprooted Shamar Joseph’s wicket for 3, just after the innings had reached 100.
Gudakesh Motie came on strong late in the match to remain unbeaten on 31, becoming the top scorer of the innings, in fact the highest score by a West Indies batsman in both innings of the match, taking the innings total to 136 in just 47 overs, with a powerful pull from the last over by Jayden Seales being stopped on the square-leg boundary as he managed to keep his balance and not go over the ropes.
Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, was full of praise for Anderson: “I was lucky enough to watch Jimmy at home when he made his Test debut 21 years ago. While his extraordinary talent was immediately apparent when he took five wickets, no one could have anticipated the significance and durability of his bowling talent. I was in Dharamsala then to see him take his 700th wicket and now as the curtain falls on the home leg, I am honoured to have been a witness to his extraordinary career.”
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