Gus Atkinson created cricket history during the second morning of the 2nd Test match against New Zealand in Wellington. He became the first player to take a Test hat-trick in over three years, delivering a killing spell of 4/31 that helped England rattle the host at 125 in the first innings.
NZ vs ENG: Gus Atkinson claims 1st Test hat-trick in “Bazball” era
The day started with New Zealand continuing their innings, but Atkinson quickly changed the direction. In what was a stunning display of guile and pace, he took three wickets in three consecutive balls—a feat that had not been seen in Test cricket since 2021. The last player to take a Test hat-trick was South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj when the left-arm spinner won the game against the West Indies. This achievement made Atkinson the 14th English player to accomplish a hat-trick in Test cricket.
Brydon Carse also played a crucial role, taking four wickets and supporting Atkinson’s brilliant spell. Together, they quickly dismantled the New Zealand batting lineup as England gained a superb 155-run first-innings lead. After Kane Williamson’s modest score of 37 on the first day, no other New Zealand batsman managed to reach 20 runs.
The match saw some brief resistance from Nathan Smith and Glenn Phillips, who tried to fight back with some quick runs. Smith hit a six and looked promising, but Atkinson’s sharp bowling quickly ended their hopes of a comeback.
Atkinson’s hat-trick was particularly special as it was the first one at the historic Basin Reserve cricket ground. His final three wickets came dramatically—dismissing Henry and then tricking Tim Southee with a beaming in-swinger stunned the hosts.
Test cricket hat-tricks since 2010 ft. Atkinson, Bumrah
| Bowler | Teams Involved | Location | Year | Batters |
| Peter Siddle | AUS vs ENG | Brisbane | 2010 | Alastair Cook, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad |
| Stuart Broad | ENG vs IND | Nottingham | 2011 | MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar |
| Sohag Gazi | BAN vs NZ | Chittagong | 2013 | Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Doug Bracewell |
| Stuart Broad | ENG vs SL | Leeds | 2014 | Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Chandimal, Rangana Herath |
| Rangana Herath | SL vs AUS | Galle | 2016 | Adam Voges, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc |
| Moeen Ali | ENG vs SA | The Oval | 2017 | Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel |
| Jasprit Bumrah | INDvs WI | Kingston | 2019 | Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Roston Chase |
| Naseem Shah | PAKvs BAN | Rawalpindi | 2020 | Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam, Mahmudullah |
| Keshav Maharaj | SA vs WI | Gros Islet | 2021 | Kraigg Brathwaite, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva |
| Gus Atkinson | NZ vs ENG | Wellington | 2024 | Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Tim Southee |
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