ENG v WI 2024, ENG vs WI 1st Test Match Report, July 10 - 12, 2024

England 371 (Crawley 76, Smith 70, Root 68, Pope 57, Brook 50, Seales 4-77) beat West Indies 121 (Atkinson 7-45) and 136 (Atkinson 5-61, Anderson 3-32) by an innings and 114 runs

He said all he wanted to do was contribute to a win. James Anderson got his wish, though the Lord’s crowd were denied the fairytale five-for that seemed there for the taking at the start of day three. He finished with three in the innings, four in the match, and 704 for a Test career that has spanned more than two decades, as England completed the formalities of a crushing victory over West Indies.

As Anderson took his final bow, the centre stage was claimed by his latest successor. Gus Atkinson ripped out three more wickets to finish a brilliant first outing with match figures of 12 for 106 – the best by an Englishman on Test debut since 1890. Atkinson’s sheepish grin was perhaps partly in recognition that he had denied Anderson the chance to bookend his extraordinary Test career with twin appearances on the Lord’s honours board, but his ruthlessness was to be applauded as he blew through the West Indies tail.

Anderson even missed the opportunity to finish the match with a catch off his own bowling, dropping a chance dollied back to him by the No. 9, Gudakesh Motie. The moment drew gasps and groans, though Anderson could smile as he sank to his knees mid-pitch, the ball having rebounded out of his grasp as he went for it one-handed. Unlike his longtime new-ball partner, Stuart Broad, the Hollywood ending was not to be.

Anderson was phlegmatic when interviewed on Sky Sports at the close, cradling a pint of Guinness in the changing room: “I’m gutted I dropped that catch, to be honest. It’s been an amazing week, I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the reaction, proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Motie finished as West Indies’ top-scorer across either innings, throwing the bat around for 31 not out. The fact that neither batting effort from the visitors lasted more than 47 overs underlined that gulf between the sides, West Indies unable to live in particular with Atkinson’s pace and accuracy. The Surrey man completed his second five-for of the match with the final wicket to fall, as Jayden Seales holed out to deep midwicket.

As he took the field for the final time as a Test cricketer, 7722 days on from his debut against Zimbabwe, Anderson had to endure further ceremony – this time a guard of honour formed by players on both sides. The skies above were grey but there was a hint of a smile as he doffed his cap in appreciation of the crowd’s applause.

He claimed the first wicket of the morning with his seventh ball, a classic Anderson delivery nipping away on fourth stump to kiss Joshua Da Silva’s outside edge. With three West Indies wickets still standing, Anderson was two away from concluding his storied career with a 33rd five-wicket haul – only for Atkinson to seize the moment, much as he had on day one when he swept up seven in his first Test bowl.

Alzarri Joseph was next to go, having twice changed his bat in an attempt to out-bomb Atkinson in their short-ball contest – whatever size the stick, he could not clear deep backward square leg, giving Atkinson his ten-wicket haul.

Motie resolved not to die poking and prodding at Anderson, clumping him for a boundary down the ground, before Atkinson shelved any notion of sentimentality by detonating Shamar Joseph’s off stump with a searing yorker. Anderson had his chance to bring down the curtain himself – but then, as he has hinted this week, perhaps he just wasn’t ready to go? Atkinson then bounced out Seales, leaving Anderson looking as pleased as he ever has during his 188 Tests for England.

Alan Gardner is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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