New Zealand vs England: Gus Atkinson takes hat-trick in second Test in Wellington
Atkinson’s three wickets in three balls was also his first hat-trick at the historic Basin Reserve.
New Zealand resumed play at 86-5, trailing by 194 runs. Brydon Carse took Tom Blundell off the stumps in just 10 balls, while in the same over, nightwatchman Will O’Rourke (Will O’Rourke) also hit the plummets.
Smith and Glenn Phillips attempted a counterattack, scoring 29 from 27 goals, before Atkinson’s moment of magic came.
Smith was about to leave, but the extra bounce made the ball bounce off the bat and hit mid-stump.
No. 10 Henry was defenseless against the brutal lifters and Southee was hit by Atkinson’s spear as he prepared for a short ball.
Atkinson joins Moeen, Broad and 19th-century spinner Johnny Briggs as an England player to achieve a Test century and a hat-trick.
Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Harbhajan Singh, James Franklin, Irfan Pathan and Sohan Gazi have also completed such doubles.
