Atkinson five-for seals England victory in Lord's test

England eventually won the Lord's Test by 115 runs on Sunday, led by Gus Atkinson's five-fer. Even though the target was a competitive 254, two days ago, the English pacers had enough of an advantage over the visitors in the fourth innings to ensure that the final result was not unexpected, even though it was delayed by multiple rain breaks.

Devon Conway, who had won both previous evenings and started the fourth and final day on 55 for 5, was expected to push New Zealand's fight. Josh Tongue, however, trapped Tom Blundell on 4 before he could stamp his presence in the middle, reducing New Zealand to 58 for 6.

The visitors then engaged in a fight, with Glenn Phillips squeezing Ollie Robinson for a few boundaries. Conway was a little hesitant. He was able to get one edge past the slips, and then a thick edge hit Harry Brook in the hands. Phillips broke free early by hitting a few more boundaries, and the counterattack helped New Zealand get close to the 100-run mark in their score.

Tongue and Robinson posed a threat to both batters for a while. But it was Ben Stokes who eventually ended the 53-run stand to enter New Zealand's lower order. Jacob Bethell made a great catch at the gully after receiving an outside edge delivery from Conway that was angled in.

A swift demise was paved with that dismissal. In consecutive overs, Atkinson struck out Nathan Smith and Kyle Jamieson, putting New Zealand at 124 for 9. After seeing the outcome, he launched a counterattack against Tongue, squeezing in a few boundaries and sending a low-pitched delivery flying for a six. However, the amusement was short-lived as well when Atkinson used a low ball to catch Matt Henry ducking.

The match ended up being the second shortest (in terms of balls) at the venue even though it lasted into the fourth day. The two teams will now meet at The Oval on June 17, with the visitors aiming to level the series, and the hosts looking to seal it.