England pacer Gus Atkinson will not be participating in the 2024 Hundred final for the Oval Invincibles after being withdrawn by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The decision was made as a precautionary measure following Ben Stokes’ injury earlier in the week during a Hundred match, with the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka in mind.
Atkinson has had limited involvement in this season’s Hundred, playing only one match for the Invincibles where he went wicketless, conceding 28 runs from his 10 deliveries.
Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings commented on the decision, as reported by ESPNcricinfo:
“Gus has been withdrawn, which is quite understandable. It’s disappointing for him, but Saqib Mahmood has been phenomenal for us all tournament and showed his class the other night. He’ll stay in the side.”
Despite Atkinson’s withdrawal, Billings confirmed that Jordan Cox, who is also part of England’s squad for the Sri Lanka series, will be available to play in the final.
“Jordan will be available and I think that’s great for him. I’ve been in that position before where, as a young player, you get withdrawn and miss out on playing time. For anyone to play in a final at Lord’s in the leading domestic competition in the country, in front of a packed house, is perfect preparation for international cricket,” Billings stated.
Additionally, pace-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes was also withdrawn from the tournament earlier in the week following Stokes’ injury.
The Oval Invincibles will face the winner of the Eliminator match between Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave in the final. Meanwhile, England’s Test series against Sri Lanka kicks off with the first Test in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21.
Gus Atkinson’s Remarkable Debut Test Series Against the West Indies
Gus Atkinson recently delivered a stellar performance in his debut Test series against the West Indies. The young pacer took 22 wickets at an impressive average of 16.22, including two five-wicket hauls across the three matches.
His standout moment came during the series opener, where he produced remarkable figures of 7/45 in just 12 overs.
Atkinson’s consistent brilliance throughout the series earned him the Player of the Series award, as England secured a 3-0 whitewash against the West Indies.
Since making his international debut last year, Atkinson has represented England in 9 ODIs and 3 T20Is, taking a total of 17 wickets in the white-ball formats. He was also part of England’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
