Gus Atkinson smashes a record that had stood for 72 years as England's star of the summer powers his side to a series win over Sri Lanka

Rumours circulated in St John's Wood on Sunday night that Lord's were planning to rename their honours boards after Gus Atkinson as England won the second Test against Sri Lanka — and the series — with a day to spare.

Not content with completing a technically perfect century from No 8 on Friday morning, Atkinson blew away the tourists' resistance on the fourth afternoon to finish with five for 62 and continue a golden first summer in Test cricket that will culminate this week on home turf at the Oval.

Throw in the 12 wickets he took here on debut against West Indies in July, and he may soon be claiming copyright on the dressing-room boards that famously celebrate international excellence at the home of cricket.

Remarkably, Atkinson became only the third Englishman to score a hundred and claim a five-for in the same Test, after Tony Greig and Ian Botham, who achieved the feat five times. And by taking his haul to 33 in only five games, he has smashed the England record for most wickets in a maiden Test summer — 29, by Fred Trueman back in 1952. Even Fred might have conceded Atkinson looks half-decent.

It needed something astonishing to keep the player of the match award away from Joe Root, whose twin hundreds took him past Alastair Cook as England's leading Test centurion. But Atkinson managed it, making crucial breakthroughs with an unresponsive old ball as Sri Lanka threatened to dig in, then brushing aside the tail with the new.

Gus Atkinson took five wickets in 16 tight overs as England finished off Sri Lanka on Sunday

Atkinson now has 33 wickets in only five games - a new England record for most wickets in a maiden Test summer

Those who stayed away — and Lord's was dispiritingly empty on a glorious late-summer Sunday — missed the performance of a player who has not only dealt with concerns about the length of England's tail, but has shown off his all-round prowess with the ball. A piece in the Ashes jigsaw has slotted firmly into place.

Others had their moments. Chris Woakes removed nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya for four after Sri Lanka — needing an impossible 483 — had resumed on 53 for two, and wrapped up a 190-run victory just after 5pm when Lahiru Kumara slogged to mid-on.

Olly Stone bounced out Dimuth Karunaratne for 55, gloving a lifter down the leg side, while Shoaib Bashir out-thought the experienced Angelo Mathews, caught at wide mid-off by Woakes for 36.

But, not for the first time, Atkinson was the man. Operating from the Pavilion End, he got one to come back down the slope to Dinesh Chandimal, who had batted aggressively for 58. The ball took the inside edge, and ricocheted off his pad to Dan Lawrence at short leg.

England were even more jubilant in Atkinson's next over when Kamindu Mendis — Sri Lanka's batting star this past fortnight — flashed hard to Ben Duckett at third slip to make it 200 for seven.

An eighth-wicket stand of 73 slowed their progress either side of tea, but it was Atkinson who ended that, too. Now armed with the second new ball, he had Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva playing on for 50, and Milan Rathnayake bottom-edging a pull through to Jamie Smith for 43.

As promising as Atkinson's bowling is his temperament. 'My first red-ball games at Lord's have gone my way,' he said modestly. 'I enjoy bowling with the slope. Long may it continue.'

His heroics allowed Ollie Pope to end another testing week in the top job with a second win out of two. Victory at the Oval will give England their first clean sweep in a home summer since 2004. And if Pope's batting looks a mess, he stuck to his guns well on a lifeless Lord's surface.

There was only one contender for the Player of the Match award after Atkinson's dominance

He knows, though, that there is room for improvement. Root dropped three catches, two in the vital position of first slip, while Pope's success rate with DRS — none out of eight — was comically bad. Neither will England always benefit from the generosity shown on the opening morning by De Silva, who won the toss on a flat strip and mystifyingly chose to bowl.

But Pope's team dominated from tea on the first day, and broke records along the way. With the emergence of Atkinson and Jamie Smith — and Ben Stokes, Zak Crawley and Mark Wood all set to return from injury for next month's trip to Pakistan — they look well placed to build on their summer success.

It was just a shame there were so few spectators to witness their latest win — 9,000, according to MCC, who had little choice but to take criticism of their pricing policy on the chin.

With the cheapest adult seats for a non-restricted view costing as much as £80, it is clear many decided there was little value in risking fourth-day tickets against opponents England were expected to brush aside.

New England star Atkinson posed for photos with fans to claim another victory this summer

It didn't help, either, that the July Test here against West Indies failed to last even seven sessions. Bazball England are a team who do things in a hurry. The fans have cottoned on.

Whatever the reasons, it was sobering for the Test format to reflect on the full house that had turned up here a fortnight earlier for Hundred finals day.

Test cricket still pays the bills in this country, and the players still regard it as the pinnacle. But, on a day when the Test side made it five wins in a row — not to mention 19 out of 28 since Stokes teamed up with Brendon McCullum — this was a reminder to take nothing for granted.

Click here to read article