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SELECT 👉 Bay Oval commentary
Bumble: The unknown Englishman that could be ‘the real deal’
SENZ • October 25th, 2025 1:42 pm
It’s a name that few Australians have heard of before this year’s Ashes series, but former English cricketer David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd thinks that fast bowler Gus Atkinson could prove to be a real deal as England attempt to reclaim the urn.
In England’s 16-man squad for the tour, they have made sure to bring plenty of fast bowlers to try and compete with the Australian attack.
With that, it has seen much of the focus on their attack on the likes of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, who can bowl in excess of 145 kph (90 miles per hour).
And this, according to Lloyd has seen Atkinson slip under the radar
Since debuting in the Test side last year, the 27-year-old right-armer from Middlesex has been electric for England, having managed to average 22 with the ball whilst having taken four 5 wicket hauls.
And it’s not the only thing that he can provide to the side.
“There’s a lad that nobody will mention and we’ve watched him come through the England team,” Lloyd told SENQ Breakfast.
“He’s absolutely flown through, and I think he is a superb bowler for Australia, (it’s) a bloke called (Gus) Atkinson.
“If you thought Jimmy Anderson said no, this lad says absolutely nothing.
“But he is the real deal. He’s about six foot one (inches), gets tight into the umpire, bowls wicket to wicket, line and length, 85-87 miles per hour (136-139kph), deadly accurate and he bats.
“He’s got a hundred in a Test match and he’s going to be a player.”
And while he has not played in or against Australia internationally, Lloyd thinks that his game will still work, given that he can bowl a fuller length not dissimilar to Australia’s Josh Hazlewood.
“He bowls that fuller length, it’s something like Hazlewood,” he elaborated.
“That sort of bowler who you are not going to take any liberties with him.
“In the past, over a five-match series, he’s gone from 87 to 82 miles per hour, so that’s an issue and something that they’ll have to look after.
“But again, these matches are going to come thick and fast…somehow you have got your fast bowlers to stand up, stay fit and deliver.”
The Ashes get underway on November 21 at Optus Stadium in Perth, with SEN having LIVE coverage of every ball bowled throughout the series on its radio network and the SEN app.
