The Ashes 2023: Top 5 Wicket-Takers In The History Of Ashes

5. Dennis Lillee (128 wickets)

Dennis Lillee, often regarded as one of the game’s fastest bowlers, is an important part of Ashes legend. Lillee, together with his previous bowling partner Jeff Thomson, were the other half of one of the game’s most deadly pace bowling attacks.

The former Australia pacer had a big impact in the memorable series and has gone down in Australian cricket legends. He took 128 wickets at an average of 22.32 in 24 Tests against England, including seven five-wicket hauls. One of his best Ashes performances came in 1972, when he took 31 wickets in the five-match series.

Lillee announced his retirement from Test cricket as one of the all-time greats in 1984. He played for Australia in 70 Tests and 63 ODI matches during his successful career, taking 355 and 103 wickets respectively.

4. Stuart Broad (131 wickets)

England’s Stuart Broad is ranked fourth on this list. He is not only the only English bowler on this list, but also the only active bowler. Broad had an immediate impact in his maiden Ashes Test in 2009. He concluded the series as England’s leading wicket-taker, with 18 wickets in five Tests, and helped his country reclaim the Ashes with a 2-1 win.

Since then, he has been an international member of England’s Ashes party, and he has played a significant role in the team’s current dominance over Australia. In 35 Tests against Australia, the right-arm bowler has taken 131 wickets at an average of 29.05.

Some of his best Test efforts have come against the Australian team. During the Trent Bridge Test in 2015, he bowled one of the most destructive spells in Test cricket history, taking eight wickets for 15 runs to help England bowl out Australia for a meager 60. Broad will be hoping to make a similar influence as Australia and England prepare to play another Ashes series in the coming days.

3. Hugh Trumble (141 wickets)

Hugh Trumble comes in third place on this list. The only other spinner on this list is the former Australia spinner. It would not be incorrect to argue that Trumble’s international career revolves solely around the Ashes. Trumble played 32 Tests in his career, 31 of which were against England in the Ashes. The other came against South Africa, after he had played 27 straight Tests against England.

Trumble made his debut against England in 1890 and retired 14 years later against the same opponents. During this time, he took 141 wickets at an average of 19.79 against England. He was the first bowler in the Ashes to reach 140 wickets, and he remains one of only three bowlers to do so.

In the Ashes, Trumble had nine five-wicket hauls. In first-class cricket, he took 979 wickets in 213 games, including 69 five-wicket hauls.

2. Glenn McGrath (157 wickets)

Glenn McGrath, another all-time great, comes in second on this list. The former Australia pace powerhouse was a key reason why his team trounced England in the 1990s and early 2000s. He won six of the seven Ashes series in which he appeared.

In the lone Ashes series he lost, in 2005, he was injured and missed both key games, which England won. While he was not the fastest bowler, his command of the swing and length gave him a threat to batsmen. McGrath is largely considered as one of the game’s greatest fast bowlers.

During the Ashes, he appeared in 30 matches and took 157 wickets at a fantastic average of 20.92. McGrath had 10 five-wicket hauls against England. He finished his career with a remarkable 563 Test wickets and 381 ODI wickets.

1. Shane Warne (195 wickets)

Shane Warne needs no introduction, and it is only legitimate that a player of his stature owns the record for most Ashes wickets. The former leg-spinner finished his Test career with 36 Ashes Tests and 195 wickets at an average of 23.25. Against England, Warne has 11 five-wicket hauls.

Warne’s charisma made him a one-of-a-kind player, and it’s safe to say that the game of cricket hasn’t seen a showman quite like the former Australian spinner. Warne was the man who brought back the art of leg-spin in cricket, and he did it in style.

He made his debut in the Ashes with the famed ‘Gatting Ball’ in 1993 and did not look back, torturing England for years before retiring in 2007. From collecting 8 wickets at the Gabba to a hat-trick at the MCG and the 700th Test wicket on Boxing Day in 2006, Warne had a fantastic Ashes career.

Also Read: The Ashes 2023: Top 5 Run-Scorers In The History Of Ashes (cricfiles.com)