English cricket has been graced by a constellation of remarkable bowlers who have etched their names in history through their wicket-taking prowess. From the swing of Anderson to the spin of Swann, each player brings a unique dimension to the game.
Their legacies resonate not only through their numbers but also through the memories they have created on the field. As England’s cricketing journey continues, these top 10 wicket-takers will forever remain a source of inspiration and pride for cricket enthusiasts worldwide.
In this article, we delve into the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets for England in all formats.
Most Wickets for England in All Formats
| Player | Mat | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 5 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Anderson | 401 | 560 | 991 | 7/42 | 27.28 | 3.24 | 50.4 | 34 | 3 |
| Stuart Broad | 344 | 485 | 847 | 8/15 | 27.83 | 3.45 | 48.3 | 21 | 3 |
| Ian Botham | 218 | 283 | 528 | 8/34 | 28.44 | 3.2 | 53.1 | 27 | 4 |
| Adil Rashid | 336 | 338 | 474 | 5/27 | 29.74 | 5.57 | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| D Gough | 218 | 252 | 466 | 6/42 | 27.26 | 3.75 | 43.5 | 11 | 0 |
| Graeme Swann | 178 | 223 | 410 | 6/65 | 27.77 | 3.42 | 48.7 | 18 | 3 |
| RGD Willis | 154 | 229 | 405 | 8/43 | 25.08 | 2.9 | 51.7 | 16 | 0 |
| Chris Woakes | 217 | 269 | 396 | 6/17 | 29.54 | 3.99 | 44.3 | 8 | 1 |
| Andrew Flintoff | 223 | 258 | 392 | 5/19 | 29.16 | 3.36 | 52 | 5 | 0 |
| Moeen Ali | 298 | 318 | 366 | 6/53 | 39.09 | 4.38 | 53.5 | 5 | 1 |
| Ben Stokes | 279 | 306 | 352 | 6/22 | 33.52 | 3.97 | 50.5 | 7 | 0 |
| Derek Underwood | 112 | 175 | 329 | 8/51 | 25.55 | 2.18 | 70.3 | 17 | 6 |
| FS Trueman | 67 | 127 | 307 | 8/31 | 21.57 | 2.61 | 49.4 | 17 | 3 |
| AR Caddick | 116 | 158 | 303 | 7/46 | 29.58 | 3.26 | 54.4 | 13 | 1 |
| SJ Harmison | 122 | 172 | 299 | 7/12 | 32.15 | 3.57 | 53.9 | 9 | 1 |
Key Stats
991: James Anderson is the highest wicket-taker for England in all formats of the game. Anderson has picked 991 wickets in his career. He is also the leading wicket-taker for England in ODIs and Tests.
189: Stuart Broad finished his career with 189 wickets against Australia across formats. This is the most wickets taken by an England bowler against one opponent in all formats combined.
1039: Anderson and Broad have claimed 1308 Test wickets. They participated in 138 Test matches together between 2007 and 2023 and picked up 1039 wickets as a bowling pair. This is the most wickets taken by a bowling pair in Test cricket, and they became the only second pair to grab 1000 wickets together.
10 & 19: England’s legendary off spinner, Jim Laker, holds a unique record to his name. He delivered the best bowling figures in a Test innings as well as a Test match — both in a single match. In the 4th Ashes Test of 1956, Laker produced a match haul of 19 wickets for 90 runs. In the first innings, he picked up 9 wickets for 37 runs, and in the second innings, he returned with a record-breaking figure of 10/53.
