Top 5 wicket-takers in Ashes History

As the 2023 edition of the Ashes approaches, here's a look at the top five wicket-takers in the history of the series.

The Ashes, the famous Test series between England and Australia, continues to be one of the most competitive series in the game. The first edition of the series was played way back in 1882/83 season and is still going strong. There is absolutely no denying that cricket fans across the globe eagerly wait for England and Australia to lock horns for the famous urn.

In recent years, the rivalry has been really competitive. Since 2005, the arch-rivals have played 10 Ashes series in which England have won 5 while Australia have won four, with one series ending in a draw. Australia are the reigning champions of the series and will be looking to retain the Ashes when they take on England in the upcoming five-match series.

As the cricket world eagerly waits for the series to start, we take a look at bowlers who have made a big impact in the Ashes. Through this piece, we look at the top 5 wicket-takers in Ashes history.

Top 5 wicket-takers in Ashes History

5. Dennis Lillee | 128

Widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to have graced the game, Dennis Lillee is an indispensible part of the Ashes folklore. Alongside his former bowling partner Jeff Thomson, Lillee made up the other half of one of the most fearsome pace bowling attack in the game.

The former Australia tearaway pacer managed to make a huge impact in the famous series and has immortalized himself in Australian cricket history. He played 24 Tests against England and picked up 128 wickets at an average of 22.32 with the help of seven five-wicket hauls. One of his finest Ashes performance came in 1972 when he picked up a staggering 31 wickets in the five-match series.

Lillee retired from Tests in 1984 as one of the all-time greats. During his illustrious career, he represented Australia in 70 Tests and 63 wickets, picking up 355 and 103 wickets respectively. In Tests, he also picked up an impressive 23 five-wicket hauls.

4. Stuart Broad | 131

At number four in this list is England star Stuart Broad. He is not only the only England bowler in this list but is also the only active bowler in this list. Broad played his first Ashes Test in 2009 and made an instant impact. With 18 wickets in five Tests, he finished the series as England's highest wicket-taker and helped his country regain the Ashes with a 2-1 win.

Since then, he has been an intergal part of England's Ashes party and has played a key role in the team's domination over Australia in recent years. So far, the right-arm pacer has played 35 Tests against Australia and has picked up 131 wickets at an average of 29.05. He has picked up eight five-wicket hauls against Australia so far.

Some of his best performances in Tests have come against the team from Down Under. During the Trent Bridge Test in 2015, he bowled one of the most devastating spells in the history of Test cricket, taking eiight wickets for just 15 runs to help England bowl out Australia for a paltry 60. With Australia and England set to play another Ashes in the coming days, Broad will be looking to have a similar impact.

3. Hugh Trumble | 141

Hugh Trumble is third in this list. The former Australia spinner is the one of the only two spinners in this list. It would not be wrong to say that Trumble's international career is all about the Ashes. Trumble played 32 Tests in his career and 31 one of those came in the Ashes against England. The other one came against South Africa after he played 27 consecutive Tests against England.

Trumble made his debut against England in 1890 and bowed out of the game against the same opposition 14 years later. During this period, he picked up 141 wickets against England at an average of 19.79. He was the first bowler to cross the 140-wicket mark in the Ashes and is till date, one of the only 3 bowlers with this feat.

Trumble registered nine five-wicket hauls in the Ashes. In first-class cricket, he picked up a staggering 979 wickets in 213 games including as many as 69 five-fors.

2. Glenn McGrath | 157

Another all-time great, Glenn McGrath is second in this list. The former Australia pace spearhead was one of the reasons why his team thoroughly dominated England in 90s and early 2000s. He won six of the seven Ashes series he played in.

In the only Ashes series that he lost in 2005 - he missed the two decisive games due to injury and England won both of them. While he was not the fastest of bowlers, his control over the swing and length made him a menace for the batters. McGrath is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast-bowlers to have played the game.

In the Ashes, he played 30 matches and picked up an impressive 157 wickets at a stunning average of 20.92. McGrath also registered 10 five-wicket hauls against England. Overall, he retired from the game with an impressive 563 Test wickets and 381 ODI wickets.

1. Shane Warne | 195

Legendary Shane Warne needs little introduction and it is only fitting that a player of his stature holds this special record of taking most wickets in the Ashes. The former leg-spinner ended his illustrious Test career with 36 Ashes Tests and a staggering 195 wickets at an average of 23.25. Warne picked up 11 five-wicket hauls against England.

Warne's personality made him a one of a kind player and it is safe to say that the game of cricket has perhaps not seen a showman as good as the former Australian spinner. It was Warne who revived the art of leg-spin in cricket and did that in style.

He announced his arrival in the Ashes with the famous 'Gatting Ball' in 1993 and did not look back after that as he kept tormenting England for years before retiring in 2007.  From taking 8 wickets at the Gabba, a hat-trick at the MCG or the 700th Test wicket on the Boxing Day Test in 2006, Warne enjoyed a plethora of memorable moments in the Ashes.

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