Attention cricket fans, we are tantalisingly close to the start of The Ashes Down Under, with the First Test in Perth getting underway next week.
For the first time in quite a while, England appear to have a chance of lifting the urn on Australian soil thanks to the team’s rebrand under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
But lest we forget, the Three Lions have not won a single Test in Australia since the 2010/11 success, losing 4-0 on their last trip Down Under.
The ongoing war of words between the two fierce enemies will soon become a battle of quality and grit out on the pitch.
And to further increase the deadly spread of Ashes fever, we have taken a look at five of the greatest records from one sport’s oldest rivalries.
From Shane Warne to Ben Stokes and Don Bradman, these achievements just make you want to pick up a willow, or have a go at bowling a cherry. Enjoy!
Most Wickets – Shane Warne (195)
The Spin King wreaked havoc on England’s batting lineups during the course of his career. His 195 wickets is the most by any player against a single nation, and 40 of them came in the famous 2005 series – the second-highest tally ever recorded in a five-game series.
The late, great Warne also took five wickets in an innings vs England 11 times, recording best figures of 8/71 in 1994.
Words do not really do Warne justice when it comes to his Ashes impact, a generational talent who bowled a ‘Ball of the Century’ to Mike Gatting, mastered the art of mind games and entertained cricket lovers across the world.
Most Runs – Don Bradman (5,028)
The greatest batsman in cricket history was utterly ruthless against England. For context, Steve Smith is third on the list of all-time Ashes run getters with 3,417, over 1,500 fewer than Bradman.
Aptly nicknamed ‘The Don’, Bradman averaged 89.78 in his 37 matches vs the English, hitting 19 100s and 12 50s.
Bradman’s top score of 334 is the second-highest in Ashes history, behind only Len Hutton (364). The majority of The Don’s records in this rivalry will never be broken.
Highest Batting Strike Rate – Adam Gilchrist (92.01)
With ‘BazBall’ the hot topic of debate heading into the series, we feel this record deserves a special mention, especially as Gilchrist recently commented that Australia were playing ‘BazBall’ 20 years ago.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was well ahead of his time, smacking English bowlers around for fun in the early 2000s. A strike rate of 92.01 is pretty good even in the modern era of ODI cricket, let alone in the Test arena.
Furthermore, Gilchrist – who regularly came in at No7 – averaged 45.12 vs England, hitting three 100s and six 50s. Truly outrageous numbers, ones which big hitters like Travis Head and Harry Brook will struggle to replicate.
Most Sixes – Ben Stokes (39)
Speaking of BazBall, it felt only right to include a record held by one of the main instigators of this much-discussed England era.
Stokes, who will be forever viewed as a pioneer of front-footed cricket, has been a six-hitting machine in The Ashes, hitting 15 more than any other player. Kevin Pietersen is second on the list with 24, while the leading Aussie is Smith with 21.
Nine of Stokes’ sixes (the most ever in an Ashes innings) were hit at Lord’s in 2023, though his knock of 155 was not enough to get England over the line. However, the eight he recorded at Headingley in 2019 famously did steer the Three Lions to victory, with the all-rounder remaining 135 not out alongside No11 Jack Leach.
Highest Team Total – England (903/7d, 1938)
We have included this record team total because it is an achievement which may never be equalled or surpassed.
The Test game has moved into a new era, with power-hitting and run rates of five or six per over quickly becoming the norm.
It means lower totals are being hit at faster rates, and matches often coming to a conclusion before the full five days have been played out.
So another score of 900+ in the Ashes looks almost impossible, with batters getting braver and bowlers having to be craftier!
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