How close is Ben Stokes to entering all-time top 10 for most England Test wickets?

Jonhenry Wilson 20 Nov 2025

Ben Stokes is one of England's best Test all-rounders.

For more than a century, England have produced bowlers of extraordinary variety and skill; From tearaway quicks to cunning swing merchants and world-class spinners.

The country’s nine leading Test wicket-takers form a lineage that stretches from the 1950s to the present day, capturing shifting styles, changing conditions and evolving demands on fast bowlers and spinners alike.

What unites them is longevity, excellence and a capacity to shape the narrative of entire series. Here’s a look at the nine men who top England’s all-time Test cricket wicket charts.

1. James Anderson: 704 wickets

Career: 2003-2024
Innings: 350
Best: 7/42
Average: 26.45
Strike rate: 56.87

James Anderson’s ascent to the summit of English bowling history is a story of reinvention and ceaseless refinement. Initially an explosive swing bowler prone to streaks of inconsistency, he developed into a metronomic master of seam and subtle movement.

His record 704 wickets speak to both endurance and exceptional skill, but his real legacy lies in the art he elevated.

Anderson became the blueprint for the modern red-ball bowler, combining control, late swing and tactical brilliance.

His final years, still producing elite spells well into his forties, demonstrated a competitive fire undimmed by time. For two decades, he was the heartbeat of England’s attack.

2. Stuart Broad: 604 wickets

Career: 2007-2023
Innings: 309
Best: 8/15
Average: 27.68
Strike rate: 55.79

Stuart Broad’s career was defined by moments of volcanic brilliance. The 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge in 2015 will live forever in Ashes folklore, but his genius was not confined to single spells.

Broad was a bowler of rhythm and aggression, thriving when he sensed weakness or opportunity.

His height, bounce and ability to nip the ball made him lethal in English conditions, and his knack for dismantling top orders became a feature of his career.

Broad’s longevity, like Anderson’s, was remarkable. Together they formed one of the great opening partnerships in Test history, propelling England to some of their finest modern victories.

3. Ian Botham: 383 wickets

Career: 1977-1992
Innings: 168
Best: 8/34
Average: 28.40
Strike rate: 56.95

Ian Botham’s legend often focuses on his batting heroics, but his 383 Test wickets underline his importance as a frontline strike bowler. At his best, Botham was a force of nature: fast, hostile and capable of producing unplayable deliveries.

His performances in the early 1980s, particularly during the 1981 Ashes, elevated him to a status few England cricketers have matched.

Botham’s strike rate compares favourably with the best of his era, and his ability to swing the old ball made him perpetually dangerous. He carried enormous workloads and contributed across disciplines, embodying the archetype of the match-winning allrounder.

4. Bob Willis: 325 wickets

Career: 1971-1984
Innings: 165
Best: 8/43
Average: 25.20
Strike rate: 53.40

Bob Willis combined high pace, a distinctive long run-up and an indefatigable competitive spirit. Few English bowlers have ever produced a spell as iconic as his 8 for 43 at Headingley in 1981, which sealed one of Test cricket’s most celebrated victories.

Yet Willis was more than a one-spell wonder. His record stands as testament to his discipline, stamina and ability to work tirelessly into the wind.

Even after knee injuries forced technical adjustments, he remained a spearhead of England’s attack. Willis was the bridge between eras, drawing on classic fast bowling virtues while adapting to a changing game.

5. Fred Trueman: 307 wickets

Career: 1952-1965
Innings: 127
Best: 8/31
Average: 21.57
Strike rate: 49.43

Fred Trueman was the first man to 300 Test wickets and remains one of England’s most naturally gifted fast bowlers. His average of 21.57 and strike rate under 50 are outstanding even by modern standards.

Trueman bowled with hostility, precision and a fierce sense of theatre, establishing himself as the dominant fast bowler of the 1950s and early 1960s.

He combined aggressive intent with immaculate control and a skiddy pace that challenged even the best batters. His feats came in an era of uncovered pitches and heavy workloads, underscoring the magnitude of his achievements.

6. Derek Underwood: 297 wickets

Career: 1966-1982
Innings: 151
Best: 8/51
Average: 25.83
Strike rate: 73.60

Derek Underwood, known to all as “Deadly”, was a spinner of unique style. Bowling faster than a typical slow left-armer, he thrived on damp, uncovered pitches where his cutters and skidding deliveries became almost impossible to negotiate.

Underwood’s strike rate reflects the containing role he often fulfilled, yet his best days saw him rip through sides with relentless accuracy. His near-300 wickets were earned through subtle variation and immense consistency.

In an era dominated by pace, Underwood offered England a different kind of menace, particularly in English springs when conditions tilted in his favour.

7. Graeme Swann: 255 wickets

Career: 2008-2013
Innings: 109
Best: 6/65
Average: 29.96
Strike rate: 60.19

Graeme Swann transformed England’s spin bowling landscape in the late 2000s. His arrival provided the team with a reliable attacking spinner for the first time in years, and his impact was immediate.

Swann bowled with flight, dip and sharp turn, but his greatest strength was his control over right-handers, whom he dismissed relentlessly with drift and bite.

He played a pivotal role in England’s rise to the number one Test ranking under Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss. Swann’s ability to take wickets in all conditions made him vital both at home and abroad, particularly during the Ashes wins of 2009 and 2010-11.

8. Brian Statham: 252 wickets

Career: 1951-1965
Innings: 129
Best: 7/39
Average: 24.84
Strike rate: 63.71

Brian Statham was the embodiment of consistency. Often overshadowed by the larger-than-life Trueman, with whom he formed a legendary partnership, Statham relied on immaculate line and length rather than raw pace.

His ability to move the ball subtly and maintain pressure over long spells made him indispensable.

Statham’s average under 25 highlights his value, particularly in an era of strong batting line-ups and challenging pitches. While Trueman supplied the theatre, Statham provided the relentlessness, and together they forged one of England’s greatest new-ball combinations.

9. Matthew Hoggard: 248 wickets

Career: 2000-2008
Innings: 122
Best: 7/61
Average: 30.50
Strike rate: 56.08

Matthew Hoggard was a quintessential English swing bowler. His ability to shape the ball away from right-handers and occasionally bring it back made him a handful in home conditions.

Hoggard played a central role in England’s resurgence in the early 2000s, particularly during the 2005 Ashes where he delivered crucial spells. His hat-trick in the West Indies in 2004 remains a career highlight.

Although his record is more modest compared with some on this list, Hoggard’s skill, work rate and knack for early breakthroughs made him an invaluable asset during a transformative era for English cricket.

12. Ben Stokes: 230 wickets

Career: 2013-2025
Innings: 170
Best: 6/22
Average: 31.64
Strike rate: 57.21

He is not in the top nine but it is worth popping Ben Stokes at the bottom of this list, because, if he lasts the distance in the upcoming Ashes he will almost certainly have moved up several places.

Stokes has struggled with a knee injury in recent years which has limited his bowling load, but he is back to full fitness, with Ben Duckett suggesting the England skipper has been in ‘beast mode’ in training ahead of the Ashes opener in Perth.

Stokes is one of the modern greats, like Botham, a genuine allrounder who has the ability to hold down a place in the team as either a bowler or a batsman.

He has X-factor and, in recent times, even though his bowling load has been reduced, he has developed the reputation for having a golden arm – breaking key partnerships and claiming wickets at crucial times.

When things are not going England’s way, it is stokes, who has the ability to bowl with genuine pace and menace who is often the one to step up and change the momentum of the game.

He has taken 20 wickets in five Tests this year, inclusing a five-for in his last Test outing in Manchester.