Test Cricket is the best format of Cricket. Test Cricket is the purest format in Cricket, but we usually don’t see the same crowd in the stadium watching the game like in the T20s or ODIs. However, there is a series named the Ashes played between England and Australia where the hype and crowd are some of the greatest, whether it’s a home game for Australia or England. Both countries play with some grit and dedication, giving us some of the best matches we have seen in test cricket. In this article, we’re looking at the top 10 Australian wicket-takers in Ashes history.
1. Charlie Turner
Charlie Turner is one of the very early Australian legends. The Right-Arm Medium Pacer was one of the spearheads of the then-Australian bowling attack, instilling the fear into the opponent players. He left his mark in the Ashes by taking 101 wickets in the 17 matches. He had an impeccable average of 16.53 with 11 5-wicket hauls. His record was impeccable, and his best performance being 7/43.
2. WJ O’ Reilly
From one Australian legend to another, which is probably the trend in this whole list. WJ O’ Reilly is said to be one of the best spin bowlers to ever grace the game, and during his time, he was known as “the best”. His Ashes record also reciprocated it. Reilly took 102 wickets in the 19 matches that he played. His style of bowling was one of the hardest to play against, which helped him get an average of 25.36 with eight 5-wicket hauls and his best performance being 7/54.
3. Clairre Grimmett
Moving from one great spinner to another, Clairre Grimmett is a spinner who was known as one of the best spinners of all time. He was known as the developer of the “flipper” ball that we see bowled nowadays. Grimmett played 22 Ashes games and collected 106 wickets. The players that played him during his career describe him as a hard-to-play bowler. His average was 32.44 and his best performance was 6/37.
4. Nathan Lyon
This list, till now, has been dominated by the spinners, and the trend continues. Nathan Lyon is a modern-day great spinner. Lyon has shown his class in every continent he has played in. Nathan Lyon has collected 110 wickets in the 30 matches that he’s played. England players have always struggled against Lyon in the matches, and his average of 29.41 is to show for it. The best performance of Nathan Lyon in Ashes is 6/49.
5. Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall was known to be one of the all-time great fast bowlers. His powerful and intimidating action, paired with the late swing he used to get, made him a force to reckon with. Ray Lindwall played 29 test matches in the Ashes and collected 114 wickets. Ray was a fear among the opponent camps, and his Ashes’ average of 22.44 is a proof. His best Ashes performance was 7/68.
6. Monty Noble
Monty Noble is known as one of the most complete players ever. Monty was known as one of the best all-rounders of all time. He was a brilliant Right-handed batsman and bowled both Medium fast and off-spin. As a bowler against England in the Ashes, Noble played 39 matches, during which he collected 115 wickets. Noble used to be a problem with both the bat and ball and had an average of 24.86, with his Ashes’ best performance being 7/17.
7. Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee played from 1971 to 1982. This period was said to be the period of “Fast Bowling.” The number of great fast bowlers this generation had was very remarkable. Despite of all this competition, Dennis Lillee was a name that stood out as one of the best of the best. About his Ashes performance, Lillee played 24 games and took 128 wickets at a vicious average of 22.32 with his best performance coming as 7/89.
8. Hugh Trumble
Hugh Trumble was said to be the best bowler you could imagine on a wet pitch. This off-spinner was deadly when he got onto these wet pitches, but not just them, he was good in every condition. Hugh Trumble left a mark on the Ashes. In the 31 games he played, Hugh got a staggering 141 wickets at an average of 20.88, instilling fear into the Englishmen. His best performance in an Ashes series was 8/65.
9. Glenn Mcgrath
Glenn Mcgrath is a player that is always associated with greatness. Whether it be his individual brilliance or the dominant Australian side that he was a big part of. Glenn Mcgrath is undoubtedly one of the best fast bowlers to grace the game. He had success against every opposition team he played against. His Ashes record of 157 wickets in just 30 games proves his greatness. He had an unbelievable average of 28.96, which was a big problem for the England players whenever he bowled to them. His career-best Ashes performance was 8/38.
10. Shane Warne
Shane Warne is a name engraved in all of cricket history. Shane Warne is regarded as one of the best bowlers in the history of cricket. The right-arm leg spin bowler is a bowler that many players feared during his reign. He is the highest wicket-taker in the history of Ashes, with 195 wickets in just 36 matches. The England players did not like the scene of the Australian maestro bowling at them. Warne’s Ashes average of 23.25 is enough to tell how dominant he was. His career-best Ashes performance was 8/71.
