England is Test cricket’s abode, and there isn’t a better place to watch Test cricket than England. Besides being the birth ground of Test cricket, England has also produced some of the greatest Test cricketers of all time. Here, in this article, we look at some of the longest-serving England cricketers in Test cricket and their records in the most demanding format.
1. James Anderson (172 MATCHES)
No one has swung a ball with better precision and consistency than James Anderson, the world’s most successful Test match bowler. With 657 wickets in 172 Test matches at an average of 26.36 and best bowling figures of 7 for 42, there is nothing that James Anderson has not achieved. He started playing international Test cricket in 2002 and is still going strong in 2022 at 40. His skills and ability with the ball are unparalleled, and he is indeed a modern-day great.
2. Alastair Cook (161 MATCHES)
Next, we have Alastair Cook, an England veteran, and a great leader. He represented England in Test cricket from 2006 to 2018 in an astonishing 161 matches. Cook was not the most stylish or elegant batter, but he had a unique technique that benefited both him and the team. He amassed 12472 runs at an average of 45.35 with 33 centuries and 57 fifties to his name, the most by any English cricketer.
3. Stuart Broad (156 MATCHES)
Stuart Broad, one of England’s frontline new ball bowler, is next on the list. He and Anderson have been England’s ace bowlers for more than a decade and have troubled the best batters in the world. Till now, Broad has featured in 156 Test matches and scalped 552 wickets at an average of 28.08 and best bowling figures of 8 for 15. He also has close to 3500 Test match runs, with the best score of 169 against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010.
4. Alec Stewart (133 MATCHES)
Alec Stewart, one of the most successful wicketkeepers in English history, features next on the list. He was as good a batter as he was a wicketkeeper. From 1990 to 2003, Stewart played for England in Test cricket in a staggering 133 matches. He scored 8463 runs at an average of 39.54, with 15 hundred and 45 fifties to his name. Besides this, he has also taken 263 catches in Test cricket, the most by an English player.
5. Joe Root (121 MATCHES)
Joe Root is currently the world's number one Test match batter and is in the form of his lifetime. This 31-year-old former England captain from Yorkshire announced himself on the international stage in his very first game, where he scored a gutsy 229-ball 73 on a slow Nagpur wicket. This inning of 73 showed his caliber and capability at the highest level, and from there on, there was no looking back. Till now, he has played 121 Test matches and scored 10458 runs at an average of 50.76 with 28 hundred and 54 fifties to his name.
6. Ian Bell (118 MATCHES)
Ian Bell, an orthodox and typical Test match batter, is next on the list. Simply put, he was a delight to watch for any cricket lover. Having made his Test debut in 2004, Bell continued to play until 2015 and featured in 118 matches for England. He scored more than 7700 runs at an average of 42.69 with 22 hundred and 46 fifties to his name.
7. Graham Gooch (118 MATCHES)
Graham Gooch, a right-handed top-order batter from Essex, is next on the list. He has an impeccable record in cricket, with more than 68,000 runs in List-A and First Class. One of the most delightful batters of his time, Graham Gooch, is the third highest run scorer for England in Test cricket, with 8900 runs in 118 matches at an average of 42.58.
8. David Gower (117 MATCHES)
Another top-order batter which makes it onto the list is David Gower. He had a natural ability to score runs and do so consistently and gracefully. Due to his consistency and everlasting love for batting, Gower became a vital member of the England team in the 80s. He represented the England Test team from 1978 to 1992. He scored 8231 runs in 117 matches at an average of 44.25.
9. Mike Atherton (115 MATCHES)
Mike Atherton, a former England captain, and opening batter, is the next name on this list. Atherton had a solid technique with a wall-like defense but also loved to play his shots and look for runs. He played Test cricket from 1989 to 2001 and scored 7728 runs at an average of 37.69. During the 90s, he became an integral part of the English batting line-up due to the stability he provided in the top-order.
10. Colin Cowdrey (114 MATCHES)
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Colin Cowdrey played for the English Test team for over two decades (1954–1975). Colin’s father was a first-class player in India, and so he had a love for the game in his blood. During his 114-match Test tenure, Colin scored 7624 runs at an average of 44.06, including 22 hundred and 38 fifties.
