Most wickets in an Ashes series

The 2023 Ashes series is starting from June 16 and will continue till the last day of July 2023. The five venues will be Edgbaston, Lord's, Headingley, Old Trafford, and The Oval. Australia are the holders of the Ashes going into the series, having won the last series at home 4–0. The series will begin the 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship. The Ashes is Widely regarded as the biggest Test rivalry in cricket. This is where the heroes are born. Several heroes and legends emerge from the Ashes courtesy of their performances with bat and ball. In this article, we'll have a look at the players who have taken the most wickets in a single Ashes series.

Read Also: Most runs scored by batsmen in an Ashes series

The first-ever multi-match Test series was played in 1882-83, with England claiming a 2-1 win. The history books show that Joey Palmer was the first bowler with the most wickets in an Ashes series. He bagged 17 wickets at an economy of 2.11.

Most wickets in an Ashes series (Top Five):

Jim Laker: 46 wickets in the 1956 Ashes

Jim Laker is one of the greatest bowlers ever to have played Cricket. He was the wrecker-in-chief in the first Test at Old Trafford in 1956 where he bagged 19 Australian wickets for 90 runs. With figures of 9 for 37 in the first innings and 10 for 53 in the second, the legendary English bowler also bettered the record for best figures in a first-class match previously held by Harold Arkwright (18/96). Jim Laker was also the first bowler to scalp 10 in a single Test inning, a feat matched later by India's Anil Kumble in 1999.

Terry Alderman: 42 wickets in the 1981 Ashes

Among the many bowlers that came after Jim Laker, Terry Alderman was the only player who came close to break the English legend's record for most wickets in an Ashes series, not once but twice. Alderman had a brilliant debut in Test cricket, as he bagged nine wickets in the first Ashes Test at Nottingham in 1981. He finished with 42 wickets in that series, which is the best tally in an Ashes series after Laker's 46. The performance saw him break Rodney Hogg's record for most wickets in an Ashes series by an Aussie bowler (41).

Rodney Hogg: 41 wickets in the 1978-79 Ashes

Former Australian pacer Rodney Hogg is regarded as one of the wonder bowlers in Ashes history. He failed to make a sizeable impact in his six-year-long Test career beyond the series against England.

Hogg announced himself with seven wickets in the first Test. In the second and third Tests of the 1978-79 Ashes, Hogg took 10 wickets each. Hogg finished with 41 wickets at the end of the series and became the Australian bowler with maximum wickets in a single Ashes until Terry Alderman broke his record in 1981.

Terry Alderman: 41 wickets in the 1989 Ashes

after taking 42 wickets in 1981, Terry Alderman returned in another dream series where he bagged 41 wickets. He missed out on becoming the bowler with the most wickets in a single Ashes by only 6 wickets. 8 years ago, he came close and picked 42, and this time 41. he scalped 19 wickets across the first two Tests. The Perth-born pacer went on to claim another 22 scalps in the next three tests.

Shane Warne: 40 wickets in the 2005 Ashes

Shane Warne is one of the greatest spinners to ever play cricket. He has gone down in history as England's great tormentor with spin in modern Ashes history. Warne holds the record for most wickets in the Ashes (195) and is one of the key players who helped Australia hold onto their legacy for almost two decades.

In the 2005 Ashes, the legendary Australian spinner scalped six in both innings of the fifth and final Test at the Oval, but his efforts went in vain as England won the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87. Shane Warne bagged 40 wickets in 2005 against England and he is still the last bowler to record 40 wickets or more in a single Ashes.

Most wickets in an Ashes series (Top Ten):