Top 5 bowlers with most wickets in The Ashes History

The Ashes, the famous Test series between England and Australia, continues to be one of the most competitive series in the game. The first edition of the series was played way back in 1882/83 season and is still going strong. There is absolutely no denying that cricket fans across the globe eagerly wait for England and Australia to lock horns for the famous urn.

In recent years, the rivalry has been really competitive. Since 2005, the arch-rivals have played 10 Ashes series in which England have won 5 while Australia have won four, with one series ending in a draw. Australia are the reigning champions of the series and will be looking to retain the Ashes when they take on England in the upcoming five-match series.

As the cricket world eagerly waits for the series to start, we take a look at bowlers who have made a big impact in the Ashes. Through this piece, we look at the top 5 wicket-takers in Ashes history.

Top 5 wicket-takers in Ashes History

5. Dennis Lillee | 128

Widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to have graced the game, Dennis Lillee is an indispensible part of the Ashes folklore. Alongside his former bowling partner Jeff Thomson, Lillee made up the other half of one of the most fearsome pace bowling attack in the game.

The former Australia tearaway pacer managed to make a huge impact in the famous series and has immortalized himself in Australian cricket history. He played 24 Tests against England and picked up 128 wickets at an average of 22.32 with the help of seven five-wicket hauls. One of his finest Ashes performance came in 1972 when he picked up a staggering 31 wickets in the five-match series.

Lillee retired from Tests in 1984 as one of the all-time greats. During his illustrious career, he represented Australia in 70 Tests and 63 wickets, picking up 355 and 103 wickets respectively. In Tests, he also picked up an impressive 23 five-wicket hauls.