List of England Test cricket records - wikipedia List of England Test cricket records Former captain Alastair Cook, pictured in 2016, holds several England Test cricket records. Test cricket is the oldest form of cricket played at international level. A Test match is scheduled to take place over a period of five days, and is played by teams representing full member nations of the International Cricket Council ( ICC ). England was a founding member of the ICC having played the first Test match against Australia in March 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They have played a total of 1,004 matches, the most by any Test playing team. As of October 2018, England is the third most successful team in Test cricket with an overall winning percentage of 35.95, behind Australia on 47.05 and South Africa on 37.70. Opening batsman and former captain Alastair Cook holds several England Test cricket records. Playing between 2006 and 2018, he scored 12,472 runs, making him the only England player to score 10,000 Test runs. He scored a record 57 half - centuries and 33 centuries. As a slip fielder, Cook has also taken the most catches for England with 175 and holds the England record for the most catches taken in Test series with 13. Captaining his side from 2010 until he stood down in 2016, Cook holds the record for the most matches played as English skipper with 59, the Test record for the most consecutive matches played with 159 and the record for the most matches played for England with 161. The most prolific Test wicket - taker for England is James Anderson. Making his debut in 2003, he has taken a total of 564 wickets throughout his 143 - match career, as of October 2018 -- the most by a fast bowler in Test cricket. He has also achieved 26 five - wicket hauls in an innings, second only to Ian Botham with 27. The record for the most ten - wicket hauls for England is held by Sydney Barnes with seven, who also holds the Test cricket record for the most wickets taken in a series with 49 during the English tour of South Africa in 1913 -- 14. Alan Knott is England 's most successful wicket - keeper having taken 269 dismissals. England claims two age records, James Southerton as the oldest player to make his Test debut at 49 and Wilfred Rhodes aged 52 as the oldest cricketer to ever play in a Test match. Contents 1 Key 2 Team records 2.1 Team wins, losses and draws 2.2 Team scoring records 2.2. 1 Most runs in an innings 2.2. 2 Fewest runs in an innings 2.3 Result records 2.3. 1 Greatest win margins ( by innings ) 2.3. 2 Greatest win margins ( by runs ) 2.3. 3 Greatest win margins ( by 10 wickets ) 2.3. 4 Narrowest win margins ( by runs ) 2.3. 5 Narrowest win margins ( by wickets ) 2.3. 6 Greatest loss margins ( by innings ) 2.3. 7 Greatest loss margins ( by runs ) 2.3. 8 Greatest loss margins ( by 10 wickets ) 2.3. 9 Narrowest loss margins ( by runs ) 2.3. 10 Narrowest loss margins ( by wickets ) 3 Individual records 3.1 Batting records 3.1. 1 Most career runs 3.1. 2 Highest individual score 3.1. 3 Highest career average 3.1. 4 Most half - centuries 3.1. 5 Most centuries 3.1. 6 Most double centuries 3.1. 7 Most runs in a series 3.1. 8 Most ducks 3.2 Bowling records 3.2. 1 Most career wickets 3.2. 2 Best figures in an innings 3.2. 3 Best figures in a match 3.2. 4 Best career average 3.2. 5 Best career strike rate 3.2. 6 Best career economy rate 3.2. 7 Most five - wicket hauls in an innings 3.2. 8 Most ten - wicket hauls in a match 3.2. 9 Worst figures in an innings 3.2. 10 Worst figures in a match 3.2. 11 Most wickets in a series 3.3 Wicket - keeping records 3.3. 1 Most career dismissals 3.3. 2 Most career catches 3.3. 3 Most career stumpings 3.3. 4 Most dismissals in an innings 3.3. 5 Most dismissals in a series 3.4 Fielding records 3.4. 1 Most career catches 3.4. 2 Most catches in a series 3.5 Other records 3.5. 1 Most career matches 3.5. 2 Most consecutive career matches 3.5. 3 Most matches as captain 3.5. 4 Youngest players 3.5. 5 Oldest players on debut 3.5. 6 Oldest players 4 Partnership records 4.1 Highest partnerships by wicket 4.2 Highest partnerships by runs 5 Umpiring records 5.1 Most matches umpired 6 Notes 7 References Key The top five records are listed for each category, except for the team wins, losses and draws and the partnership records. Tied records for fifth place are also included. Explanations of the general symbols and cricketing terms used in the list are given below. Specific details are provided in each category where appropriate. All records include matches played for England only, and are correct as of October 2018. Key Symbol Meaning Player or umpire is currently active in Test cricket * Player remained not out or partnership remained unbroken ♠ Test cricket record d Innings was declared ( e.g. 903 / 7d ) Date Starting date of the Test match Innings Number of innings played Matches Number of matches played Opposition The team England was playing against Period The time period when the player was active in Test cricket Player The player involved in the record Venue Test cricket ground where the match was played Team records Team wins, losses and draws As of October 2018, England have played 1,004 Test matches resulting in 361 victories, 298 defeats and 345 draws for an overall winning percentage of 35.95, the third highest winning percentage of Test playing teams. England has played the highest number of Test matches, ahead of Australia who have competed in 814. England has been the most successful against Bangladesh having won nine out of ten Tests against them. England played in the debut Test matches of Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies -- winning all of them except against Australia. Opposition First Test Matches Won Lost Drawn Tied % Won Australia 15 March 1877 346 108 144 94 0 31.21 Bangladesh 21 October 2003 10 9 0 0 90.00 India 25 June 1932 122 47 26 49 0 38.52 New Zealand 10 January 1930 103 48 10 45 0 46.60 Pakistan 10 June 1954 83 25 21 37 0 30.12 South Africa 12 March 1889 149 61 33 55 0 40.93 Sri Lanka 17 February 1982 31 12 8 11 0 38.70 West Indies 23 June 1928 154 48 55 51 0 31.16 Zimbabwe 18 December 1996 6 0 0 50.00 Total 1,004 361 298 345 0 35.95 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Team scoring records Most runs in an innings The highest innings total scored in Test cricket came in the series between Sri Lanka and India in August 1997. Playing in the first Test at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the hosts posted a first innings total of 952 / 6d. This broke the longstanding record of 903 / 7d which England set against Australia in the final Test of the 1938 Ashes series at The Oval. This in turn broke England 's 849 all out against the West Indies in 1930. Rank Score Opposition Venue Date 903 / 7d Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 849 West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 3 April 1930 710 / 7d India Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 10 August 2011 658 / 8d Australia Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 10 June 1938 5 654 / 5 South Africa Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban, South Africa 3 March 1939 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Fewest runs in an innings The lowest innings total scored in Test cricket came in the second Test of England 's tour of New Zealand in March 1955. Trailing England by 46, New Zealand was bowled out in their second innings for 26 runs. The equal twelfth - lowest score in Test history is England 's total of 45 scored in their first innings against Australia in the first Test of the 1886 -- 87 Ashes series. Rank Score Opposition Venue Date 45 Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 28 January 1887 46 West Indies Queen 's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 25 March 1994 51 West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 4 February 2009 52 Australia The Oval, London, England 14 August 1948 5 53 Australia Lord 's, London, England 16 July 1888 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Result records In 1938, Wally Hammond led England to victory over Australia by an innings and 579 runs, the greatest winning margin by an innings in Test cricket. A Test match is won when one side has scored more runs than the total runs scored by the opposing side during their two innings. If both sides have completed both their allocated innings and the side that fielded last has the higher aggregate of runs, it is known as a win by runs. This indicates the number of runs that they had scored more than the opposing side. If one side scores more runs in a single innings than the total runs scored by the other side in both their innings, it is known as a win by an innings and runs. If the side batting last wins the match, it is known as a win by wickets, indicating the number of wickets that were still to fall. Greatest win margins ( by innings ) The fifth Test of the 1938 Ashes series at The Oval saw England win by an innings and 579 runs, the largest victory by an innings in Test cricket history. The next largest victory was Australia 's win against South Africa in the first Test of the 2001 -- 02 tour at the Wanderers Stadium, where the tourists won by an innings and 360 runs. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date Innings and 579 runs ♠ Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 Innings and 285 runs India Lord 's, London, England 20 June 1974 Innings and 283 runs West Indies Headingley, Leeds, England 25 May 2007 Innings and 261 runs Bangladesh Lord 's, London, England 26 May 2005 5 Innings and 244 runs India The Oval, London, England 15 August 2014 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Greatest win margins ( by runs ) The greatest winning margin by runs in Test cricket was England 's victory over Australia by 675 runs in the first Test of the 1928 -- 29 Ashes series. The next two largest victories were recorded by Australia including defeat over England in the final Test of the 1934 Ashes series by 562 runs. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date 675 runs ♠ Australia Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, Australia 30 November 1928 354 runs Pakistan Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 29 July 2010 347 runs Australia Lord 's, London, England 18 July 2013 338 runs Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia 13 January 1933 5 330 runs Pakistan Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 22 July 2016 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Greatest win margins ( by 10 wickets ) England have won a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets on 20 occasions, the third highest behind Australia on 29 and the West Indies on 25. Rank Victories Opposition Most recent venue Date 6 South Africa Lord 's, London, England 21 June 1951 = 2 India Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India 23 November 2012 West Indies Lord 's, London, England 6 May 2009 Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 2 December 1932 5 Pakistan Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 10 August 1967 6 Sri Lanka Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 13 June 2002 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Narrowest win margins ( by runs ) Michael Vaughan led England to victory over Australia in the second Test of the 2005 Ashes series by a margin of two runs. England 's narrowest win by runs was against Australia in the second Test of the 2005 Ashes series at Edgbaston. Set 282 runs for victory in the final innings, Australia were bowled all out for 279 to give victory to the hosts by two runs. This was the second - narrowest win in Test cricket, with the narrowest being the West Indies ' one - run win over Australia in 1993. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date 2 runs Australia Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 4 August 2005 3 runs Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 December 1982 10 runs Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 14 December 1894 = 4 12 runs Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia 1 February 1929 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 December 1998 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Narrowest win margins ( by wickets ) Archie MacLaren led the English team that lost the fourth Test of the 1902 Ashes series by a margin of three runs and won the fifth Test by a margin of one wicket. Both records still stand over a century later as England 's narrowest win by wickets and narrowest loss by runs, respectively. England have won by a margin of one wicket on three occasions, the most recent being in the second Test against South Africa in 1923 at Newlands Cricket Ground, one of only twelve one - wicket victories in Test cricket. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date = 1 1 wicket Australia The Oval, London, England 11 August 1902 Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 1 January 1908 South Africa Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa 1 January 1923 = 4 2 wickets Australia The Oval, London, England 11 August 1890 South Africa Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban, South Africa 16 December 1948 South Africa SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa 14 January 2000 West Indies Lord 's, London, England 29 June 2000 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Greatest loss margins ( by innings ) England suffered their greatest defeat by an innings at The Gabba in the first Test of the 1946 -- 47 Ashes series, the first Test match to be played in Australia after the Second World War. Going down to the hosts by an innings and 332 runs, this is the fourth - heaviest defeat in Test cricket history. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date Innings and 332 runs Australia The Gabba, Brisbane, Australia 29 November 1946 Innings and 226 runs West Indies Lord 's, London, England 23 August 1973 Innings and 215 runs Sri Lanka Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka 18 December 2003 Innings and 200 runs Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 February 1937 = 5 Innings and 180 runs West Indies Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 14 June 1984 Australia Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 10 August 1989 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Greatest loss margins ( by runs ) The first Test of the 1928 -- 29 Ashes series saw Australia defeated by England by 675 runs, the greatest losing margin by runs in Test cricket. The results were reversed in the fifth and final Test of the 1934 Ashes series at The Oval where the tourists defeated the hosts by 562 runs, England 's greatest defeat by runs. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date 562 runs Australia The Oval, London, England 18 August 1934 425 runs West Indies Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 8 July 1976 409 runs Australia Lord 's, London, England 24 June 1948 405 runs Australia Lord 's, London, England 16 July 2015 5 384 runs Australia The Gabba, Brisbane, Australia 7 November 2002 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Greatest loss margins ( by 10 wickets ) England have lost a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets on 22 occasions, more than any other Test playing team. Rank Defeats Opposition Most recent venue Date 7 Australia The Gabba, Brisbane, Australia 23 November 2017 6 West Indies Headingley, Leeds, England 21 July 1988 Pakistan The Oval, London, England 11 August 2016 South Africa Headingley, Leeds, England 18 July 2008 = 5 Sri Lanka The Oval, London, England 27 August 1998 India Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, India 3 December 2001 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Narrowest loss margins ( by runs ) Pelham Warner was the captain of the English team that lost the first Test against South Africa in January 1906 by a margin of one wicket, the narrowest loss for England by wickets. Only one match in over 140 years of Test cricket has been decided by a margin of one run, the fourth Test of the West Indian tour of Australia in 1992 -- 93 where the visitors secured victory. The equal third narrowest defeat was England 's loss in the fourth Test of the 1902 Ashes series at Old Trafford. Requiring 32 runs to win with six wickets in hand, England lost the match by a margin of three runs. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date 3 runs Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 24 July 1902 6 runs Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 20 February 1885 7 runs Australia The Oval, London, England 28 August 1882 11 runs Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia 16 January 1925 5 17 runs South Africa Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 15 February 1957 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Narrowest loss margins ( by wickets ) Test cricket has seen twelve matches decided by a margin of one wicket, with England being defeated in one of them. The first Test of the 1905 -- 06 series against South Africa at Old Wanderers saw the home side chase down the target of 284 runs in the final innings. Rank Margin Opposition Venue Date 1 wicket South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 2 January 1906 = 2 2 wickets Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 13 December 1907 West Indies Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 5 June 1980 Pakistan Lord 's London, England 18 June 1992 = 5 3 wickets Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 16 July 1896 South Africa Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 7 July 1955 Pakistan National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan 2 March 1984 West Indies Queen 's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 5 February 1998 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Individual records Len Hutton has scored the highest individual Test score ( 364 ) for England. Batting records Most career runs A run is the basic means of scoring in cricket. A run is scored when the batsman hits the ball with his bat and with his partner runs the length of 22 yards ( 20 m ) of the pitch. India 's Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in Test cricket with 15,921. Second is Ricky Ponting of Australia with 13,378 ahead of Jacques Kallis from South Africa in third with 13,289. Alastair Cook, the only England batsman who has scored more than 10,000 runs in Test cricket, is in fifth with 12,472. Rank Runs Player Matches Innings Period 12,472 Alastair Cook 161 291 2006 -- 2018 8,900 Graham Gooch 118 215 1975 -- 1995 8,463 Alec Stewart 133 235 1990 -- 2003 8,231 David Gower 117 204 1978 -- 1992 5 8,181 Kevin Pietersen 104 181 2005 -- 2014 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Highest individual score The first Test of the 2003 -- 04 series of the Southern Cross Trophy, contested between Australia and Zimbabwe, at the WACA Ground saw Matthew Hayden of Australia set the highest Test score with 380, surpassing the West Indies ' Brian Lara 's 375 scored against England in April 1994 at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Six months after Hayden set the record, the West Indian claimed it back scoring 400 not out against the same opposition and on the same ground. Len Hutton 's 364 against Australia during the final Test of the 1938 Ashes series at The Oval is the sixth highest individual score in Test cricket. Wally Hammond 's 336, scored against New Zealand in 1933, is the third highest not out Test innings and the ninth highest overall. Hutton 's, Hammond 's and Andy Sandham 's 325 against the West Indies in 1930 were Test record scores at the time of posting. Rank Runs Player Opposition Venue Date 364 Len Hutton Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 336 * Wally Hammond New Zealand Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand 31 March 1933 333 Graham Gooch India Lord 's, London, England 26 July 1990 325 Andy Sandham West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 3 April 1930 5 310 * John Edrich New Zealand Headingley, Leeds, England 8 July 1965 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Highest career average Herbert Sutcliffe has the highest career batting average for England with 60.73. A batsman 's batting average is the total number of runs they have scored divided by the number of times they have been dismissed. Australia 's Don Bradman, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time, finished his Test career with an average of 99.94. With 60.73, Herbert Sutcliffe is one of only six batsmen to have finished his international career with an average above 60. Rank Average Player Runs Innings Period 60.73 Herbert Sutcliffe 4,555 84 1924 -- 1935 59.23 Eddie Paynter 1,540 31 1931 -- 1939 58.67 Ken Barrington 6,806 131 1955 -- 1968 58.45 Wally Hammond 7,249 140 1927 -- 1947 5 56.94 Jack Hobbs 5,410 102 1908 -- 1930 Qualification : 20 innings Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most half - centuries A half - century is a score of between 50 and 99 runs. Statistically, once a batsman 's score reaches 100, it is no longer considered a half - century but a century. Sachin Tendulkar of India has scored the most half - centuries in Test cricket with 68. He is followed by the West Indies ' Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 66, India 's Rahul Dravid and Allan Border of Australia are third on 63 and in seventh with 57 fifties to his name, England 's Alastair Cook. Rank Half centuries Player Runs Period 57 Alastair Cook 12,472 2006 -- 2018 = 2 46 Ian Bell 7,727 2004 -- 2015 Graham Gooch 8,900 1975 -- 1995 Michael Atherton 7,728 1989 -- 2001 5 45 Alec Stewart 8,463 1990 -- 2003 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most centuries See also : List of England Test cricket centurions A century is a score of 100 or more runs in a single innings. Tendulkar has also scored the most centuries in Test cricket with 51. South Africa 's Jacques Kallis is next on 45 and Ricky Ponting with 41 hundreds is in third. The highest ranked England players are Alastair Cook in tenth with 33 centuries and Kevin Pietersen who finished his international career with 23 centuries is in equal twenty - fifth. Rank Centuries Player Runs Period 33 Alastair Cook 12,472 2006 -- 2018 23 Kevin Pietersen 8,181 2005 -- 2014 = 3 22 Wally Hammond 7,249 1927 -- 1947 Colin Cowdrey 7,624 1954 -- 1975 Geoffrey Boycott 8,114 1964 -- 1982 Ian Bell 7,727 2004 -- 2015 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most double centuries Wally Hammond has scored the most double centuries for England with seven and holds the England record for the most runs scored in a series with 905 runs during the 1928 -- 29 Ashes series. A double century is a score of 200 or more runs in a single innings. Bradman holds the Test record for the most double centuries scored with twelve, one ahead of Sri Lanka 's Kumar Sangakkara who finished his career with eleven. In third place is Brian Lara of the West Indies with nine. England 's Wally Hammond and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka have both reached the mark on seven occasions. Rank Double centuries Player Runs Period Ref 7 Wally Hammond 7,249 1927 -- 1947 5 Alastair Cook 12,472 2006 -- 2018 Len Hutton 6,971 1937 -- 1955 Kevin Pietersen 8,181 2005 -- 2014 = 5 Dennis Amiss 3,612 1966 -- 1977 Denis Compton 5,807 1937 -- 1957 Graham Gooch 8,900 1975 -- 1995 David Gower 8,231 1978 -- 1992 Eddie Paynter 1,540 1931 -- 1939 Joe Root 6,279 2012 -- 2018 Jonathan Trott 3,835 2009 -- 2015 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most runs in a series The 1930 Ashes series in England saw Bradman set the record for the most runs scored in a single series, falling just 26 short of 1,000 runs. He is followed by Wally Hammond with 905 runs scored in the 1928 -- 29 Ashes series. Alastair Cook 's 766 runs scored during the 2010 -- 11 Ashes series ranks in 14th. Rank Runs Player Matches Innings Series 905 Wally Hammond 5 9 1928 -- 29 Ashes series 766 Alastair Cook 5 7 2010 -- 11 Ashes series 753 Denis Compton 5 8 South African cricket team in England in 1947 752 Graham Gooch 6 Indian cricket team in England in 1990 5 734 Herbert Sutcliffe 5 9 1924 -- 25 Ashes series Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most ducks A duck refers to a batsman being dismissed without scoring a run. Former West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh has scored the highest number of ducks in Test cricket with 43 followed by New Zealand 's Chris Martin with 36. Stuart Broad with 29 scoreless innings and James Anderson with 24 are joint sixth and equal twelfth on the list respectively. Rank Ducks Player Matches Innings Period 29 Stuart Broad 123 178 2007 -- 2018 24 James Anderson 143 199 2003 -- 2018 = 3 20 Monty Panesar 50 68 2006 -- 2013 Steve Harmison 62 84 2002 -- 2009 Michael Atherton 115 212 1989 -- 2001 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Bowling records James Anderson hold the record for the most wicket taken by a fast bowler in Test cricket with 564. Most career wickets A bowler takes the wicket of a batsman when the form of dismissal is bowled, caught, leg before wicket, stumped or hit wicket. If the batsman is dismissed by run out, obstructing the field, handling the ball, hitting the ball twice or timed out the bowler does not receive credit. Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for taking the most wickets in Test cricket with 800, followed by Australia 's Shane Warne who previously held the record with 708. James Anderson of England is fourth on the list with 564 Test wickets to his name as of October 2018 and in September 2018 he passed Australia 's Glenn McGrath to become the fast bowler with the most Test wickets. Stuart Broad, with 433, is the second highest England Test wicket - taker and tenth overall. Rank Wickets Player Matches Innings Period 564 James Anderson 143 267 2003 -- 2018 433 Stuart Broad 123 225 2007 -- 2018 383 Ian Botham 102 168 1977 -- 1992 325 Bob Willis 90 165 1971 -- 1984 5 307 Fred Trueman 67 127 1952 -- 1965 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Best figures in an innings Bowling figures refers to the number of the wickets a bowler has taken and the number of runs conceded. There have been two occasions in Test cricket where a bowler has taken all ten wickets in a single innings -- Jim Laker of England took 10 / 53 against Australia in 1956 and India 's Anil Kumble in 1999 returned figures of 10 / 74 against Pakistan. George Lohmann, one of fifteen bowlers who have taken nine wickets in a Test match innings, sits third on the list taking figures of 9 / 28 against South Africa in 1896. Rank Figures Player Opposition Venue Date 10 / 53 ♠ Jim Laker Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 26 July 1956 9 / 28 George Lohmann South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 2 March 1896 9 / 37 Jim Laker Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 26 July 1956 9 / 57 Devon Malcolm South Africa The Oval, London, England 18 August 1994 5 9 / 103 Sydney Barnes South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 26 December 1913 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Best figures in a match A bowler 's bowling figures in a match is the sum of the wickets taken and the runs conceded over both innings. No bowler in the history of Test cricket has taken all 20 wickets in a match. The closest to do so was English spin bowler Jim Laker. During the fourth Test of the 1956 Ashes series, Laker took 9 / 37 in the first innings and 10 / 53 in the second to finish with match figures of 19 / 90. Sydney Barnes 's figures of 17 / 159, taken in the second Test of the 1913 -- 14 South African tour, is the second - best in Test cricket history. Rank Figures Player Opposition Venue Date 19 / 90 ♠ Jim Laker Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 26 July 1956 17 / 159 Sydney Barnes South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 26 December 1913 15 / 28 Johnny Briggs South Africa Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa 25 March 1889 15 / 45 George Lohmann South Africa St George 's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth, South Africa 13 February 1896 5 15 / 99 Colin Blythe South Africa Headingley, Leeds, England 29 July 1907 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Best career average George Lohmann holds the record for the best Test career bowling average and strike rate, with figures of 10.75 and 34.1, respectively. A bowler 's bowling average is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of wickets they have taken. Nineteenth century English medium pacer George Lohmann holds the record for the best career average in Test cricket with 10.75. J.J. Ferris, one of fifteen cricketers to have played Test cricket for more than one team, is second behind Lohmann with an overall career average of 12.70 runs per wicket. Billy Barnes is third on the list, finishing his Test career with an average of 15.54. Rank Average Player Wickets Runs Balls Period 10.75 ♠ George Lohmann 112 1,205 3,830 1886 -- 1896 15.54 Billy Barnes 51 793 2,289 1880 -- 1890 16.42 Billy Bates 50 821 2,364 1881 -- 1887 16.43 Sydney Barnes 189 3,106 7,873 1901 -- 1914 5 16.98 Bobby Peel 101 1,715 5,216 1884 -- 1896 Qualification : 2,000 balls Last updated : 30 July 2018 Best career strike rate A bowler 's strike rate is the total number of balls they have bowled divided by the number of wickets they have taken. As with the career average above, the top two bowlers with the best Test career strike rate are George Lohmann and J.J. Ferris, with Lohmann on 34.1 and Ferris with an overall career strike rate of 37.7 balls per wicket. Rank Strike rate Player Wickets Balls Runs Period 34.1 ♠ George Lohmann 112 3,830 1,205 1886 -- 1896 41.6 Sydney Barnes 189 7,873 3,106 1901 -- 1914 44.8 Billy Barnes 51 2,289 793 1880 -- 1890 45.1 Johnny Briggs 118 5,332 2,095 1884 -- 1899 5 45.4 Frank Tyson 76 3,452 1,411 1954 -- 1959 Qualification : 2,000 balls Last updated : 30 July 2018 Best career economy rate William Attewell finished his career with an economy rate of 1.31, a Test cricket record. A bowler 's economy rate is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of overs they have bowled. English bowler William Attewell, who played 10 Tests between 1884 and 1892, holds the Test record for the best career economy rate with 1.31. Cliff Gladwin, with a rate of 1.60 runs per over conceded over his 8 - match Test career, is second on the list. Rank Economy rate Player Runs Balls Wickets Period 1.31 ♠ William Attewell 626 2,850 28 1884 -- 1892 1.60 Cliff Gladwin 571 2,129 15 1947 -- 1949 1.85 Roy Kilner 734 2,368 24 1924 -- 1926 1.87 Dick Barlow 767 2,456 34 1881 -- 1887 5 1.88 Hedley Verity 3,510 11,173 144 1931 -- 1939 Qualification : 2,000 balls Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most five - wicket hauls in an innings Ian Botham took 27 five - wicket hauls during his Test career, an England record. A five - wicket haul refers to a bowler taking five wickets in a single innings. Sri Lanka 's Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the most five - wicket hauls in Test cricket with 67 throughout his career followed by Shane Warne achieving 37. Ian Botham is the highest ranked England player in seventh, taking 27. Rank Five - wicket hauls Player Wickets Period 27 Ian Botham 383 1977 -- 1992 26 James Anderson 564 2003 -- 2018 24 Sydney Barnes 189 1901 -- 1914 = 4 17 Fred Trueman 307 1952 -- 1965 Graeme Swann 255 2008 -- 2013 Derek Underwood 297 1966 -- 1982 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most ten - wicket hauls in a match A ten - wicket haul refers to a bowler taking ten or more wickets in a match over two innings. As with the five - wicket hauls above, Muttiah Muralitharan leads Shane Warne in taking the most ten - wicket hauls in Test cricket with Muralitharan having taken 22 to Warne 's 10. Sydney Barnes of England is in equal sixth with three other bowlers, each achieving the feat on seven occasions. Rank Ten - wicket hauls Player Wickets Period 7 Sydney Barnes 189 1901 -- 1914 6 Derek Underwood 297 1966 -- 1982 = 3 5 George Lohmann 112 1886 -- 1896 Alec Bedser 236 1946 -- 1955 = 5 Tom Richardson 88 1893 -- 1898 Colin Blythe 100 1901 -- 1910 Johnny Briggs 118 1884 -- 1899 Ian Botham 383 1977 -- 1992 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Worst figures in an innings The worst figures in a single innings in Test cricket came in the third Test between the West Indies at home to Pakistan in 1958. Pakistan 's Khan Mohammad returned figures of 0 / 259 from his 54 overs in the second innings of the match. The worst figures by an England player are 0 / 169 that came off the bowling of Tich Freeman in his final Test appearance. Rank Figures Player Overs Opposition Venue Date 0 / 169 Tich Freeman 49 South Africa The Oval, London, England 17 August 1929 0 / 163 Adil Rashid 34 Pakistan Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 13 October 2015 0 / 155 Moeen Ali 52 South Africa Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa 2 January 2016 0 / 152 Pat Pocock 57 West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 16 February 1974 5 0 / 151 Graeme Swann 52 South Africa The Oval, London, England 19 July 2012 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Worst figures in a match The worst figures in a match in Test cricket were taken by South Africa 's Imran Tahir in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in November 2012. He returned figures of 0 / 180 from his 23 overs in the first innings and 0 / 80 off 14 in the third innings for a total of 0 / 260 from 37 overs. He claimed the record in his final over when two runs came from it -- enough for him to pass the previous record of 0 / 259, set 54 years prior. The worst figures by an England player came in the fourth Test of the 1989 -- 90 tour of the West Indies when Devon Malcolm returned figures of 0 / 142 and 0 / 46 for a total of 0 / 188 off 43 overs. Rank Figures Player Overs Opposition Venue Date 0 / 188 Devon Malcolm 43 West Indies Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados 5 April 1990 0 / 184 Ian Salisbury 33 Pakistan Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 2 July 1992 0 / 184 Maurice Tate 100 Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 8 March 1929 0 / 169 Tich Freeman 49 South Africa The Oval, London, England 17 August 1929 5 0 / 166 Hedley Verity 57 Australia The Oval, London, England 18 August 1934 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most wickets in a series Sydney Barnes took 49 wickets in the 1913 -- 14 series against South Africa, the most by any cricketer in a Test series. England 's seventh Test tour of South Africa in 1913 -- 14 saw the record set for the most wickets taken by a bowler in a Test series. English paceman Sydney Barnes played in four of the five matches and achieved a total of 49 wickets to his name. Jim Laker sits second on the list with 46 wickets taken during the 1956 Ashes series. Rank Wickets Player Matches Series 49 ♠ Sydney Barnes English cricket team in South Africa in 1913 -- 14 46 Jim Laker 5 1956 Ashes series = 3 39 Sydney Barnes 6 1912 Triangular Tournament Alec Bedser 5 1953 Ashes series 5 38 Maurice Tate 5 1924 -- 25 Ashes series Last updated : 30 July 2018 Wicket - keeping records The wicket - keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the stumps being guarded by the batsman on strike and is the only member of the fielding side allowed to wear gloves and leg pads. Most career dismissals A wicket - keeper can be credited with the dismissal of a batsman in two ways, caught or stumped. A fair catch is taken when the ball is caught fully within the field of play without it bouncing after the ball has touched the striker 's bat or glove holding the bat, while a stumping occurs when the wicket - keeper puts down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground and not attempting a run. South Africa 's Mark Boucher has taken the most dismissals in Test cricket as a designated wicket - keeper with 555, followed by Adam Gilchrist of Australia on 416. England 's Alan Knott, who took 269 dismissals during his 95 - Test match career, is eighth on the list. He is followed by his compatriots Matt Prior and Alec Stewart in ninth and tenth with 256 and 241 dismissals respectively. Rank Dismissals Player Matches Period 269 Alan Knott 95 1967 -- 1981 256 Matt Prior 79 2007 -- 2014 241 Alec Stewart 133 1990 -- 2003 219 Godfrey Evans 91 1946 -- 1959 5 174 Bob Taylor 57 1971 -- 1984 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most career catches Matt Prior sits second behind Alan Knott for the most Test dismissals and catches taken by an England wicket - keeper. Boucher also leads Gilchrist in the number of catches taken as a designated wicket - keeper in Test cricket, 532 to 379. Alan Knott, with 250 catches to his name is eighth on this list. He is again followed by Prior and Stewart in ninth and tenth with 243 and 227 catches respectively. Rank Catches Player Matches Period 250 Alan Knott 95 1967 -- 1981 243 Matt Prior 79 2007 -- 2014 227 Alec Stewart 133 1990 -- 2003 173 Godfrey Evans 91 1946 -- 1959 5 167 Bob Taylor 57 1971 -- 1984 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most career stumpings Australia 's Bert Oldfield holds the record for the most stumpings in Test cricket with 52. He is followed by Godfrey Evans of England with 46 to his name. Rank Stumpings Player Matches Period 46 Godfrey Evans 91 1946 -- 1955 23 Les Ames 44 1929 -- 1939 22 Dick Lilley 35 1896 -- 1909 19 Alan Knott 95 1967 -- 1981 5 15 George Duckworth 24 1924 -- 1936 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most dismissals in an innings Four wicket - keepers have taken seven wickets in a single innings in a Test match -- Wasim Bari of Pakistan in 1979, Englishman Bob Taylor in 1980, New Zealand 's Ian Smith in 1991 and most recently West Indian gloveman Ridley Jacobs against Australia in 2000. The feat of taking 6 wickets in an innings has been achieved by 22 wicket - keepers on 30 occasions including 7 Englishmen on 11 occasions. Rank Dismissals Player Opposition Venue Date 7 ♠ Bob Taylor India Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India 15 February 1980 = 2 6 John Murray India Lord 's, London, England 22 June 1967 Jack Russell Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 December 1990 South Africa Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 30 November 1995 Alec Stewart Australia Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 3 July 1997 Chris Read New Zealand Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 1 July 1999 Geraint Jones Bangladesh Riverside Ground, Chester - le - Street, England 3 June 2005 Chris Read Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 December 2006 Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 2 January 2007 Matt Prior Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 26 December 2010 South Africa Lord 's, London, England 16 August 2012 Jonny Bairstow South Africa Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 14 January 2016 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Most dismissals in a series Brad Haddin holds the Test cricket record for the most dismissals taken by a wicket - keeper in a series. He took 29 catches during the 2013 Ashes series which broke the previous record held by fellow Australian Rod Marsh when he took 28 catches in the 1982 -- 83 Ashes series. Jack Russell of England is equal third with 27 dismissals taken during the 1995 -- 96 tour of South Africa. Rank Dismissals Player Matches Innings Series 27 Jack Russell 5 7 English cricket team in South Africa in 1995 -- 96 24 Alan Knott 6 12 1970 -- 71 Ashes series = 3 23 Alec Stewart 5 8 South African cricket team in England in 1998 Matt Prior 5 10 2010 -- 11 Ashes series Alec Stewart 6 10 1997 Ashes series Alan Knott 6 12 1974 -- 75 Ashes series Last updated : 30 July 2018 Fielding records Most career catches Caught is one of the nine methods a batsman can be dismissed in cricket. A fair catch is defined as a fielder catching the ball, from a legal delivery, fully within the field of play without it bouncing when the ball has touched the striker 's bat or glove holding the bat. The majority of catches are caught in the slips, located behind the batsman, next to the wicket - keeper, on the off side of the field. Most slip fielders are top order batsmen. India 's Rahul Dravid holds the record for the most catches in Test cricket by a non-wicket - keeper with 210, followed by Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka on 205 and South African Jacques Kallis with 200. Former captain Alastair Cook is the highest ranked England player in sixth, securing 175 catches in his Test career. Rank Catches Player Matches Period 175 Alastair Cook 161 2006 -- 2018 121 Andrew Strauss 100 2004 -- 2012 = 3 120 Ian Botham 102 1977 -- 1992 Colin Cowdrey 114 1954 -- 1975 5 110 Wally Hammond 85 1927 -- 1947 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most catches in a series The 1920 -- 21 Ashes series, in which Australia whitewashed England 5 -- 0 for the first time, saw the record set for the most catches taken by a non-wicket - keeper in a Test series. Australian all - rounder Jack Gregory took 15 catches in the series as well as 23 wickets. Greg Chappell and K.L. Rahul are joint second behind Gregory with 14 catches taken during the 1974 -- 75 Ashes series and the 2018 India tour of England respectively. The same series saw Alastair Cook become the highest placed England player in equal fourth with 13 catches taken alongside Bob Simpson, Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid. Rank Catches Player Matches Innings Series 13 Alastair Cook 5 10 Indian cricket team in England in 2018 12 Jack Ikin 6 South African cricket team in England in 1951 12 Wally Hammond 5 9 1934 Ashes series 12 Len Braund 10 1901 -- 02 Ashes series = 5 12 Ian Botham 6 12 1981 Ashes series Tony Greig 1974 -- 75 Ashes series Last updated : 13 October 2018 Other records Most career matches India 's Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most Test matches played with 200, with former captains Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh being joint second with each having represented Australia on 168 occasions. Alastair Cook, is seventh and the most capped England Test cricketer having played 161 matches. Rank Matches Player Period 161 Alastair Cook 2006 -- 2018 143 James Anderson 2003 -- 2018 133 Alec Stewart 1990 -- 2003 123 Stuart Broad 2007 -- 2018 = 5 118 Ian Bell 2004 -- 2015 Graham Gooch 1975 -- 1995 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most consecutive career matches Alastair Cook, pictured in 2006, holds the record for the most matches as English captain, the most consecutive career matches in Test cricket and the most matches played for England with 59, 159 and 161 respectively. Former English captain Alastair Cook holds the record for the most consecutive Test matches played with 159. Cook equalled the previous record of 153, set by Australia 's Allan Border, during the first Test of the two match series against Pakistan in May 2018 and broke it by playing in the second Test of the same series. Rank Matches Player Period 159 ♠ Alastair Cook 2006 -- 2018 = 2 65 Alan Knott 1971 -- 1977 Ian Botham 1978 -- 1984 63 Michael Atherton 1993 -- 1998 5 62 Alec Stewart 1996 -- 2001 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Most matches as captain See also : List of England cricket captains Graeme Smith, who led the South African cricket team from 2003 to 2014, holds the record for the most matches played as captain in Test cricket with 109. Allan Border, who skippered Australia from 1984 to 1994 is second with 93 matches. England 's captain from 2010 to 2016, Alastair Cook, is seventh on the list with 59 matches. Rank Matches Player Period 59 Alastair Cook 2010 -- 2016 54 Michael Atherton 1993 -- 2001 51 Michael Vaughan 2003 -- 2008 50 Andrew Strauss 2006 -- 2012 5 45 Nasser Hussain 1999 -- 2003 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Youngest players The youngest player to play in a Test match is claimed to be Hasan Raza at the age of 14 years and 227 days. Making his debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe on 24 October 1996, there is some doubt as to the validity of Raza 's age at the time. The youngest cricketer to play Test cricket for England was Brian Close who at the age of 18 years and 149 days debuted in the third Test of the series against New Zealand in July 1949. Rank Age Player Opposition Venue Date 18 years and 149 days Brian Close New Zealand Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England 23 July 1949 19 years and 32 days Jack Crawford South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 2 January 1906 19 years and 83 days Denis Compton New Zealand The Oval, London, England 14 August 1937 19 years and 269 days Ben Hollioake Australia Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 7 August 1997 5 19 years and 297 days Haseeb Hameed India Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, India 9 November 2016 Last updated : 30 July 2018 James Southerton is the fifth oldest cricketer to play in a Test match and was the oldest to make his debut. Oldest players on debut At 49 years and 119 days, James Southerton of England, playing in the very first Test match in March 1877, is the oldest player to make his debut in Test cricket. Second on the list is Miran Bakhsh of Pakistan who at 47 years and 284 days made his debut against India in 1955. Rank Age Player Opposition Venue Date 49 years and 119 days ♠ James Southerton Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 15 March 1877 41 years and 337 days Rockley Wilson Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 25 February 1921 40 years and 216 days Septimus Kinneir Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia 15 December 1911 40 years and 110 days Harry Lee South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa 13 February 1931 5 39 years and 360 days Arthur Wood Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Oldest players Wilfred Rhodes, pictured here aged 25, is the oldest cricketer to ever in play in a Test match at the age of 52. England all - rounder Wilfred Rhodes is the oldest player to appear in a Test match. Playing in the fourth Test against the West Indies in 1930 at Sabina Park, in Kingston, Jamaica, he was aged 52 years and 165 days on the final day 's play. The second - oldest Test player is Bert Ironmonger who was aged 50 years and 327 days when he represented Australia for the final time in the fifth Test of the 1932 -- 33 Ashes series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Rank Age Player Opposition Venue Date 52 years and 165 days ♠ Wilfred Rhodes West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 3 April 1930 50 years and 320 days W.G. Grace Australia Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 1 June 1899 50 years and 303 days George Gunn West Indies Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica 3 April 1930 49 years and 139 days James Southerton Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia 31 March 1877 5 47 years and 249 days Jack Hobbs Australia The Oval, London, England 16 August 1930 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Partnership records In cricket, two batsmen are always present at the crease batting together in a partnership. This partnership will continue until one of them is dismissed, retires or the innings comes to a close. Highest partnerships by wicket A wicket partnership describes the number of runs scored before each wicket falls. The first wicket partnership is between the opening batsmen and continues until the first wicket falls. The second wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the number three batsman. This partnership continues until the second wicket falls. The third wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the new batsman. This continues down to the tenth wicket partnership. When the tenth wicket has fallen, there is no batsman left to partner so the innings is closed. English batsmen hold three Test wicket partnerships records, all set since 2010. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow came together in the second Test of the 2015 -- 16 series against South Africa at Newlands Cricket Ground and put together a sixth wicket partnership of 399 runs. The recently retired Jonathan Trott and the still active Stuart Broad set the highest eighth wicket partnership of 332 runs at Lord 's in August 2010 against Pakistan. The final record is the tenth wicket partnership of 198 which was set by Joe Root and James Anderson. This came in the first Test against India at Trent Bridge in July 2014. Wicket Runs First batsman Second batsman Opposition Venue Date 1st wicket 359 Len Hutton Cyril Washbrook South Africa Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 27 December 1948 2nd wicket 382 Len Hutton Maurice Leyland Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 3rd wicket 370 Bill Edrich Denis Compton South Africa Lord 's, London, England 21 June 1947 4th wicket 411 Peter May Colin Cowdrey West Indies Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 30 May 1957 5th wicket 254 Keith Fletcher Tony Greig India Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India 6 February 1973 6th wicket 399 ♠ Ben Stokes Jonny Bairstow South Africa Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa 2 January 2016 7th wicket 197 M.J.K. Smith Jim Parks West Indies Queen 's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 25 March 1960 8th wicket 332 ♠ Jonathan Trott Stuart Broad Pakistan Lord 's, London, England 26 August 2010 9th wicket 163 * Colin Cowdrey Alan Smith New Zealand Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand 1 March 1963 10th wicket 198 ♠ Joe Root James Anderson India Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England 9 July 2014 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Highest partnerships by runs The highest Test partnership by runs for any wicket is held by the Sri Lankan pairing of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who put together a third wicket partnership of 624 runs during the first Test against South Africa in July 2006. This broke the record of 576 runs set by their compatriots Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama against India in 1997. New Zealand 's Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe hold the third - highest Test partnership with 467 made in 1991 against Sri Lanka. The English pairing of Peter May and Colin Cowdrey together scored 411 for the fourth wicket against the West Indies in 1957 to place themselves thirteenth on the list. Wicket Runs First batsman Second batsman Opposition Venue Date 4th wicket 411 Peter May Colin Cowdrey West Indies Edgbaston, Birmingham, England 30 May 1957 6th wicket 399 Ben Stokes Jonny Bairstow South Africa Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa 2 January 2016 2nd wicket 382 Len Hutton Maurice Leyland Australia The Oval, London, England 20 August 1938 3rd wicket 370 Bill Edrich Denis Compton South Africa Lord 's, London, England 21 June 1947 2nd wicket 369 John Edrich Ken Barrington New Zealand Headingley, Leeds, England 8 July 1965 Last updated : 30 July 2018 Umpiring records Dickie Bird stood as an umpire in 66 matches, a former Test record, and is now the third most experienced English umpire behind David Shepherd and Ian Gould. Most matches umpired An umpire in cricket is a person who officiates the match according to the Laws of Cricket. Two umpires adjudicate the match on the field, whilst a third umpire has access to video replays, and a fourth umpire looks after the match balls and other duties. The records below are only for on - field umpires. Steve Bucknor of the West Indies holds the record for the most Test matches umpired with 128. He is followed by the currently active Aleem Dar from Pakistan who has stood in 121 Test matches as of October 2018 and South Africa 's Rudi Koertzen who officiated in 108. The most experienced Englishman is David Shepherd who is fifth on the list with 92 Test matches umpired. Dickie Bird, who previously held the record with 66 Tests, is currently eleventh as of October 2018. Rank Matches Umpire Period 92 David Shepherd 1985 -- 2005 69 Ian Gould 2008 -- 2018 66 Dickie Bird 1973 -- 1996 = 4 54 Richard Kettleborough 2010 -- 2018 Nigel Llong 2008 -- 2018 Last updated : 13 October 2018 Notes Jump up ^ For the first 50 years of Test cricket matches were played over three or four days and until the 1930s some timeless Tests were played. Jump up ^ In October 2017, the ICC Board approved a trial of four - day Test cricket to run through until the 2019 Cricket World Cup. ^ Jump up to : Prior to Australian federation in 1901, there was no national flag of Australia. Jump up ^ The other teams to have won a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets are Pakistan ( 13 ), South Africa ( 8 ), Sri Lanka ( 8 ), India ( 7 ) and New Zealand ( 4 ). Jump up ^ The other teams to have lost a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets are Bangladesh ( 4 ), Sri Lanka ( 5 ), Zimbabwe ( 7 ), Pakistan ( 9 ), Australia ( 10 ). South Africa ( 12 ), New Zealand ( 13 ), the West Indies ( 15 ) and India ( 17 ). ^ Jump up to : Prior to the unification of the South African colonies in 1910, there was no national flag of South Africa. Jump up ^ In 2017, The Laws of Cricket were amended, reducing the methods of dismissals from ten to nine, with handled the ball now covered as part of obstructing the field. References Jump up ^ Nicholson, Matthew ( 2007 ). Sport and the Media : Managing the Nexus. Elsevier. p. 58. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7506 - 8109 - 4. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Nicholas, Mark ( 15 March 2017 ). `` Where are we 140 years later ? ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Williamson, Martin ( 22 August 2015 ). `` The Oval grind of 1938 ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Gollapudi, Nagraj ; Samiuddin, Osman ( 14 October 2017 ). `` South Africa to play Zimbabwe in inaugural four - day Test ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Williamson, Martin ( 18 May 2007 ). `` International Cricket Council : A brief history... '' ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` ICC Classification of Official Cricket '' ( pdf ). International Cricket Council. 1 October 2017 : 2. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Williamson, Martin ( 23 January 1998 ). `` The birth of Test cricket ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Overall results summary for Test matches ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Test records -- Most career runs ''. ESPNcricinfo. 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Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018. Jump up ^ `` Law 18 ( Scoring runs ) ''. Marylebone Cricket Club. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ McConnell, Lynn ( 10 October 2003 ). `` Hayden leaves Lara in his wake ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ Miller, Andrew ( 12 April 2004 ). `` England in strife after Lara 's 400 ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Test records -- Highest individual score ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Test records -- Highest individual score ( progressive record holder ) ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` English Test records -- Highest individual score ''. ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. 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Cricket records Test records By team Australia Bangladesh England India Ireland New Zealand Pakistan Sri Lanka South Africa West Indies Zimbabwe Batting Most career runs Triple centuries Centuries in both innings Centuries on debut Bowling Most career wickets Five - wicket hauls on debut Double five - wicket hauls on debut Hat - tricks ODI records By team Australia Bangladesh England India New Zealand Pakistan Sri Lanka South Africa West Indies Zimbabwe Batting Most career runs Highest individual scores Double centuries Centuries on debut Bowling Most career wickets Hat - tricks Five - wicket haul on debut T20I records By team Australia Bangladesh England India Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Sri Lanka South Africa West Indies Zimbabwe Batting Centuries Bowling Five - wicket hauls Hat - tricks Miscellaneous records International Centuries Career Five Wicket Hauls 100 wickets in a season Wicket with first ball World Cup records First - class records Batsmen with 100 FC centuries FC quadruple centuries Ranji Trophy List - A records Centuries by ground Five - wicket hauls by ground Twenty20 records Under - 19 records Women 's cricket Records WTest records WODI records WT20I records Batting WTest centuries WODI centuries WT20I centuries Bowling WTest five - wicket hauls on debut WODI five - wicket hauls WT20I five - wicket hauls Hat - tricks Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_England_Test_cricket_records&oldid=864772052 '' Categories : English cricket lists Test cricket records Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from October 2018 Use British English from October 2018 Articles containing potentially dated statements from October 2018 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles with hCards Featured lists Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 19 October 2018, at 10 : 48 ( UTC ). 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Question: who has scored most test runs for england
Answer: Alastair Cook