Top 5 England batters with most runs in Test cricket

Test cricket has a long history of legendary batters from England, the country that invented the game. Geoff Boycott, Wally Hammond, and David Gower are among those iconic figures. In this article, let’s delve into the top five run-scorers for England in the longest format of the game.

Notably, two English batters have achieved the milestone of 10,000 test runs, and one of them is expected to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 runs in Test cricket. 

List of the top 5 England batters with most runs in Test cricket

5. David Gower - 8231 runs

David Gower, who began his test career with a boundary off the first ball, was the cornerstone of England's batting in the 1980s. He was among the most reliable batters of his era. Gower played more than 100 games in both tests and ODIs.

He played 117 matches in test cricket, amassing 8231 runs at an average of 44.25, including a best of 215 runs. Throughout his test career, he registered 18 centuries and 39 half-centuries.

4. Alec Stewart - 8463 runs

Former wicketkeeper, Alec Stewart was a graceful batter who, when at his best, enthralled his audience. Between 1989 and 2003, Stewart played in 303 England international matches.

With a best score of 190, he participated in 133 test matches and amassed 8463 runs at an average of 39.54. Stewart scored 15 centuries and 45 half-centuries. Coincidentally, he was both on 8th April 1963, 8/4/63 and scored 8463 runs in his test career.

3. Graham Gooch - 8900 runs

Starting with two ducks in his debut test to becoming one of England's greatest batters, Graham Gooch had a dream career. Gooch was a run machine, and his numbers—44,846 in First Class matches and 22,211 in List A cricket—speak for themselves.

He also had a successful international career. With a best of 333, he scored 8900 runs at an average of 42.58 during his 118 test matches for England. Gooch notched up 20 centuries and 46 half-centuries. He holds the record for most runs (456) in a test match.

2. Joe Root - 12377 runs

Joe Root is undoubtedly the greatest Test batter in the world right now. He has been in an incredible run since 2021 in test cricket and is already regarded as England’s greatest Test batter. The former captain already holds the most centuries and half-centuries for his nation in the longest format of the game.

Root has played 145 tests so far and has 12377 runs at an average of 50.93, with a highest score of 254. He has smashed 34 centuries and 64 half-centuries. If he keeps going at this rate, Root is probably going to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record (15921) for the most Test runs.

1. Alastair Cook - 12472 runs

Sir Alastair Cook is one of the most successful batters to play this particular format of cricket. Despite facing the new ball, the left-hander had a solid technique and scored runs on a regular basis. In his test debut in 2006, he made an explosive debut. He currently holds the test cricket record for the most consecutive matches (159) for a team.

During his career, Cook played in 161 tests, scoring 12472 runs at 45.35, with a career best of 294. The former English captain also racked up 33 centuries and 57 half-centuries.

Cover Credits - ECB Official