Englands Cricket Top Run Scorers: A Closer Look

Joseph Edward Root was born on December 30, 1990. He plays cricket for England and Yorkshire in domestic competitions. Among all active Test players, Root has scored the most runs. He ranks fifth in the history of Test cricket for total runs and holds the highest number of Test runs for England.

Root stands out as one of the best batsmen of his generation and is widely seen as one of England’s finest ever. During the 2019 Cricket World Cup, he scored more runs than any other English player, helping England win the title. By mid-2024, he reached the top spot in the ICC Test batting rankings on nine different occasions.

He began his Test career in 2012 and played his first One Day International the following year. Root also appeared in Twenty20 internationals for England from 2012 until 2019. From early 2017 to 2022, he captained England’s Test side, leading in 64 matches with 27 victories and 26 defeats. When England played their 1,000th Test in 2018, Root was named among the country’s all-time best Test players by the England and Wales Cricket Board. In 2021, he earned awards as the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year and Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World.

Root bats right-handed. He started his career opening the innings but mostly bats in the middle order now. His 36 Test centuries and 18 ODI centuries are the most by any English batsman. In June 2022, Root became only the second English player and the 14th in the world to cross 10,000 Test runs. Alongside Harry Brook, he set the world record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Tests, scoring 454 runs together—a partnership ranking fourth highest in Test cricket history. With James Anderson, Root also holds England’s record for the highest tenth-wicket partnership at 198 runs. He leads England’s run-scoring in World Cups and is the only English player to surpass 1,000 runs in the tournament. In addition to batting, Root occasionally bowls off-spin.

Sir Alastair Nathan Cook was born on December 25, 1984. He is a former English cricketer who captained England’s Test and ODI teams. Cook is regarded as one of the finest opening batsmen in Test cricket history. He ranks as the sixth highest run-scorer in Test matches worldwide and the second highest for England. After retiring from Test cricket in September 2018, he continued playing for Essex County Cricket Club until 2023 while also working with the BBC’s Test Match Special radio program.

Cook holds the record for most Test matches played as a specialist batsman for England. He captained England in 59 Tests and 69 ODIs. He scored 33 Test centuries, the most by any English player, and was the first English batsman to lead his team to 50 Test wins. A left-handed batsman, Cook is England’s highest-scoring left-hander in Tests and is usually fielded at first slip.

His cricket career began in Essex’s Academy, and he made his first-team debut in 2003. From 2000, he featured in England’s youth teams before making his Test debut in 2006 during a tour of India. Called up as a last-minute replacement, Cook scored a century in his first Test match at just 21 years old. In his debut year, he scored 1,000 runs and hit centuries against teams like India, Pakistan, the West Indies, and Bangladesh.

Cook played a key role in England’s 2009 Ashes victory and later captained the team, first filling in as a temporary captain in 2010 and then as the full-time ODI captain. He led England to retain the Ashes in the 2010–11 series. Following Andrew Strauss’s retirement in August 2012, Cook became the permanent Test captain. He led England to a Test series win in India, the first since 1984–85, and made history by scoring centuries in each of his first five Tests as captain.

On May 30, 2015, Cook became England’s leading Test run-scorer, passing Graham Gooch’s total of 8,900 runs. He stepped down from the Test captaincy after the 2016 tours of Bangladesh and India and retired from international cricket after the 2018 series against India. He finished his playing career in October 2023. Former England captain Michael Vaughan praised Cook, saying England might never see a batsman like him again. Cricket writer Scyld Berry highlighted Cook’s qualities such as stoicism, modesty, and humor, which made him stand out as one of England’s greatest.

Cook received several honors, including being named MBE in 2011 and promoted to CBE in 2016 for his contributions to cricket. In 2019, he was knighted for his services to the sport. When England played their 1,000th Test match in August 2018, the England and Wales Cricket Board included Cook in the nation’s greatest Test XI.

Graham Alan Gooch was born on July 23, 1953. He played first-class cricket for England and Essex, captaining both teams during his career. Gooch became one of the most successful batsmen of his time, scoring a huge number of runs over a career that lasted from 1973 to 1997. Across all formats, he accumulated 67,057 runs, which ranks among the highest totals in cricket history. His record for runs in List A matches stands at 22,211, the most by any player.

Gooch is known as the only cricketer to have lost three Cricket World Cup finals, happening in 1979, 1987, and 1992. Despite this tough record in finals, he was part of some of England’s strongest teams. He is also among the select group of 25 players to score over 100 centuries in first-class cricket.

His international career had a pause after a three-year ban due to participating in a controversial tour to South Africa. Even with that gap, Gooch remains England’s third highest run-scorer in Test cricket. He played during a period when the West Indies team was dominant, and his batting average in the mid-forties against them earned respect from many. One of his most celebrated innings is a 154-run century at Headingley in 1991, considered by many as one of the greatest Test centuries. Gooch’s highest Test score was 333 against India at Lord’s, where he also added a second innings century of 123. The total 456 runs he scored in that match remains the highest combined score by one player in a Test match. He was the first cricketer to appear 20 times in Tests at Lord’s.

As a captain, Gooch was admired for his dedication to fitness and work ethic, which, according to writer Matthew Engel, gave the England team renewed focus and energy after years of struggle.

Gooch retired from international cricket after playing 118 Tests at age 42. He then moved into coaching and team selection roles, later becoming a cricket commentator. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Gooch returned to coach Essex and served as England’s batting coach starting in 2012.

Alec James Stewart was born on April 8, 1963. He is a former English cricketer and captained the England team in both Tests and One Day Internationals. Stewart played as a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, appearing in 133 Test matches and 170 ODIs. He ranks as the fifth most-capped English player in Tests and third in ODIs. Known for his aggressive batting early in innings, Stewart earned respect as one of England’s finest openers. Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram named him among the toughest batsmen he faced. Stewart also played in England’s squad that finished second in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

His highest Test score was 190 against Pakistan during a drawn match at Edgbaston in June 1992. This was his fourth century in just five Tests at the time. In 1994, at the Kensington Oval, Stewart became only the seventh Englishman to score centuries in both innings of a Test, scoring 118 and 143 to help England beat the West Indies at their home ground for the first time since 1935.

Stewart scored 8,463 Test runs, holding the record for the most runs without ever reaching a double century. His career batting average in Tests stands at 39.54, which is the lowest among players with over 8,000 Test runs. However, when he played purely as a specialist batsman in 51 matches, his average rose to 46.90 with nine centuries. Since World War II, only Len Hutton, Geoff Boycott, Dennis Amiss, and Alastair Cook have recorded better averages as specialist opening batsmen for England. As a wicketkeeper-batsman over 82 Tests, he averaged 34.92, a figure higher than many of his peers. Stewart also holds the unfortunate record of playing on the losing side in 54 Test matches, more than any other player.

David Ivon Gower was born on April 1, 1957. He is a former English cricketer and captain of the England team during the 1980s. Known for his elegant left-handed batting style, Gower played in 117 Test matches and 114 One Day Internationals, scoring 8,231 and 3,170 runs respectively. During his career, he was one of England’s most experienced and highest-scoring batsmen. Against Australia, only Jack Hobbs scored more runs than Gower’s 3,269. He was part of England’s squad that finished second in the 1979 Cricket World Cup.

Gower led England in the 1985 Ashes series, guiding the team to victory. However, his captaincy faced criticism after England suffered two 5–0 defeats against the West Indies in 1984 and 1985–86. This led to his replacement as captain in 1986. He returned briefly as captain for the 1989 Ashes before Graham Gooch took over. A difficult relationship with Gooch influenced Gower’s decision to retire from international cricket in 1993.

Despite these challenges, Gower had an outstanding first-class career, scoring 26,339 runs at an average of 40.08, including 53 centuries. One notable achievement is his record of 119 consecutive Test innings without being dismissed for a duck, a feat recorded as of February 2021. After retiring from playing, Gower built a successful career as a cricket commentator for Sky Sports. In July 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

In August 2018, during England’s 1,000th Test match, the England and Wales Cricket Board honored Gower by naming him among the country’s greatest Test XI.