Stuart Broad goes past Bob Willis to become England’s third-highest Test wicket-taker
Stuart Broad goes past Bob Willis to become England's third-highest Test wicket-taker

Stuart Broad enhanced his reputation by going past Bob Willis to become England’s third-highest Test wicket-taker. Broad bowled phenomenal spell in the ongoing third Test between England and South Africa at Wanderers, taking a tremendous 6 for 17 and helping the visitors rout the hosts for a paltry 83. England led by a mere 10 runs in the first innings, but Broad’s destructive spell ensured they have a potentially effortless chase ahead. Given the way the likes of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jonny Bairstow batted, it would seem that England have the match firmly in their hands now. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 3rd Test at Johannesburg
Broad is no stranger to slicing through the opposition; less than a year ago he ripped apart Australia with a spell of 8 for 15 against Australia at Trent Bridge in The Ashes 2015. At one point in the ongoing Test against South Africa he had taken five wickets for one run. This was the 15th five-wicket haul of Borad’s Test career as well. During the course of the spell, he went past Willis, thereby falling behind only Ian Botham and James Anderson on the list of England’s leading Test wicket-takers. It should be noted that Broad’s Test bowling average of 28.54 is better than Anderson’s average of 29.19, while his strike rate of 56.4 is better than that of both Anderson (58.1) and Botham (56.9). READ: South Africa bowled out for 83 vs England on Day 3 of 3rd Test; record 2nd-lowest total since readmission
Players | Period | M | I | W | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 5WI | 10WM |
James Anderson | 2003-2016 | 112 | 210 | 428 | 6/43 | 11/71 | 29.19 | 3.01 | 58.1 | 18 | 2 |
Ian Botham | 1977-1992 | 102 | 168 | 383 | 8/34 | 13/106 | 28.4 | 2.99 | 56.9 | 27 | 4 |
Stuart Broad | 2007-2016 | 90 | 164 | 330 | 8/15 | 11/121 | 28.54 | 3.03 | 56.4 | 15 | 2 |
Bob Willis | 1971-1984 | 90 | 165 | 325 | 8/43 | 9/92 | 25.2 | 2.83 | 53.4 | 16 | 0 |
Fred Trueman | 1952-1965 | 67 | 127 | 307 | 8/31 | 12/119 | 21.57 | 2.61 | 49.4 | 17 | 3 |
Broad also has the best innings figures among the top five England bowlers, with the aforementioned 8 for 15 against Australia being the spell in question.