Josh Tongue becomes first bowler to 50 wickets in WTC 2025-27 cycle
England fast bowler Josh Tongue has become the first bowler to claim 50 wickets in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. He reached the milestone during the first innings of the opening Test against Pakistan at Headingley in Leeds, where he produced a five-wicket haul for the Joe Root-led side.
Tongue arrived at this landmark in just 10 matches, making him the sole bowler in the current WTC edition to complete a half-century of wickets. He has now taken three five-wicket hauls across this cycle and was also England’s most effective bowler during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Tongue sits clear at the top of the wicket-takers’ chart for the 2025-27 WTC. Australia’s Mitchell Starc occupies second place with 48 wickets from nine matches, while India’s Mohammed Siraj is third, having picked up 41 wickets across 10 matches.
Most wickets in WTC 2025-27
|
PLAYER |
COUNTRY |
MATCHES |
INNINGS |
WICKETS |
BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) |
BEST FIGURES (MATCH) |
5W |
10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Josh Tongue |
England |
10* |
19 |
50* |
5/45 |
8/182 |
3 |
0 |
|
Mitchell Starc |
Australia |
9 |
18 |
48 |
7/58 |
10/113 |
3 |
1 |
|
Mohammed Siraj |
India |
10 |
19 |
41 |
6/70 |
9/190 |
2 |
0 |
|
Ben Stokes |
England |
11 |
20 |
39 |
5/23 |
6/105 |
2 |
0 |
|
Jayden Seales |
West Indies |
12 |
23 |
35 |
5/20 |
6/93 |
2 |
0 |
Where does Tongue stand among England’s WTC wicket-takers?
Tongue is the sixth English bowler to take 50 wickets within a single WTC edition. Stuart Broad was the first to achieve that mark for England, finishing the 2019-21 cycle with 69 wickets from 17 matches, a tally that stands as the benchmark for English bowlers in a single edition.
James Anderson took 58 wickets for England during the 2021-23 WTC, with Ollie Robinson contributing 53 in that same cycle. The 2023-25 edition then saw Gus Atkinson claim 52 wickets in 11 matches and Chris Woakes dismiss 51 batters across 12 matches. Tongue’s current tally of 50 from 10 matches places him alongside those names, and he still has several matches remaining in the 2025-27 cycle to extend his count.
Most wickets in one edition of WTC for England
|
PLAYER |
MATCHES |
INNINGS |
WICKETS |
BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) |
BEST FIGURES (MATCH) |
5W |
10W |
WTC CYCLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stuart Broad |
17 |
32 |
69 |
6/31 |
10/67 |
2 |
1 |
2019-21 |
|
James Anderson |
15 |
28 |
58 |
5/60 |
6/62 |
2 |
0 |
2021-23 |
|
Ollie Robinson |
13 |
25 |
53 |
5/49 |
7/81 |
3 |
0 |
2021-23 |
|
Gus Atkinson |
11 |
21 |
52 |
7/45 |
12/106 |
3 |
1 |
2023-25 |
|
Chris Woakes |
12 |
24 |
51 |
5/62 |
7/111 |
1 |
0 |
2023-25 |
|
Josh Tongue |
10* |
19 |
50* |
5/45 |
8/182 |
3 |
0 |
2025-27 |
What overall WTC bowling records could Tongue target?
Nathan Lyon holds the all-time mark for wickets in a single WTC edition. The Australian spinner dismissed 88 batters across 20 matches during the 2021-23 cycle, a figure that remains the highest by any bowler in one WTC edition.
Among fast bowlers specifically, Pat Cummins set the standard in the 2023-25 WTC, taking 80 wickets across 18 matches for Australia. Both benchmarks are well beyond Tongue’s present tally of 50, but with the 2025-27 cycle still in progress, he will have further opportunities to close the gap on those figures.
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