Josh Tongue Becomes First Bowler to Take 50 Wickets in 2025-27 WTC Cycle

England pacer Josh Tongue has achieved a major individual milestone by becoming the first bowler to claim 50 wickets in the ongoing 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle. Tongue achieved the feat during the opening Test match against Pakistan at Headingley, Leeds, leading the bowling attack with a five-wicket haul for the Joe Root-captained English side.

What Happened

Entering the Leeds Test on the brink of the milestone, Tongue delivered an impactful spell in Pakistan’s first innings to complete his third five-wicket haul of the current World Test Championship edition. With his best innings figures sitting at 5/45 and a match-best of 8/182, the right-arm fast bowler took just 10 matches across 19 innings to cross the 50-wicket mark.

Tongue now leads the overall wicket-taking leaderboard for the 2025-27 edition, standing alone as the only bowler to reach a half-century of dismissals so far. Australia’s Mitchell Starc ranks second behind him with 48 dismissals from nine appearances, followed by India’s Mohammed Siraj, who sits third with 41 wickets across 10 matches. England teammate Ben Stokes occupies fourth place with 39 scalps in 11 games, while West Indies seamer Jayden Seales holds fifth spot with 35 wickets in 12 fixtures.

Key Highlights

• Leading the Pack: Josh Tongue is the sole bowler to reach 50 wickets in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, achieving the landmark in 10 matches.
• Headingley Milestone: He sealed the landmark during a five-wicket haul in the first innings against Pakistan in Leeds.
• Elite English Group: Tongue is the sixth English bowler to take 50 or more wickets in a single WTC cycle, following Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, and Chris Woakes.
• Consistent Performers: Tongue was also England’s leading bowler during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy earlier in the cycle.
• Chasing Pack: Mitchell Starc (48 wickets) and Mohammed Siraj (41 wickets) trail directly behind Tongue on the current tournament leaderboard.

Why This Matters

Crossing the 50-wicket barrier cements Tongue’s standing among England’s most prolific performers in the World Test Championship format. Stuart Broad holds England’s all-time record for a single edition after capturing 69 wickets during the 2019-21 cycle. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson took 58 and 53 wickets respectively in 2021-23, while Gus Atkinson (52) and Chris Woakes (51) both cleared the mark in the 2023-25 cycle. Having reached 50 wickets in only 10 games, Tongue has matched these totals at a faster rate in terms of matches played than several of his compatriots.

What to Watch Next

With several fixtures remaining on England’s schedule for the 2025-27 cycle, Tongue has opportunities to expand his wicket count. Higher overall championship records remain in view across the competition: Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon owns the all-time tournament record of 88 wickets from 20 matches in 2021-23, while Australian captain Pat Cummins set the benchmark for fast bowlers with 80 wickets across 18 matches in the 2023-25 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many matches did Josh Tongue need to reach 50 WTC wickets?

Josh Tongue took 10 matches and 19 innings to capture 50 wickets in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.

Which other bowlers have taken the most wickets in the 2025-27 WTC cycle?

Australia’s Mitchell Starc sits second with 48 wickets, followed by India’s Mohammed Siraj in third place with 41 wickets.

Who holds the record for the most wickets by an English bowler in a single WTC cycle?

Stuart Broad holds the English benchmark with 69 wickets from 17 matches, established during the 2019-21 World Test Championship cycle.

What is the overall record for the most wickets in a single WTC edition?

Nathan Lyon holds the overall competition record with 88 wickets taken during the 2021-23 cycle, while Pat Cummins holds the pace-bowling mark with 80 wickets from the 2023-25 cycle.

Source: Information sourced from CricTracker coverage of player statistics and World Test Championship records.