Wisden Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Wisden Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Test cricket
series played between England and the West Indies. It was first awarded in 1963 to commemorate the hundredth edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
. Series are played in accordance with the International Cricket Council
's future tours programme
, with varying lengths of time between tours. If a series is drawn then the country holding the Wisden Trophy retains it.
The trophy is named after the famous cricketing publisher Wisden
and was presented by John Wisden & Co after gaining the approval of the Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) and the West Indies Cricket Board
(WICB). The Wisden Trophy is presented to the victorious team as a symbol of its victory, but then returns to the MCC Museum at Lord's. Since the 2000 Wisden Trophy series, the Malcolm Marshall
Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the leading wicket taker in the series.
England currently hold the trophy. They held the trophy for nine years, after beating the West Indies 3–1 to regain it in 2000; they successfully defended the trophy three times. West Indies regained the trophy in the most recent series in the West Indies, winning 1-0, in early 2009. It was originally planned to consist of four Test matches. However an extra match was arranged when the second Test had to be abandoned after only a few overs play because the ground was unfit. England regained the trophy in May 2009, winning a two Test series 2-0. The tour, coming uncommonly soon after England toured the West Indies, replaced the previously announced tour by Sri Lanka, which in turn was arranged to replace the originally scheduled tour by Zimbabwe
In 1963 John Wisden & Co. Ltd, with the approval of the MCC and the WICB, presented the first Wisden Trophy, to be contested in a similar manner to the Ashes
.
The trophy is around 30 centimetres high, and a similar distance across its base. At the centre is an image of John Wisden
. To Wisden's left is a smaller figure of a batsman taking guard, while to Wisden's right is a bowler in his delivery stride. Directly below Wisden is a plaque, on either side of which are the emblems of the English and West Indian teams. The plaque reads:
, this trophy has been awarded to the leading wicket taker of the series since 2000. The player who wins it also receives £1,360, but if he surpasses Marshall's record of 35 wickets set in 1988 he stands to earn £34,000. The table below lists all the players who have won this trophy.
' 11 wickets at Old Trafford set up a commanding 10 wicket win for the West Indies. The second match at Lord's
was chiefly remembered for its dramatic ending; all results were possible going into the final over of the match. England required eight runs to win but only had two wickets left. From the fourth ball of the over Derek Shackleton
was run out
, which meant that Colin Cowdrey
had to come out with a broken arm with two balls of the match remaining. He did not have to face a ball, and the match ended in a draw. The third Test saw Fred Trueman
claim 12 wickets ensuring England won by 217 runs. Charlie Griffith
's 6/36 in the fourth and Conrad Hunte
's 108 in the final Test meant the West Indies won the next two Tests and the series finished 3–1. The final Test saw a pitch invasion when Basil Butcher
scored the winning runs for the West Indies.
As a result of the great success of this series, England's future home Test program was revised so that the West Indies could return in 1966, much earlier than originally planned. This was done by introducing "twin tours", in which two countries would each play three Tests against England in the course of a season.
was the captain for the West Indies, while England had three captains: Mike Smith (first Test), Cowdrey (second-fourth Test) and Brian Close
(fifth Test) during the five Test series. The West Indies team was not as strong as in the previous series, but many of their deficiencies were glossed over by Sobers' exceptional all-round performance. He scored centuries in three Test matches and claimed five wicket innings hauls in two Tests.
The first Test went to the West Indies with England succumbing in both innings to Gibbs who claimed 10 wickets in the Test. Butcher’s 209 ensured the West Indies won the third to lead the series 2–0. The fourth Test saw Sobers' best performance, where he scored 174 runs and followed this up by taking 5/41 to give his team a 3–0 lead into the final Test. England gained a consolation victory, largely due to Tom Graveney
’s 165 and a 128 tenth wicket partnership.
The main difference between the two teams was the outstanding all-round performance of Sobers, who scored 722 runs at an average of 103.14, as well as taking 20 wickets and taking 10 catches.
Despite these problems England were largely the better team, with Cowdrey’s leadership, Geoffrey Boycott
’s batting and a weakened West Indian attack being the difference between the sides.
After a drawn first Test the second match was a game of two halves. England developed a 233 run lead at the half way stage and had the West Indies on 204/5 when Butcher was caught. This dismissal caused a riot and from this point onwards England struggled with the spin bowling of Sobers and Gibbs, narrowly avoiding defeat by two wickets. The third Test saw another drawn match due to the slow batting of the West Indies, taking over two days to score 349 runs which included a spell of four runs in one hour. England took a 1–0 lead after the fourth Test, in a game that they seemed least like winning. The win was mainly due to Sobers' decision to declare
on 92/2 in the West Indies second innings. Good batting by Alan Knott
and a 127 sixth wicket partnership ensured the final game ended in a draw as England maintained their 1–0 lead to win the series.
The 1969 tour was a three Test series. The captains were Ray Illingworth
for England and Sobers for the West Indies. The West Indies had an ageing team and, with Sobers suffering a loss of form, were always the weaker side.
England won the first Test with John Snow
and David Brown claiming 13 wickets between them. A draw followed in Lord's, but England won the final match in a dramatic fashion. The West Indies in a seemingly strong position of 219/3 required 84 runs for victory. They suffered a late innings collapse however as Butcher, Sobers and Lloyd fell within 16 minutes, which ultimately led to England winning by 30 runs to win the series 2–0. It seemed that England would begin to dominate the West Indies, with many of the key West Indian players such as Butcher, Wes Hall
and Charlie Griffith
retiring in 1969. Illingworth would be the last England captain to win the Wisden Trophy for 31 years.
by 158 runs, with Clive Lloyd's
132 with the bat and Keith Boyce's
bowling (147/11 in the match) being the main contributions to the win. The drawn match at Edgbaston
was at risk of being abandoned when umpire Arthur Fagg
threatened to withdraw after Kanhai disputed one of his decisions. The final Test match at Lord's
was dominated by the West Indies, with the team posting a huge total of 652/8 before declaring
, Kanhai, Sobers and Bernard Julien
all getting centuries. England never looked liked matching this total, and were dismissed for 233 in the first innings and 193 in the second, losing by an innings and 226 runs. This was England's second biggest defeat in Test cricket. The series finished 2–0 to the West Indies, who regained the Wisden Trophy.
The 1974 series in the West Indies was of five Tests. The West Indian team were regarded as the better side, and for them to only draw the series was a surprise. After they won the first Test it had seemed that the series would become a one-sided contest. This Test was notable for a controversial Alvin Kallicharran
run out
that triggered protests. England managed to secure draws in the next three Tests, thanks to Dennis Amiss
' 262 in the second Test and Keith Fletcher
's 129 in the third, while rain prevented a result in the fourth Test. The last match at Queen's Park Oval
was a close game, with England winning by 26 runs, primarily due to Tony Greig
taking 13 wickets bowling off-spin and Boycott scoring 212 runs in the match. England thereby levelled the series, which finished 1–1.
England entered the series with great confidence, with English captain Greig saying that he had the players to make the West Indians "grovel". This threat proved to be an empty one, as it soon became apparent that England had no answer to Viv Richards
' batting and Michael Holding
's bowling.
The first two Tests ended in draws, but from the third Test onwards the West Indies took full control, with Richards scoring 524 runs in the last three Tests. He was supported by Holding, who took 25 wickets over these three Tests, including 5/17 in the third Test and 14/149 in the final Test. The West Indies won the series 3–0.
The series is mainly remembered for Richards' batting. He scored 829 runs at an average of 118.42 over four Test matches. In either the fourth or fifth Test in this series TMS
commentator Brian Johnston
allegedly said:
when describing the West Indian bowler Holding bowling to English batsmen Peter Willey
. There are no records, according to Wisden, of Johnston or any other commentator saying this. Other sources have stated that Johnston had indeed said this and had prepared the line before saying it.
. They were generally regarded as the best team at Test level, and would lose only eight Test matches during the 1980s.
Ian Botham
captained the England team while Lloyd skippered the West Indies in this five Test series. In a series that was hampered by rain, the only match to produce a positive result was the first Test at Trent Bridge
. It was a close contest, with a dramatic ending which saw six dropped catches and the West Indies requiring 208 runs in the final 8 hours of play. The West Indies achieved this target with 2 wickets in hand, largely due to Desmond Haynes
' 64.
England went to the West Indies for the 1981 five Test series. This became four Tests after the second Test abandonment caused by Robin Jackman
's visa being revoked by the Guyanese Government due to his involvement with South Africa's apartheid regime.
The series was dominated by the West Indies bowlers Holding and Colin Croft
, who claimed 41 wickets between them in the series. England suffered an innings defeat in the first Test, and lost the third by 298 runs as they failed to register an innings of over 250 in the first three Tests. Strong batting performances and rain enabled England to draw the final two Tests, and so the series ended 2–0 to the West Indies.
and Joel Garner
, which claimed 105 of the 200 England wickets to fall in the two series. Many players from the West Indies had taken part in the so-called Supertest
s a few years earlier and as a result they were arguably fitter and better prepared due to having faced stronger opposition. The captains for these series were Lloyd and Richards for the West Indies, and David Gower
, who had the ignominy of leading England to ten consecutive defeats against the men from the Caribbean.
The 1984 series began with Andy Lloyd
being hit on the head, resulting in his being hospitalized. This would prove to be a common theme throughout the series, as the English batsmen struggled to cope with the West Indies bouncers
. Whenever England threatened, a West Indian player would step up and take control of the match, as when Gordon Greenidge
scored 214 after an England declaration
to win the second Test. The series was decided at Old Trafford, where the West Indies gained an unassailable 3–0 lead. The final Test at The Oval
saw the West Indies record the only whitewash by a visiting nation in a five Test series. This was the fifth whitewash in Test cricket and the first to be inflicted on England in England.
The 1985–86 series in the West Indies ended in another whitewash with the West Indies winning each Test comfortably, the closest match being a seven wicket victory. Like the previous series the English batsmen provided little resistance against the West Indian bowlers with only Gower averaging above 30. Poor performances from Botham and Mike Gatting
's injury ensured an easy series win for the West Indies. England’s attitude also played a part in their defeat with big players such as Gower and Botham showing a certain reluctance to net training. The then chairman of selectors Peter May questioned the team's attitude and called for greater resolve, a view that seemed to be shared by the general public at the time.
The West Indies won the first two Tests in a similar manner with England struggling with the bowling of Patrick Patterson
and Marshall. By the third Test, England’s morale had dipped and they suffered an innings defeat which was largely due to their third day's performance losing 15 wickets for 201. A ten wicket defeat followed in the fourth while Richards produced the fastest century in Test cricket in the final Test. He reached his hundred in only 56 balls to confirm the West Indies superiority. As a result the West Indies had won ten consecutive Tests against England, and were the second team after Australia to achieve multiple home whitewashes in five Test series.
This tour saw the beginning of a bowling partnership between Courtney Walsh
and Curtly Ambrose
that would trouble batsmen across the world for the next 12 years. England, on the other hand, had entered the series with low expectations and confidence. This was reflected in their team selections, with 23 players being used during the series.
England had four captains in Gatting, John Emburey
, Chris Cowdrey
and Graham Gooch
, but each Test ended in West Indian dominance. They won each match except the first Test, which was drawn because of rain, and the series finished 4–0. The West Indies pace attack was the main difference between teams with Marshall being the most dangerous bowler, taking 35 wickets at an average of 12.65. This included a 7/22 in the third Test which he bowled with a broken left hand. Marshall was supported by Ambrose's bowling which yielded 22 wickets. After this series both teams would go into decline. Many of the great West Indian players such as Richards and Marshall would soon retire, and their dominance of the Test stage was nearing its end.
A 1989–90 series of two halves saw England close to taking a shock 2–0 lead in the series, only to be denied by a wet afternoon at Queens Park Oval. Injuries to their key bowler, Angus Fraser
, and batsman, Gooch, changed the course of the series dramatically however, as the West Indies fought back to win the next two Tests, thanks to the pace attack of Ambrose and Ian Bishop. They eventually won the series 2–1. An infamous incident occurred in the fourth Test of the series, when Rob Bailey was given out by umpire Lloyd Barker
, who had allegedly been intimidated by Richards' appeal.
Notable debutants in this series were Alec Stewart
and Nasser Hussain
, who both made their debuts in the first Test. Alec Stewart was not England's wicket-keeper
in this Test series, as Jack Russell
kept wicket.
A decline in the West Indies batting line-up coupled by the loss of Greenidge ensured this series would be a closer contest. The tour was Richards' last, as he retired at the end of the fifth Test. Graeme Hick
and Mark Ramprakash
made their debuts in the first Test at Headingley
.
England won the first Test largely thanks to Gooch's 154 in the second innings. This innings was rated by Wisden as the third greatest Test innings ever. After the second Test had been drawn, the West Indies won the next two matches due to Ambrose's eight wickets in the third and Richie Richardson
's century in fourth match. Phil Tufnell
and Robin Smith
played key roles in the final Test, as England won by five wickets after forcing the West Indies to follow-on for the first time in six years, to level the series 2–2. In this Test commentator Jonathan Agnew
famously described Botham's hit wicket
dismissal by saying:
The series was characterised by the opening pair of Stewart and new England captain Michael Atherton
, which provided the greatest resistance against the West Indian attack of Ambrose and Walsh. The pair scored 987 runs in the series while Ambrose ended the series with 26 wickets at an average of 19.96 and was awarded man of the series.
After England lost the first three Tests (which included a 46 all out in the second innings of the third Test) there was talk of another blackwash series. England secured a victory in the fourth Test however, with Stewart’s two centuries and Fraser’s eight wickets being the main contributors to the win. This was the first time in 59 years that a visiting nation had won at the Kensington Oval
. The main highlight of the series was to come in the final Test at Antigua
, where Brian Lara
broke Sobers' Test world record score of 365 not out
, set 36 years earlier, by scoring 375. Lara was congratulated by Sobers, who was present on the ground to see his record broken.
In the end Lara scored an exceptional 798 runs at an average of 99.75. Two months later Lara would go on to break the first-class
batting record of 499 runs by scoring 501 not out
against Durham at Edgbaston
.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
made his Test debut in the second Test of the series, when he made his maiden half-century. Chanderpaul was Lara's last batting partner when he made his record-breaking 375, scoring 75 not out
himself and combining in a 219 fifth wicket partnership
.
plus the young Dominic Cork
who would be decisive in England's two Test victories in this series.
The West Indies' inconsistent performances saw them dominate one Test, only to play poorly and lose the next. Bishop's and Walsh’s combined 26 wickets in the first and third Tests ensured the West Indies won these matches by commanding margins. Cork contributed greatly to England’s second and fourth Test victories, taking 7/43 in the second Test and a hat-trick
in the fourth in claiming the wickets of Richardson (bowled
), Junior Murray
(LBW
) and Carl Hooper
(LBW). The remaining two Tests were dominated by the batsmen, with five centuries being scored. The series finished 2–2, with the West Indies retaining the trophy.
The men of the series were Atherton for England and Lara for the West Indies. The latter made 765 runs at an average of 85. Cork made his debut in the second Test, where he achieved the best bowling figures for an English debutant. Nick Knight
's debut came in the fourth Test of series.
An ageing West Indian team relied increasingly on Ambrose and Walsh to provide wickets, while Lara was seen as the primary source of runs. Angus Fraser
played an important role for England, and when his form dipped in the later Tests the side's performance suffered.
The series started in a controversial fashion, with the first Test at Sabina Park
being abandoned after the pitch was deemed to be too dangerous due to its highly irregular bounce. As a result of this abandoned match, an additional match was arranged with the series thereby being extended to six Tests. Two close matches followed, after which the teams were level at 1–1. England faded in the second half of the series. The West Indies scored two decisive victories, winning the fourth by 242 runs and the last by an even wider margin of an innings and 52 runs, to take the series 3-1.
Jimmy Adams
was selected as the West Indies captain, while Hussain captained the England side. This five Test series was to be Ambrose's last. It was dominated by the ball, with a bowler claiming a five wicket haul on seven occasions, while there were only three centuries.
The West Indies started well, winning the first Test comfortably by an innings and 93 runs, and led by 133 runs after the first innings of the second Test. The turning point came in the second innings of this match, as the West Indies were bowled out for 54 (this was their third lowest innings at the time). England won this Test, and they seized the initiative in the series by winning the fourth and fifth Tests thanks to Andrew Caddick
’s four wicket over and Atherton’s century, to regain the Wisden Trophy 3–1 after a period of 31 years.
Notable debutants were Matthew Hoggard
and Marcus Trescothick
, in the second and third Tests respectively. Trescothick had the highest batting average for any player in the series, with 47.50.
, Hussain having stepped down a few months previously. Lara led the West Indies challenge.
The series was dominated by England's bowling attack of Stephen Harmison
and Hoggard. Harmison's bowling figures of 7/12 (which were the best achieved in Sabina Park
Tests) were the main cause of the West Indian second innings collapse to 47 all out in the first Test. This was the lowest innings for West Indies at Test level. This pattern was repeated in the third Test, where the West Indies produced a good first innings only to bat poorly in the second. This was partly due to Hoggard's hat-trick
of Ramnaresh Sarwan
(caught
), Chanderpaul
(LBW
) and Ryan Hinds
(caught). The West Indies were facing a whitewash going into the final Test at Antigua
, and were accused by Sobers of underestimating the English bowlers. The fourth Test saw Lara come to the crease with the score at 33/1. He stayed for 778 minutes and faced 582 balls in the process of making his world record Test innings of 400 not out
, before declaring
at 751/5. It was not enough for victory and the game ended in a draw. As a result of this drawn match Lara was criticised by Ricky Ponting
who stated that the whole West Indies first innings revolved around Lara's score who let the Test match slip for his own personal gain. The series finished 3–0 to England.
.jpg)
England dominated the 2004 series and claimed the first English whitewash in the Wisden Trophy's history. England won each Test comfortably, as the West Indian bowlers struggled to get wickets. Only Chris Gayle
and Dwayne Bravo
had bowling averages lower than 30. This whitewash meant that England had won seven consecutive Tests for the first time in 75 years. The series was the beginning of a run that would see England win the Ashes
the following year.
Andrew Flintoff
was the leading performer for England, averaging 64.50 with the bat and claiming 14 wickets. Ashley Giles
was the leading wicket taker in the series with 22. This series saw Ian Bell make his Test debut in the final Test of the series, where he compiled his maiden half-century. The main highlights for the West Indies were Chanderpaul's batting performance in scoring 437 runs at an average of 72.83, the highest in the series, and Bravo's 16 wickets.
With the recent retirement of Lara, Sarwan became the captain of the West Indies. Sarwan injured himself while fielding in the second Test, and the captaincy was given to Daren Ganga
. Andrew Strauss
was England skipper for the first Test, after which Vaughan returned from injury to lead for the remaining Tests.
England were largely the better team and, if not for the resilient batting of Chanderpaul, they would have won by an even larger margin. The West Indies suffered greatly from his absence in the second Test, losing the match by an innings and 283 runs, their biggest defeat in Test history. England retained the Wisden trophy at Old Trafford by taking an unbeatable 2–0 lead, They ultimately won the series 3–0.
Chanderpaul, who was named the West Indian player of the series, scored 446 runs at an average of 148.66. Bravo also impressed with his all-round performance in claiming 6 wickets, scoring 291 runs and taking 7 catches. England saw the emergence of Matthew Prior
, who became the first English wicket-keeper to score a Test century on debut. Monty Panesar
claimed the most wickets (23) and received the award of the Englishman of the series, while Ryan Sidebottom
took 16 wickets.
In a two-match series that replaced the originally scheduled tour by Zimbabwe, and the previously announced tour by Sri Lanka, England regained the Wisden Trophy with a 2-0 win.
A team must win a series to hold the Wisden Trophy. A drawn series results in the previous holders retaining the trophy. To date, a total of 23 Wisden Trophy series have been played, with West Indies winning 13 and England 6. The remaining 3 series were drawn, with West Indies retaining the Wisden Trophy on each occasion (1973–74, 1991 and 1995). In the series' 44 year history the Wisden Trophy has changed hands on five occasions (1968, 1973, 2000 and twice in 2009) with England regaining the trophy in 1968, 2000 and May 2009, while the West Indies regained it in 1973 and April 2009.
105 Test matches have been played, with West Indies winning 43 times, England 28 times, and 34 matches being drawn. Brian Lara
is the top scorer in the Wisden Trophy series with 2983 runs, while Curtly Ambrose
is the leading wicket taker with 164 wickets.
The series usually alternates between England and West Indies, and within each country each of the matches is held at the following grounds.
In England the grounds used have been Old Trafford (since 1963), Lord's
(1963), Edgbaston (1963), Headingley
(1963), The Oval
(1963), Trent Bridge
(1966) and Riverside Ground
(2007).
In the West Indies
the grounds used have been Queen's Park Oval
(since 1968), Sabina Park
(1968), Kensington Oval
(1968), Bourda
(1968), Antigua Recreation Ground
(1981) and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
(2009).
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
series played between England and the West Indies. It was first awarded in 1963 to commemorate the hundredth edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
. Series are played in accordance with the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
's future tours programme
ICC Future Tours Programme
The ICC Future Tours Programme is a schedule of international cricket tours which structure the programme of cricket for ICC full members.-External links:*...
, with varying lengths of time between tours. If a series is drawn then the country holding the Wisden Trophy retains it.
The trophy is named after the famous cricketing publisher Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
and was presented by John Wisden & Co after gaining the approval of the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC) and the West Indies Cricket Board
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
(WICB). The Wisden Trophy is presented to the victorious team as a symbol of its victory, but then returns to the MCC Museum at Lord's. Since the 2000 Wisden Trophy series, the Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the leading wicket taker in the series.
England currently hold the trophy. They held the trophy for nine years, after beating the West Indies 3–1 to regain it in 2000; they successfully defended the trophy three times. West Indies regained the trophy in the most recent series in the West Indies, winning 1-0, in early 2009. It was originally planned to consist of four Test matches. However an extra match was arranged when the second Test had to be abandoned after only a few overs play because the ground was unfit. England regained the trophy in May 2009, winning a two Test series 2-0. The tour, coming uncommonly soon after England toured the West Indies, replaced the previously announced tour by Sri Lanka, which in turn was arranged to replace the originally scheduled tour by Zimbabwe
Wisden Trophy
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
.
The trophy is around 30 centimetres high, and a similar distance across its base. At the centre is an image of John Wisden
John Wisden
John Wisden was an English cricketer who played 190 first-class cricket matches for three English county cricket teams, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex...
. To Wisden's left is a smaller figure of a batsman taking guard, while to Wisden's right is a bowler in his delivery stride. Directly below Wisden is a plaque, on either side of which are the emblems of the English and West Indian teams. The plaque reads:
Malcolm Marshall Memorial Trophy
Named after the West Indian bowler Malcolm MarshallMalcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, this trophy has been awarded to the leading wicket taker of the series since 2000. The player who wins it also receives £1,360, but if he surpasses Marshall's record of 35 wickets set in 1988 he stands to earn £34,000. The table below lists all the players who have won this trophy.
| Series | Wickets taken in series | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Wisden Trophy West Indian cricket team in England in 2000 The West Indian cricket team toured England in the 2000 cricket season. West Indies played five Tests against England, two in June and three in August, with a triangular One Day International series involving Zimbabwe in July.... |
34 wickets (220.2 overs) |  Courtney WalshCourtney Walsh Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches... |
| 2003–04 Wisden Trophy | 23 wickets (139.5 overs) |  Stephen HarmisonSteve Harmison Stephen James Harmison MBE is an English cricketer. Primarily a fast bowler, he represented England in 63 Tests, 58 ODI's, and 2 T20's. He also plays county cricket for Durham.... |
| 2004 Wisden Trophy West Indian cricket team in England in 2004 The West Indies cricket team toured England from 19 June to 31 August 2004. The tour began with 3 One-day matches against county teams, followed by the NatWest Series against England and New Zealand... |
22 wickets (186.1 overs) | Ashley Giles Ashley Giles Ashley Fraser Giles MBE is a retired English cricketer. Giles played the entirety of his 14-year first-class career at Warwickshire County Cricket Club where he is now employed as Director of Cricket... |
| 2007 Wisden Trophy West Indian cricket team in England in 2007 The West Indian cricket team toured England from 12 May to 7 July 2007 as part of the 2007 English cricket season. The tour included four Tests, two Twenty20 international matches and three One Day Internationals... |
23 wickets (143.5 overs) | Monty Panesar Monty Panesar Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, known as Monty Panesar , is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex. A left-arm spinner, Panesar played Test and one-day cricket for England until 2009. In English county cricket he played for Northamptonshire until 2009... |
| Source: Cricinfo.com. Last updated: 19 June 2007. | ||
History
- See also: List of Wisden Trophy records for a full listing of all the Wisden Trophy records.
1963 Inaugural trophy
With the growing Caribbean following in England, the West Indies entered the series as one of the most popular touring nations. Lance GibbsLance Gibbs
Lancelot Richard Gibbs is a former West Indies cricketer, one of the most successful spin bowlers in Test cricket history. He took 309 Test wickets, only the second player to pass 300, the first spinner to pass that milestone, and had an exceptional economy rate of under two runs per over...
' 11 wickets at Old Trafford set up a commanding 10 wicket win for the West Indies. The second match at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was chiefly remembered for its dramatic ending; all results were possible going into the final over of the match. England required eight runs to win but only had two wickets left. From the fourth ball of the over Derek Shackleton
Derek Shackleton
Derek Shackleton was a Hampshire and England bowler. He took over 100 wickets in 20 consecutive seasons of first-class cricket, but only played in seven Tests for England. As of 2007, he has the seventh-highest tally of first-class wickets, and the most first-class wickets of any player who...
was run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
, which meant that Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
had to come out with a broken arm with two balls of the match remaining. He did not have to face a ball, and the match ended in a draw. The third Test saw Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
claim 12 wickets ensuring England won by 217 runs. Charlie Griffith
Charlie Griffith
Charles Christopher Griffith is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 28 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He formed a lethal fast bowling partnership with Wes Hall during the 1960s...
's 6/36 in the fourth and Conrad Hunte
Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.-Early life and career:...
's 108 in the final Test meant the West Indies won the next two Tests and the series finished 3–1. The final Test saw a pitch invasion when Basil Butcher
Basil Butcher
Basil Fitzherbert Butcher is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 44 Tests from 1958 to 1969. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970....
scored the winning runs for the West Indies.
As a result of the great success of this series, England's future home Test program was revised so that the West Indies could return in 1966, much earlier than originally planned. This was done by introducing "twin tours", in which two countries would each play three Tests against England in the course of a season.
1966 Garry Sobers' series
Garry SobersGarfield Sobers
Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO, OCC is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest ever all-rounders, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and...
was the captain for the West Indies, while England had three captains: Mike Smith (first Test), Cowdrey (second-fourth Test) and Brian Close
Brian Close
Dennis Brian Close , usually known as Brian Close, is a former cricketer who is the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England. He was picked for the Test team to play against New Zealand, in July 1949, when he was 18 years old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England,...
(fifth Test) during the five Test series. The West Indies team was not as strong as in the previous series, but many of their deficiencies were glossed over by Sobers' exceptional all-round performance. He scored centuries in three Test matches and claimed five wicket innings hauls in two Tests.
The first Test went to the West Indies with England succumbing in both innings to Gibbs who claimed 10 wickets in the Test. Butcher’s 209 ensured the West Indies won the third to lead the series 2–0. The fourth Test saw Sobers' best performance, where he scored 174 runs and followed this up by taking 5/41 to give his team a 3–0 lead into the final Test. England gained a consolation victory, largely due to Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
’s 165 and a 128 tenth wicket partnership.
The main difference between the two teams was the outstanding all-round performance of Sobers, who scored 722 runs at an average of 103.14, as well as taking 20 wickets and taking 10 catches.
1967–69 Early series
This was the first of the Wisden Trophy series to take place in the West Indies. The series showed a more sinister side of the West Indies, with a riot occurring in the drawn second Test and the English team being attacked at the conclusion of the final Test.Despite these problems England were largely the better team, with Cowdrey’s leadership, Geoffrey Boycott
Geoffrey Boycott
Geoffrey Boycott OBE is a former Yorkshire and England cricketer. In a prolific and sometimes controversial playing career from 1962 to 1986, Boycott established himself as one of England's most successful opening batsmen...
’s batting and a weakened West Indian attack being the difference between the sides.
After a drawn first Test the second match was a game of two halves. England developed a 233 run lead at the half way stage and had the West Indies on 204/5 when Butcher was caught. This dismissal caused a riot and from this point onwards England struggled with the spin bowling of Sobers and Gibbs, narrowly avoiding defeat by two wickets. The third Test saw another drawn match due to the slow batting of the West Indies, taking over two days to score 349 runs which included a spell of four runs in one hour. England took a 1–0 lead after the fourth Test, in a game that they seemed least like winning. The win was mainly due to Sobers' decision to declare
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
on 92/2 in the West Indies second innings. Good batting by Alan Knott
Alan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
and a 127 sixth wicket partnership ensured the final game ended in a draw as England maintained their 1–0 lead to win the series.
The 1969 tour was a three Test series. The captains were Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
for England and Sobers for the West Indies. The West Indies had an ageing team and, with Sobers suffering a loss of form, were always the weaker side.
England won the first Test with John Snow
John Snow (cricketer)
John Augustine Snow played cricket for Sussex and England in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite being the son of a country vicar and publishing two volumes of poetry Snow was England's most formidable fast bowler between Fred Trueman and Bob Willis and played Test Matches with both of them at either end...
and David Brown claiming 13 wickets between them. A draw followed in Lord's, but England won the final match in a dramatic fashion. The West Indies in a seemingly strong position of 219/3 required 84 runs for victory. They suffered a late innings collapse however as Butcher, Sobers and Lloyd fell within 16 minutes, which ultimately led to England winning by 30 runs to win the series 2–0. It seemed that England would begin to dominate the West Indies, with many of the key West Indian players such as Butcher, Wes Hall
Wes Hall
Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...
and Charlie Griffith
Charlie Griffith
Charles Christopher Griffith is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 28 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He formed a lethal fast bowling partnership with Wes Hall during the 1960s...
retiring in 1969. Illingworth would be the last England captain to win the Wisden Trophy for 31 years.
1973–74 West Indies revival
This three Test series saw the West Indies re-establish themselves as the superior team. They won the first Test at The OvalThe Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
by 158 runs, with Clive Lloyd's
Clive Lloyd
Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
132 with the bat and Keith Boyce's
Keith Boyce
Keith David Boyce played 21 Tests and 8 One Day Internationals for the West Indies in the 1970s, he died from the effects of chronic cirrhosis of the liver while sitting in a chair at a pharmacist in Speightstown, Barbados in 1996.Boyce was the first man to take eight wickets in a List A match; he...
bowling (147/11 in the match) being the main contributions to the win. The drawn match at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
was at risk of being abandoned when umpire Arthur Fagg
Arthur Fagg
Arthur Edward Fagg was an English cricketer, who played for Kent and England....
threatened to withdraw after Kanhai disputed one of his decisions. The final Test match at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was dominated by the West Indies, with the team posting a huge total of 652/8 before declaring
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
, Kanhai, Sobers and Bernard Julien
Bernard Julien
Bernard Denis Julien played 24 Tests and 12 One Day Internationals for the West Indies.He played in England for Kent and joined Packers World Series in 1977. He scored a century at Lords vs England in the 1973 test....
all getting centuries. England never looked liked matching this total, and were dismissed for 233 in the first innings and 193 in the second, losing by an innings and 226 runs. This was England's second biggest defeat in Test cricket. The series finished 2–0 to the West Indies, who regained the Wisden Trophy.
The 1974 series in the West Indies was of five Tests. The West Indian team were regarded as the better side, and for them to only draw the series was a surprise. After they won the first Test it had seemed that the series would become a one-sided contest. This Test was notable for a controversial Alvin Kallicharran
Alvin Kallicharran
Alvin Isaac Kallicharran is a former West Indian batsman of Indo-Guyanese ethnicity who played from 1972 to 1981. His elegant, watchful batting style produced some substantial innings for a West Indian team very much in its formative years in the seventies...
run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
that triggered protests. England managed to secure draws in the next three Tests, thanks to Dennis Amiss
Dennis Amiss
Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...
' 262 in the second Test and Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...
's 129 in the third, while rain prevented a result in the fourth Test. The last match at Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
was a close game, with England winning by 26 runs, primarily due to Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
taking 13 wickets bowling off-spin and Boycott scoring 212 runs in the match. England thereby levelled the series, which finished 1–1.
1976 Viv Richards' series
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
' batting and Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
's bowling.
The first two Tests ended in draws, but from the third Test onwards the West Indies took full control, with Richards scoring 524 runs in the last three Tests. He was supported by Holding, who took 25 wickets over these three Tests, including 5/17 in the third Test and 14/149 in the final Test. The West Indies won the series 3–0.
The series is mainly remembered for Richards' batting. He scored 829 runs at an average of 118.42 over four Test matches. In either the fourth or fifth Test in this series TMS
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
commentator Brian Johnston
Brian Johnston
Brian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
allegedly said:
when describing the West Indian bowler Holding bowling to English batsmen Peter Willey
Peter Willey
Peter Willey is a former English cricketer, who played as a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. In and out of the England team, he interrupted his international career for three years by taking part in the first of the England players' South African rebel tours in 1982...
. There are no records, according to Wisden, of Johnston or any other commentator saying this. Other sources have stated that Johnston had indeed said this and had prepared the line before saying it.
1980–81 A new era
The late 70s and 80s was a golden era for the West Indies cricket team, with the team dominating all forms of cricket. The West Indies came into the 1980 series after recently winning the 1979 Cricket World Cup1979 Cricket World Cup
The 1979 Cricket World Cup was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from June 9 to June 23, 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4...
. They were generally regarded as the best team at Test level, and would lose only eight Test matches during the 1980s.
Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
captained the England team while Lloyd skippered the West Indies in this five Test series. In a series that was hampered by rain, the only match to produce a positive result was the first Test at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
. It was a close contest, with a dramatic ending which saw six dropped catches and the West Indies requiring 208 runs in the final 8 hours of play. The West Indies achieved this target with 2 wickets in hand, largely due to Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes
Desmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
' 64.
England went to the West Indies for the 1981 five Test series. This became four Tests after the second Test abandonment caused by Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman is a former English cricketer, who played in four Tests and fifteen ODIs for England from 1974 to 1983. He was a seam bowler and useful tail-end batsman. During a first-class career lasting from 1966 to 1982, he took 1,402 wickets...
's visa being revoked by the Guyanese Government due to his involvement with South Africa's apartheid regime.
The series was dominated by the West Indies bowlers Holding and Colin Croft
Colin Croft
Colin Everton Hunte Croft is a former West Indian cricketer. He provides expert analysis on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Test Match Special.-Cricket career:...
, who claimed 41 wickets between them in the series. England suffered an innings defeat in the first Test, and lost the third by 298 runs as they failed to register an innings of over 250 in the first three Tests. Strong batting performances and rain enabled England to draw the final two Tests, and so the series ended 2–0 to the West Indies.
1984–86 "Blackwash" series
The "blackwash" series occurred in 1984 and 1985–86. The West Indies beat England 5–0 in both series in a whitewash that was dubbed "blackwash". The first blackwash occurred in England and the second in the West Indies. Instrumental in these wins were Richards' batting and the bowling partnership of Malcolm MarshallMalcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
and Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, which claimed 105 of the 200 England wickets to fall in the two series. Many players from the West Indies had taken part in the so-called Supertest
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
s a few years earlier and as a result they were arguably fitter and better prepared due to having faced stronger opposition. The captains for these series were Lloyd and Richards for the West Indies, and David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
, who had the ignominy of leading England to ten consecutive defeats against the men from the Caribbean.
The 1984 series began with Andy Lloyd
Andy Lloyd (cricketer)
Andy Lloyd is a former English cricketer, who played in one Test and three ODIs for England in 1984. His only Test was against the West Indies in June 1984. After making ten runs, and batting for thirty three minutes, he was hit on the head by the West Indies fast bowler, Malcolm Marshall...
being hit on the head, resulting in his being hospitalized. This would prove to be a common theme throughout the series, as the English batsmen struggled to cope with the West Indies bouncers
Bouncer (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
. Whenever England threatened, a West Indian player would step up and take control of the match, as when Gordon Greenidge
Gordon Greenidge
Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge MBE is a former member of the West Indies cricket team.Greenidge was an opening batsman for the West Indies. He began his Test career against India at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in 1974 and continued playing internationally until 1991. He was half of the West...
scored 214 after an England declaration
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
to win the second Test. The series was decided at Old Trafford, where the West Indies gained an unassailable 3–0 lead. The final Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
saw the West Indies record the only whitewash by a visiting nation in a five Test series. This was the fifth whitewash in Test cricket and the first to be inflicted on England in England.
The 1985–86 series in the West Indies ended in another whitewash with the West Indies winning each Test comfortably, the closest match being a seven wicket victory. Like the previous series the English batsmen provided little resistance against the West Indian bowlers with only Gower averaging above 30. Poor performances from Botham and Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting
Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988...
's injury ensured an easy series win for the West Indies. England’s attitude also played a part in their defeat with big players such as Gower and Botham showing a certain reluctance to net training. The then chairman of selectors Peter May questioned the team's attitude and called for greater resolve, a view that seemed to be shared by the general public at the time.
The West Indies won the first two Tests in a similar manner with England struggling with the bowling of Patrick Patterson
Patrick Patterson
Balfour Patrick Patterson is a former fast bowler for the West Indian cricket team in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...
and Marshall. By the third Test, England’s morale had dipped and they suffered an innings defeat which was largely due to their third day's performance losing 15 wickets for 201. A ten wicket defeat followed in the fourth while Richards produced the fastest century in Test cricket in the final Test. He reached his hundred in only 56 balls to confirm the West Indies superiority. As a result the West Indies had won ten consecutive Tests against England, and were the second team after Australia to achieve multiple home whitewashes in five Test series.
1988 Summer of four captains
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
and Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
that would trouble batsmen across the world for the next 12 years. England, on the other hand, had entered the series with low expectations and confidence. This was reflected in their team selections, with 23 players being used during the series.
England had four captains in Gatting, John Emburey
John Emburey
John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England....
, Chris Cowdrey
Chris Cowdrey
Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey is an English former cricketer. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all-rounder...
and Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
, but each Test ended in West Indian dominance. They won each match except the first Test, which was drawn because of rain, and the series finished 4–0. The West Indies pace attack was the main difference between teams with Marshall being the most dangerous bowler, taking 35 wickets at an average of 12.65. This included a 7/22 in the third Test which he bowled with a broken left hand. Marshall was supported by Ambrose's bowling which yielded 22 wickets. After this series both teams would go into decline. Many of the great West Indian players such as Richards and Marshall would soon retire, and their dominance of the Test stage was nearing its end.
1989–91 England close the gap
Throughout the late 70s and 80s, many of the series between the West Indies and England had been dominated by the West Indies who had won fourteen of the fifteen Tests, often by large margins. The next two series in 1989–90 season and 1991 would prove to be closer contests.A 1989–90 series of two halves saw England close to taking a shock 2–0 lead in the series, only to be denied by a wet afternoon at Queens Park Oval. Injuries to their key bowler, Angus Fraser
Angus Fraser
Angus Robert Charles Fraser is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and a former English cricketer and journalist....
, and batsman, Gooch, changed the course of the series dramatically however, as the West Indies fought back to win the next two Tests, thanks to the pace attack of Ambrose and Ian Bishop. They eventually won the series 2–1. An infamous incident occurred in the fourth Test of the series, when Rob Bailey was given out by umpire Lloyd Barker
Lloyd Barker
Lloyd Hamilton Barker is a cricket umpire who officiated in 29 Tests and 37 One Day Internationals from 1984 to 1997. Barker's first Test as umpire was the Third Test between West Indies and Australia in 1984...
, who had allegedly been intimidated by Richards' appeal.
Notable debutants in this series were Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
and Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain OBE is a former Essex and England cricketer.Beginning his career in a strong Essex side in the late 1980s, he was an outstanding fielder and a stylish but inconsistent batsman. In first-class cricket from 1987 to 2004 Hussain scored 20,698 runs in 334 matches at an average of 42.06,...
, who both made their debuts in the first Test. Alec Stewart was not England's wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
in this Test series, as Jack Russell
Jack Russell (cricketer and artist)
Robert Charles "Jack" Russell MBE is a retired English international cricketer, now known for his abilities as an artist, as a cricket wicketkeeping coach and football goalkeeping coach.-Biography:...
kept wicket.
A decline in the West Indies batting line-up coupled by the loss of Greenidge ensured this series would be a closer contest. The tour was Richards' last, as he retired at the end of the fifth Test. Graeme Hick
Graeme Hick
Graeme Ashley Hick MBE is a Zimbabwean-born cricketer who played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. He played county cricket for Worcestershire for his entire English domestic career, a period of well over twenty years, and in 2008 he surpassed Graham Gooch's record for...
and Mark Ramprakash
Mark Ramprakash
Mark Ravin Ramprakash is an English cricketer, playing for Surrey and England. A right-handed batsman, he initially made his name playing for Middlesex, and was selected for England aged 21...
made their debuts in the first Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
.
England won the first Test largely thanks to Gooch's 154 in the second innings. This innings was rated by Wisden as the third greatest Test innings ever. After the second Test had been drawn, the West Indies won the next two matches due to Ambrose's eight wickets in the third and Richie Richardson
Richie Richardson
Richard Benjamin Richardson is a retired West Indies cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team.Richardson was born in Five Islands Village, Antigua. He began his career with the Leewards Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West...
's century in fourth match. Phil Tufnell
Phil Tufnell
Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell is a former English cricketer turned television personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, "Tuffers" as he was known played 42 Tests and 20 One Day International matches for England, as well as playing for Middlesex from 1986 to 2002...
and Robin Smith
Robin Smith (cricketer)
Robin Arnold Smith is a former cricketer for Hampshire and England.Smith was nicknamed Judge or Judgie for his resemblance to a judge when he grew his hair long...
played key roles in the final Test, as England won by five wickets after forcing the West Indies to follow-on for the first time in six years, to level the series 2–2. In this Test commentator Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
famously described Botham's hit wicket
Hit wicket
Hit wicket is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is governed by Law 35 of the laws of cricket. The striker is out "hit wicket" if, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his wicket is put down by his bat or his person...
dismissal by saying:
1994 Lara enters the world stage
Mike Atherton
Michael Andrew Atherton OBE is a broadcaster, journalist and retired England international cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England,and occasional leg-break bowler, he achieved the captaincy of England at the age of 25 and led the side in a record 54 Test matches...
, which provided the greatest resistance against the West Indian attack of Ambrose and Walsh. The pair scored 987 runs in the series while Ambrose ended the series with 26 wickets at an average of 19.96 and was awarded man of the series.
After England lost the first three Tests (which included a 46 all out in the second innings of the third Test) there was talk of another blackwash series. England secured a victory in the fourth Test however, with Stewart’s two centuries and Fraser’s eight wickets being the main contributors to the win. This was the first time in 59 years that a visiting nation had won at the Kensington Oval
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
. The main highlight of the series was to come in the final Test at Antigua
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...
, where Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
broke Sobers' Test world record score of 365 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
, set 36 years earlier, by scoring 375. Lara was congratulated by Sobers, who was present on the ground to see his record broken.
In the end Lara scored an exceptional 798 runs at an average of 99.75. Two months later Lara would go on to break the first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
batting record of 499 runs by scoring 501 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against Durham at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul is a cricketer, and former captain of the West Indies cricket team. He is the first Indo-Caribbean in the West Indies team to play 100 Tests for the West Indies and has captained them in 14 Tests and 16 One Day Internationals...
made his Test debut in the second Test of the series, when he made his maiden half-century. Chanderpaul was Lara's last batting partner when he made his record-breaking 375, scoring 75 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
himself and combining in a 219 fifth wicket partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
.
1995–98 Six Test series
Both teams were evenly matched, with the West Indies not the force they had been, and England on the rise. The key players for the West Indies were Lara, Walsh and Bishop while England had a strong opening pair of Atherton and Graham ThorpeGraham Thorpe
Graham Paul Thorpe MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder, he appeared in exactly 100 Test matches.-Early life:...
plus the young Dominic Cork
Dominic Cork
Dominic Gerald Cork is a former English cricketer. Cork is a right-handed lower-order batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium, and is renowned for his swing and seam control. Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He...
who would be decisive in England's two Test victories in this series.
The West Indies' inconsistent performances saw them dominate one Test, only to play poorly and lose the next. Bishop's and Walsh’s combined 26 wickets in the first and third Tests ensured the West Indies won these matches by commanding margins. Cork contributed greatly to England’s second and fourth Test victories, taking 7/43 in the second Test and a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the fourth in claiming the wickets of Richardson (bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
), Junior Murray
Junior Murray
Junior Randalph Murray is a West Indian cricketer.One of a handful of Grenadians to play Test cricket for the West Indies, Junior Murray was a wicketkeeper batsman...
(LBW
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
) and Carl Hooper
Carl Hooper
Carl Llewellyn Hooper is a former West Indian cricket player and captain.-Career:He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler, who came to prominence in the late 1980s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh and represented...
(LBW). The remaining two Tests were dominated by the batsmen, with five centuries being scored. The series finished 2–2, with the West Indies retaining the trophy.
The men of the series were Atherton for England and Lara for the West Indies. The latter made 765 runs at an average of 85. Cork made his debut in the second Test, where he achieved the best bowling figures for an English debutant. Nick Knight
Nick Knight
Nicholas Verity Knight is a former England cricketer. Knight's middle name was in honour of the 1930s English Test bowler Hedley Verity who was killed in World War II and is a distant family relation...
's debut came in the fourth Test of series.
An ageing West Indian team relied increasingly on Ambrose and Walsh to provide wickets, while Lara was seen as the primary source of runs. Angus Fraser
Angus Fraser
Angus Robert Charles Fraser is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and a former English cricketer and journalist....
played an important role for England, and when his form dipped in the later Tests the side's performance suffered.
The series started in a controversial fashion, with the first Test at Sabina Park
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
being abandoned after the pitch was deemed to be too dangerous due to its highly irregular bounce. As a result of this abandoned match, an additional match was arranged with the series thereby being extended to six Tests. Two close matches followed, after which the teams were level at 1–1. England faded in the second half of the series. The West Indies scored two decisive victories, winning the fourth by 242 runs and the last by an even wider margin of an innings and 52 runs, to take the series 3-1.
2000 England regain the trophy
Jimmy Adams
James Clive "Jimmy" Adams is a former Jamaican cricketer, who represented the West Indies as player and captain during his career. He was a steady left-handed batsman, useful left-arm orthodox spin bowler and good fielder, especially in the gully position...
was selected as the West Indies captain, while Hussain captained the England side. This five Test series was to be Ambrose's last. It was dominated by the ball, with a bowler claiming a five wicket haul on seven occasions, while there were only three centuries.
The West Indies started well, winning the first Test comfortably by an innings and 93 runs, and led by 133 runs after the first innings of the second Test. The turning point came in the second innings of this match, as the West Indies were bowled out for 54 (this was their third lowest innings at the time). England won this Test, and they seized the initiative in the series by winning the fourth and fifth Tests thanks to Andrew Caddick
Andrew Caddick
Andrew Richard Caddick is a retired cricketer who played for England as a fast-medium bowler. At 6 ft 5in, Caddick was a successful bowler for England for a decade, taking 13 five-wicket hauls in Test matches...
’s four wicket over and Atherton’s century, to regain the Wisden Trophy 3–1 after a period of 31 years.
Notable debutants were Matthew Hoggard
Matthew Hoggard
Matthew James Hoggard MBE is an English cricketer. The 6' 2" Hoggard is a right arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman. He played international cricket for England cricket team from 2000-2008, playing both Test cricket and One Day International cricket. He is currently the captain of...
and Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
, in the second and third Tests respectively. Trescothick had the highest batting average for any player in the series, with 47.50.
2003–04 Lara's 400
England came to the West Indies for their first defence of the Wisden Trophy. The recently appointed captain for England was Michael VaughanMichael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
, Hussain having stepped down a few months previously. Lara led the West Indies challenge.
The series was dominated by England's bowling attack of Stephen Harmison
Steve Harmison
Stephen James Harmison MBE is an English cricketer. Primarily a fast bowler, he represented England in 63 Tests, 58 ODI's, and 2 T20's. He also plays county cricket for Durham....
and Hoggard. Harmison's bowling figures of 7/12 (which were the best achieved in Sabina Park
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
Tests) were the main cause of the West Indian second innings collapse to 47 all out in the first Test. This was the lowest innings for West Indies at Test level. This pattern was repeated in the third Test, where the West Indies produced a good first innings only to bat poorly in the second. This was partly due to Hoggard's hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan is a West Indian cricketer of Indo-Guyanese origin and a member of the West Indies cricket team....
(caught
Caught
Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being caught out is the most common method of dismissal at higher levels of competition...
), Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul is a cricketer, and former captain of the West Indies cricket team. He is the first Indo-Caribbean in the West Indies team to play 100 Tests for the West Indies and has captained them in 14 Tests and 16 One Day Internationals...
(LBW
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
) and Ryan Hinds
Ryan Hinds
Ryan O'Neal Hinds is a West Indian cricketer. He is a left-hand batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler.Hinds made his debut for Barbados during the 1998 Commonwealth Games, aged just 17...
(caught). The West Indies were facing a whitewash going into the final Test at Antigua
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...
, and were accused by Sobers of underestimating the English bowlers. The fourth Test saw Lara come to the crease with the score at 33/1. He stayed for 778 minutes and faced 582 balls in the process of making his world record Test innings of 400 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
, before declaring
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
at 751/5. It was not enough for victory and the game ended in a draw. As a result of this drawn match Lara was criticised by Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
who stated that the whole West Indies first innings revolved around Lara's score who let the Test match slip for his own personal gain. The series finished 3–0 to England.
2004–2009 English dominance
Chris Gayle
Christopher Henry "Chris" Gayle is a Jamaican cricketer who currently plays international cricket for the West Indies. He captained the West Indies' side from 2007 to 2010. He plays domestic cricket for Jamaica, and has also represented Worcestershire, the Western Warriors and the Kolkata Knight...
and Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne James John Bravo is a West Indian cricketer. A right-handed pace bowler, Bravo is expected to play a significant role in attempts by the West Indies to return to international prominence in the sport....
had bowling averages lower than 30. This whitewash meant that England had won seven consecutive Tests for the first time in 75 years. The series was the beginning of a run that would see England win the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
the following year.
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. A tall fast bowler, batsman and slip fielder, Flintoff according to the ICC rankings was consistently rated amongst the top...
was the leading performer for England, averaging 64.50 with the bat and claiming 14 wickets. Ashley Giles
Ashley Giles
Ashley Fraser Giles MBE is a retired English cricketer. Giles played the entirety of his 14-year first-class career at Warwickshire County Cricket Club where he is now employed as Director of Cricket...
was the leading wicket taker in the series with 22. This series saw Ian Bell make his Test debut in the final Test of the series, where he compiled his maiden half-century. The main highlights for the West Indies were Chanderpaul's batting performance in scoring 437 runs at an average of 72.83, the highest in the series, and Bravo's 16 wickets.
Daren Ganga
Daren Ganga is a West Indian cricketer of East Indian descent. He is a right-handed top order batsman and part-time right-arm offbreak bowler. After debuting as a 19 year old he has found himself in and out of the West Indies team, playing regularly for and at times captaining the West Indies A...
. Andrew Strauss
Andrew Strauss
Andrew John Strauss, OBE is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and is the captain of England's Test cricket team. A fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss favours scoring off the back foot, mostly playing cut and pull shots...
was England skipper for the first Test, after which Vaughan returned from injury to lead for the remaining Tests.
England were largely the better team and, if not for the resilient batting of Chanderpaul, they would have won by an even larger margin. The West Indies suffered greatly from his absence in the second Test, losing the match by an innings and 283 runs, their biggest defeat in Test history. England retained the Wisden trophy at Old Trafford by taking an unbeatable 2–0 lead, They ultimately won the series 3–0.
Chanderpaul, who was named the West Indian player of the series, scored 446 runs at an average of 148.66. Bravo also impressed with his all-round performance in claiming 6 wickets, scoring 291 runs and taking 7 catches. England saw the emergence of Matthew Prior
Matthew Prior (cricketer)
Matthew James Prior is an English One Day International and Test cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Sussex. He is a wicket-keeper, and his aggressive right-handed batting enables him to open the innings in ODI matches...
, who became the first English wicket-keeper to score a Test century on debut. Monty Panesar
Monty Panesar
Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, known as Monty Panesar , is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex. A left-arm spinner, Panesar played Test and one-day cricket for England until 2009. In English county cricket he played for Northamptonshire until 2009...
claimed the most wickets (23) and received the award of the Englishman of the series, while Ryan Sidebottom
Ryan Sidebottom
Ryan Jay Sidebottom is an English cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Yorkshire. He is a primarily a left-arm fast-medium bowler. Sidebottom played his first Test match in 2001 against Pakistan, but failed to take a wicket and was dropped for six years...
took 16 wickets.
2009–present West Indies regains, then loses the trophy
Despite England going into the series as the favourites, West Indies won the series 1-0 after winning the first match at Sabina Park. The remaining matches all ended in draws. The series was originally intended as a four Test series; however the abandonment of the Second Test due to the conditions of the field at the SVR Stadium in Antigua led to the rapid inclusion of an additional game staged at the Antigua Recreation Ground, resulting in a five, rather than four match Test series.In a two-match series that replaced the originally scheduled tour by Zimbabwe, and the previously announced tour by Sri Lanka, England regained the Wisden Trophy with a 2-0 win.
Summary of results
- See also: List of Wisden Trophy records for a full listing of all the Wisden Trophy records.
A team must win a series to hold the Wisden Trophy. A drawn series results in the previous holders retaining the trophy. To date, a total of 23 Wisden Trophy series have been played, with West Indies winning 13 and England 6. The remaining 3 series were drawn, with West Indies retaining the Wisden Trophy on each occasion (1973–74, 1991 and 1995). In the series' 44 year history the Wisden Trophy has changed hands on five occasions (1968, 1973, 2000 and twice in 2009) with England regaining the trophy in 1968, 2000 and May 2009, while the West Indies regained it in 1973 and April 2009.
105 Test matches have been played, with West Indies winning 43 times, England 28 times, and 34 matches being drawn. Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
is the top scorer in the Wisden Trophy series with 2983 runs, while Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
is the leading wicket taker with 164 wickets.
Match venues
In England the grounds used have been Old Trafford (since 1963), Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
(1963), Edgbaston (1963), Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
(1963), The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
(1963), Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
(1966) and Riverside Ground
Riverside Ground
The Riverside Ground, officially called the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England. It is home to Durham County Cricket Club....
(2007).
In the West Indies
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
the grounds used have been Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
(since 1968), Sabina Park
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
(1968), Kensington Oval
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
(1968), Bourda
Bourda
The Bourda is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. Located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana, between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown...
(1968), Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...
(1981) and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 Cricket World Cup...
(2009).
See also
- Laws of cricketLaws of cricketThe laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
- Cricket terminology
- The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
(Australia-England) - Frank Worrell TrophyFrank Worrell TrophyThe Frank Worrell Trophy is awarded for the winner of the West Indies - Australia Test match series in cricket.The trophy is named after the former West Indies captain Sir Frank Worrell, and was first awarded at the end of the 1960-61 series...
(Australia-West Indies) - Border-Gavaskar TrophyBorder-Gavaskar TrophyThe Border–Gavaskar Trophy is a Test cricket series, played between India and Australia. It has witnessed some of the most competitive Test series played in recent years, with results usually either being a narrow win for one of the sides or a closely fought draw...
(Australia-India)