Ashes Trophy Records

Top 5: Most 200s in The Ashes by a Player

What makes a batsman’s century more special? A double century maybe.

Scoring a double ton has always been an achievement that’s rare in Cricket, even though it’s in the longest format of the game. You will get it when you look at the country-wise distribution of batters scoring 200s.

The Ashes is always one step ahead when you look at the quality of opposition it involves, let alone the rivalry it induces. In total, 40 double centuries have come in the Ashes series. However, there are only 5 batsmen who managed to repeat the remarkable feat.

Here is a list of batsmen who scored more than one double century in the Ashes tournament.

#1 Don Bradman – 8

No words can explain what Don Bradman has achieved in his career that spanned 52 games. His insane Test records tell a tale of a master who has mastered every single record that revolves around Test batting statistics.

Bradman scored three double centuries in the 1930 Ashes in 3 months – for which he ranks joint second in the batter’s list with most 200s in a calendar year. This was also the season when he scored 4 centuries in total, accounting for the most runs scored by any batsman in a single Ashes series.

List of 200s by Bradman in the Ashes

No.RunsStrike RateInningsVenueDate
125467.552Lord’s27 Jun 1930
233474.551Leeds11 Jul 1930
323255.632The Oval16 Aug 1930
430464.272Leeds20 Jul 1934
524490.031The Oval18 Aug 1934
627072.003Melbourne1 Jan 1937
721253.673Adelaide29 Jan 1937
823459.092Sydney13 Dec 1946
Don Bradman – Ashes double-centuries

#2 Wally Hammond – 4

Walter Reginald Hammond is the first batsman to score two Ashes double centuries. Interestingly 3 of his 4 double tons came in the away venues in Australia. His first and the last Ashes double-century knocks are separated by 10 years – the longest among everyone on this list.

The former English batsman, who could excel at any game he played, is also the third-best English batsman in terms of Ashes run-scoring.
Hammond, a valuable medium-fast bowler, added 83 valuable wickets to his Test career.

List of 200s by Hammond in the Ashes

No.RunsStrike RateInningsVenueDate
125141.482Sydney14 Dec 1928
220042.372Melbourne29 Dec 1928
3231*39.891Sydney18 Dec 1936
424060.911Lord’s24 Jun 1938
Wally Hammond – Ashes double-centuries

#3 Steve Smith – 3

All three Steve Smith double century specials have come in the Ashes – that’s how good he has been in the tournament.

Smith had a dream run for five consecutive years from 2014 to 2018 when he averaged four 70+ average calendar years. The 1-year ban after the infamous sandpaper gate followed by the global COVID situation worldwide has kept him shut for a couple of years. But he is back now with high octane, and his average in 2021 is running at the good end of the 50s. Look at his year-by-year progression in Test cricket.

List of 200s by Smith in the Ashes

No.RunsStrike RateInningsVenueDate
121562.131Lord’s16 Jul 2015
223959.892Perth14 Dec 2017
321166.141Manchester4 Sep 2019
Steve Smith – Ashes double-centuries

#4 Alastair Cook – 2

The batsman in Alastair Cook, the former English captain, is irreplaceable for many reasons. The longevity of his cricketing career proves his excellent contribution to the English team as an opener. He is among the 10 players to play more than 150 Test matches. He is also the only English batsman to make this list so far.

Both his Ashes double-century have come in Australia – Brisbane and Melbourne. And, 7 years separate these superlative knocks.

List of 200s by Cook in the Ashes

No.RunsStrike RateInningsVenueDate
1235*54.903Brisbane25 Nov 2010
2244*59.652Melbourne26 Dec 2017
Alastair Cook – Ashes double-centuries

#5 Bob Simpson – 2

Another Opener in this list, the Australian batsman Robert Baddeley Simpson’s Manchester knock, is one of the longest you will ever see in the history of Test cricket. He batted 743 balls in that innings that spanned for almost 13 hours. You can find here the longest Test innings ever played by individual batsmen.

He is the only batsman not to score more than 1500 Ashes runs among the batsmen on this list. Simpson aggregated 1405 runs at an average of 50.17 in Ashes. Both his Ashes hundreds were converted to double tons. Also, in total, Bob has scored three double centuries, while playing as captain. Check here which batsman-captain combination player tops the most 200s list.

List of 200s by Simpson in the Ashes

No.RunsStrike RateInningsVenueDate
131141.851Manchester23 Jul 1964
222552.692Adelaide28 Jan 1966
Bob Simpson – Ashes double-centuries

Wrapping up!

Two other members came so close to this list.

  • Allan Border 196 & 200*
  • Arthur Morris 196 & 206

Both Border and Morris have a score of 196, along with an Ashes double-century each.

There are no Ashes double-centurions from both sides among the current batters, other than Steve Smith. So, to anyone to make this list from here will be an incredible task. Comment below the names of any English or Australian batters who you think will make this list in the future.

Read Here: THE HIGHEST WICKET TAKERS IN ASHES

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