Most Test Runs by Visiting Openers in England
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s/50s | Highest score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Taylor (AUS) | 31 | 1584 | 52.80 | 5/7 | 219 |
| Gordon Greenidge (WI) | 30 | 1570 | 56.07 | 6/4 | 223 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 22 | 1355 | 67.75 | 5/3 | 277 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (IND) | 28 | 1152 | 41.14 | 2/8 | 221 |
| Bruce Mitchell (SA) | 20 | 1141 | 76.06 | 4/4 | 189* |
| KL Rahul (IND) | 26 | 1129 | 43.42 | 4/3 | 149 |
| Desmond Haynes (WI) | 31 | 1101 | 42.34 | 2/7 | 184 |
| Arthur Morris (AUS) | 19 | 1033 | 57.38 | 3/6 | 196 |
| Bill Lawry (AUS) | 24 | 1007 | 45.77 | 4/5 | 135 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 36 | 975 | 27.08 | 0/9 | 95 |
Key Stats
9 visiting opening batters have scored 1,000 or more runs in Test matches held in England. Australia’s Mark Taylor leads the way with a whopping 1,584 runs playing at the top of the order in England.
For a comprehensive look at the players who have dominated as opening batsmen in Test cricket, explore the overall record holders here.
Bruce Mitchell averages the highest in Tests among visiting openers who have scored a minimum of 500 runs in England. The South African batter averaged 76.06 at the position, and his teammate Alan Melville had an average of 74.85, having made 524 runs at the position in 4 Tests.
Among the visiting openers in England, Gordon Greenidge has made the maximum centuries (6), while Mark Taylor and Graeme Smith come next with 5 tons each.
Bob Simpson’s 311 at Manchester in 1964 is the highest Test score by a visiting opener in England, followed by Graeme Smith’s 277.
Among the current crop of openers, KL Rahul has the most centuries as an opener (in England). You can delve deeper into KL Rahul’s comprehensive Test batting statistics, broken down by his various batting positions, right here.
Taylor’s tally of 12 fifty-plus scores in England is the most by a visiting opening batter, and three others have 10 fifty-plus scores (Fredricks, Greenidge, and Gavaskar) each. Taylor and Greenidge are the only two members from this list to be part of the top ten overall run-scoring visiting batters in England.
