In the arduous Test format of cricket, bowlers must consistently deliver exceptional performances to help their team secure all 20 opposition wickets. But a truly elite few find a home away from home, transforming certain venues into personal fortresses. This raises a crucial question for cricket aficionados: Which bowler holds the record for the Most Career Test Wickets at One Ground?
This article dives deep into the statistics to reveal the leading Test wicket-takers at a single venue, counting down the top 10 instances of bowlers dominating a specific ground throughout their stellar Test careers.
Most Test Wickets at a Single Venue (By Bowlers)
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Avg | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 24 | 166 | 20.69 | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground |
| James Anderson (ENG) | 29 | 123 | 24.81 | Lord’s Cricket Ground |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 16 | 117 | 16.02 | Asgiriya Stadium |
| Stuart Broad (ENG) | 28 | 113 | 27.66 | Lord’s Cricket Ground |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 15 | 111 | 18.50 | Galle International Stadium |
| Rangana Herath (SL) | 19 | 102 | 24.94 | Galle International Stadium |
| Rangana Herath (SL) | 14 | 84 | 25.48 | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground |
| Heath Streak (ZIM) | 19 | 83 | 23.13 | Harare Sports Club |
| Dennis Lillee (AUS) | 14 | 82 | 21.92 | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Chaminda Vaas (SL) | 21 | 80 | 25.05 | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground |
Key Insights on Leading Test Wicket-Takers at a Single Venue
Record for Most Wickets at One Ground
Muthiah Muralidaran has racked up the most Test wickets at a single venue. He has 166 wickets under his belt at Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo. Most of the top 10 instances belong to Sri Lankan bowlers, with two of them being top spinners.
Exclusive Club of 100+ Wickets
Galle International Stadium and Lord’s Cricket Ground are the only two venues where two bowlers each have picked up 100+ wickets. Muralidaran and Rangana Herath have grabbed over 100 wickets at Galle Stadium, while James Anderson and Stuart Broad have done so at the iconic Lord’s.
Dominating Partnership Records
The number of wickets taken by Muralidaran and Chaminda Vaas while bowling as a pair is 229. The star Sri Lankan spinner picked up 149 wickets, and Vaas took 80 wickets while bowling in tandem from 1996 to 2009 at SSC Ground.
Individual Mastery and Longevity
Muralidaran has picked up the most Test five-wicket hauls at a particular venue. He has 14 five-wicket hauls at SSC, Colombo, and his bowling excellence was also on display at Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy and Galle Stadium, where he bagged 11 five-fors each at both venues. He is the only bowler to pick up more than 10 five-wicket hauls at any venue. The off-spinner bowled a staggering 8837 deliveries while donning the Sri Lankan white jersey at SSC, Colombo, the most by any bowler at any ground.
