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The current World Test Championship cycle for England didn’t go as planned. The England team had a decent start to the cycle as they drew the 2023 Ashes series against Australia. However, the disappointment in the English camp creeped in with their series loss against India and their failure to capitalize on the built momentum after a solid start against able opposition.
England batters shine amidst a disappointing WTC cycle
The England team currently sit 6th in the WTC points table with 11 wins and 10 losses. However, there were several positives that the English team can take from the current WTC cycle. The most positive aspect of England in the current WTC cycle is their batting. They are steadily gaining a reputation of putting big totals on board due to the presence of solid batters in its side.
The English batting prowess in Test cricket is evident from the fact that 4 out of the top-5 highest run scorers in the current WTC cycle are from England. In the light of this impressive record from English batters, here is a list of 5 highest run scorers for England in the current WTC cycle.
Also Read: Top 5 players with most runs for India in WTC 2023-25 cycle
5 English batters with most runs in the current WTC cycle
- Joe Root: A beacon of excellence
Joe Root has become a name synonymous to consistency and stability to the English side. At 34 years of age, he has emerged as a mature batter in Test cricket with a number of youngsters developing to their absolute best under him. Root is currently the leading run scorer in the current WTC cycle. The English top order batter has scored a total of 1556 runs in 31 innings in 2024 with an impeccable batting average of 55.57. The previous year was a dream come true for Root as far as batting is concerned as he scored 6 centuries in the calendar year including his career best of 262 against Pakistan. With a few more years of Test cricket in him, Root is not only contributing runs for his team but also developing a number of youngsters with exceptional batting skills.
- Ben Duckett: A seasoned opener for England
Although Ben Duckett became a regular starter in the Test side in 2023, he has been a major talking point in the English circle for some time now. A product of reputed Stowe School and with over 10,000 first-class runs under his belt for Northamptonshire, Duckett has now evolved as a pillar of strength in the batting order, cementing his place as an opener. Duckett has shown promising signs in the current WTC cycle with 1470 runs to his name. Currently, he is the third highest run sorcerer in the WTC cycle behind Root and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the 30-year-old is set to achieve more in the longest format of the game with age and experience.
- Harry Brook: Promising future of English batting
Harry Brook has already become the next big thing in Test cricket with parallels being drawn between him and great right-hand batters of world cricket like Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. The 25-year-old has already achieved a batting average of 58.48 in Test cricket. 2024 was a dream year for Brook as he managed to score a total of 1100 runs and aced 4 centuries for his side. Additionally, a major highlight for the year was the gigantic 317-run knock he scored against Pakistan in Multan.
- Zak Crawley: Limitless potential and talent
Zak Crawley starred in the England team as a perfect partner for Duckett opening the innings. However, the 26-year-old currently faces a lack of consistency in red-ball cricket. Still the batting prodigy from Kent has scored 1175 runs in the current WTC cycle and secured a place for himself in the England team. The top-order batter will aim to score runs for his team consistently and reach the peak of his prowess in Test cricket in the near future.
- Ollie Pope: The next big thing in English middle order
Although Ollie Pope has opened for England time and again, fans and analysts see his permanent position in the middle-order as a promising talent England has got their hands on after Paul Collingwood, Jonny Bairstow and Kevin Pieterson. The 27-year-old is known for Test-level temperament and patience when it comes to batting and the ability to cruise the team through difficult conditions. Pope has scored 994 runs in 2024. He is currently the 8th highest run scorer in the 2023-25 WTC cycle with 3 centuries to his name.
