• Home
  • Top Most
  • Best Bowling Figures In Tests By Captains At Lords

Best Bowling Figures In Tests By Captains At Lords

Akshita Patel

Best Bowling Figures In Tests By Captains At Lords [Source: @AdvocateMessi/X.com]Best Bowling Figures In Tests By Captains At Lords [Source: @AdvocateMessi/X.com]

Lord's Cricket Ground in London is referred to as the "Home of Cricket." It has witnessed some great games and phenomenal performances over time.

One of the toughest jobs in cricket is to captain your team and at the same time give your best performances. Only a few captains have managed to shine with the ball at Lord’s, but when they do, it becomes historic.

Here are the top five best bowling figures by Test captains at Lord’s Cricket Ground:

5. Daniel Vettori – 5/69 vs England, 2008

5. Daniel Vettori – 5/69 vs England, 2008 [Source: @Arnavv43/X.com]5. Daniel Vettori – 5/69 vs England, 2008 [Source: @Arnavv43/X.com]

Left-arm spinner and captain of New Zealand, Daniel Vettori, bowled brilliantly against England in 2008. He took 5 wickets for 69 runs, a top performance for a spinner at Lord’s, which usually favours seamers. Vettori’s clever variations and smart captaincy were key. He led a young Kiwi side and showed a great fight against a strong England team. 

4. Gubby Allen – 5/42 vs India, 1936

Gubby Allen had a great match as England’s captain in 1936 against India. He picked up 5 wickets for just 42 runs. Back in those days, pitches were uncovered, and bowling could be extremely tricky. Allen’s bowling was spot-on, as he kept hitting the right length and troubled the Indian batters. His leadership and bowling gave England the upper hand at the start of the match.

3. Gubby Allen – 5/35 vs India, 1936

Yes, Gubby Allen features twice in this list, both times in the same match. In the other innings of that Test against India, Allen picked up 5/35. That means he took 10 wickets in the match as captain. Such a performance is rare even today. His consistency and ability to perform under pressure showed why he was one of England’s finest all-round captains.

2. Bob Willis – 6/101 vs India, 1982

2. Bob Willis – 6/101 vs India, 1982 [Source: @TheBarmyArmy/X.com]2. Bob Willis – 6/101 vs India, 1982 [Source: @TheBarmyArmy/X.com]

Bob Willis, a fiery pacer with an aggressive bowling approach, was the captain of England when they played India in 1982. He took 6 wickets for 101 runs in one of the innings. Even though the runs given were somewhat excessive, both as captain and chief fast bowler, his performance was top-notch. He kept the pressure on a strong Indian batting order and helped England win by 7 wickets.

1. Pat Cummins – 6/28 vs South Africa, 2025 

1. Pat Cummins – 6/28 vs South Africa, 2025 [Source: @rafi4999/X.com]1. Pat Cummins – 6/28 vs South Africa, 2025 [Source: @rafi4999/X.com]

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, delivered a stunning spell against South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship Final in 2025. He took 6 wickets for just 28 runs, tearing through South Africa’s batting lineup. This performance helped Australia gain a strong upper hand in a high-pressure final. Cummins used the Lord’s slope smartly and kept bowling full, just like James Anderson’s advice, pitch it up. This is now the best-ever bowling figure by a captain at Lord’s in Test history.