Friday, January 1st, 2016

Moeen Ends In Top Ten Of Leading 2015 Test Wicket-Takers

Moeen Ends In Top Ten Of Leading 2015 Test Wicket-Takers

Moeen Ali's superb climax to 2015 catapulted him into the top 10 of the wicket-takers in Test cricket during the calendar year.

The Worcestershire all-rounder collected his first ever man of the match award in the longest format of the game with match figures of 51-12-116-7 against South Africa in Durban.

That lifted Moeen into ninth spot of the bowlers with most Test victims for the past 12 months.

The 28-year-old ended the year with 39 wickets from his 13 Test appearances, missing only the opening match of the tour of the West Indies through injury.

Moeen is one of five spinners in the top 10 wicket-takers including the most prolific bowler in India's Ravichandran Ashwin with 62 victims.

Team-mates Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who is expected to be fit for the second Test in Cape Town, were also included.

In total Moeen has now picked up 61 wickets in 20 Test appearances.

LEADING TEST WICKET-TAKERS 2015

1) Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 62 in nine Tests

2) Stuart Broad (England) – 56 in 14 Tests

3) Josh Hazlewood (Australia) – 51 in 12 Tests

4) Yasir Shah (Pakistan) – 49 in seven Tests

5) Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 48 in 13 Tests

6) James Anderson (England) – 46 in 11 Tests

7) Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 46 in 11 Tests

8) Dhammika Prasad (Sri Lanka) – 41 in nine Tests

9) MOEEN ALI (ENGLAND) -39 in 13 Tests

10) Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) – 37 in 10 Tests