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The 74th Ashes Series is rapidly approaching with England heading Down Under to face their long-time foe Australia but who has been the best batsmen in the modern era?
While Don Bradman comfortably tops the all-time list thanks to his 5,028 runs, if we look for just 2010 onwards, things get a little more even.
Here are the top 13 highest Ashes scores since 2010:
13. Stuart Broad
First of all, apologies to Stuart as his impressive 234 scored in his first Ashes series has been removed due to it coming in the 2009 series.
But even with that omitted, Broady still cracks the top 10 and is the only outright bowler to do so.
He scored 785 runs in 58 innings, giving him an average of 17.07. His highest score was 65 at Trent Bridge in 2013 which came after his infamous decision not to walk despite nicking one off to Michael Clarke.
785 runs scored at 17.07
12. Travis Head
The last time the Ashes was held in Australia, Travis Head enjoyed a career-defining series that saw him score 357 runs, topping the list for both sides.
Perhaps once thought of as a batsman not quite at the top level, Head began the series with a score of 152 at the Gabba to power the Aussies to victory and set the tone moving forward.
Overall, Head has 910 runs in the Ashes at a rate of 39.56 and is undeniably one of the players England will be most worried about this time round.
His most recent match saw him smash South Africa all round the park for a score of 142 in the ODI series.
910 runs scored at 39.56
11. Marnus Labuschagne
England fans were ruing their luck when a concussion sub to Steve Smith unwittingly gave Marnus Labuschagne the chance he needed to prove himself in the Australia team.
His replacement of Steve Smith at Lord’s after some lethal Jofra Archer bowling saw him go on to eclipse Smith as the leading Test run scorer in the world for 2019 and made him a certain start at No.3.
However, in recent years he has been in and out of the Test side following a dramatic loss of form. He played in the World Test Championship final but could only manage a score of 39 from two innings and has not played for the side since.
Labuschagne does still have one of the best records of the modern era, scoring 1,016 runs at a rate of 40.64.
1,016 runs scored at 40.64
10. Michael Clarke
Although the majority of Michael Clarke’s Ashes runs came pre-2010, he was still pretty handy after that year.
He played up until the 2015 series and managed score 1,069 runs in that time while also serving as Australian captain.
1,069 runs scored at 30.54
9. Chris Rogers
After being dropped following his first Test match in 2008, Chris Rogers being on this list is a testament to his determination.
He returned to the Australia fold in 2013 at the age of 35 and went on to score 2,105 runs at a rate of 42.87. Not to mention, he absolutely loved playing against England.
Of the five Test centuries he notched, four of them came against England and he had an impressive average of 49.82 in English conditions.
In total, he scored 1,310 runs in Ashes series at a rate of 48.51.
1,310 runs scored at 48.51
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8. Ian Bell
While he scored plenty of runs pre-2010, Bell’s magnum opus came in the 2013 Ashes when his 562 runs powered England to a 3-0 win over Australia.
Overall, he scored 1,983 runs against Australia but his average was down at 35.41 when you factor in all of his career. Post-2010 though and that was up to 58.3.
1,341 runs scored at 58.3
7. Usman Khawaja
If the upcoming series was in England, Usman Khawaja may not have made the squad but the fact that his home record is so good may give him a stay of execution.
The 38-year-old averages 48.23 in Australia and 40.52 specifically against England with four Ashes centuries on his CV.
A 6,053-run Test career is made up of 1,378 in Ashes knocks.
1,378 runs scored at 40.52
6. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow may now have been ousted from the England Test setup but he racked up a fair amount of runs during his time in the team.
Against Australia, he has scored 1,406 runs including two centuries but critically those came from 47 innings, giving him an average of 31.24 which, aside from Broad, is the lowest in this top 10.
Bairstow’s last Ashes Test was in July 2023 when he made 78 before being caught at the Oval.
1,406 runs scored at 31.24
5. Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes may be fourth on this list but he is the author of arguably the most painful runs in Australian Test history.
His 2019 Headingley performance will forever be part of the all-time great innings and his presence does still seem to unnerve some of the players of that day who are still in the team today.
But he isn’t getting any younger and the pressure of captaincy alongside bowling and batting has taken its toll. When fully fit and firing, Stokes can be a game-changer for England but the team has to manage his minutes and may well be forced to choose which Tests he plays and which ones he sits out.
1,562 runs scored at 36.32
4. Alastair Cook
‘Alastair Cook enjoyed his best Ashes series at the turn of the decade when he scored 766 runs in England’s mighty win Down Under.
In that series, he scored 766 runs at an average of 127.56 including 235* at Brisbane.
That set the tone for a series which would see England win in Australia for the first time since 1987.
1,995 runs scored at 45.34
3. David Warner
David Warner’s appearance on this list comes through longevity rather than any outstanding knocks.
In 61 attempts, the opener managed just three centuries, all of which came in Australia, and his average of 36.83 is amongst his worst.
But scoring 2,173 runs as an opener is nothing to be sniffed at, even if Broad had his number in the latter years.
2,173 runs scored at 36.83
2. Joe Root
If England are to have any success this Australian summer, the form of Joe Root will be crucial to that.
Since giving up the captaincy, Root has ascended into undoubtedly one of the best batsmen of all time but Australia remains a hurdle he needs to climb.
His average against the Aussies is 40.46 and, as their fans like to point out, he has never scored a century Down Under.
In the form of his career, you get the sense that if Root is to achieve that milestone, he will do it in the upcoming series.
2,428 runs scored at 40.46
1. Steve Smith
England’s nemesis for this era comes in the form of Steve Smith who sent the country into an almost existential crisis when trying to find a way to get him out.
His best series came in 2019 when he managed 774 runs at an incredible average of 110.57 which has been lauded as one of the best batting performances of all time.
Overall, England is one of his favourite opponents with an average of 56.01 and he has scored 3,417 runs in total.
His powers may have waned somewhat, he scored just one hundred in the last Ashes series, but Smith is still a player not to be ignored if England have any ambitions of bringing the Urn home.
3,417 runs scored at 56.01
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