Jonny Bairstow, current England Test wicket-keeper

This is a chronological list of England Test wicket-keepers. The list comprises players who were the designated wicket-keeper at the toss, so the number of matches does not include times when a player has acted as a stand-in keeper, or appeared as a batsman only.

Alan Knott kept wicket in 95 Test matches for England, and is currently the record-holder, both in terms of caps as wicket keeper, and dismissals.^[1] Godfrey Evans is the record-holder for stumpings.^[1] A number of the players listed have played a large number of Test matches as specialist batsmen, for example Jonny Bairstow has played 74 Tests in total, as of January 2021.^[2]

On occasions, another player has stepped in to relieve the primary wicket-keeper due to injury or illness. Unless the relief player was himself a recognised Test wicket-keeper, he is not included here. The list also does not include Billy Murdoch, who kept in the second innings of his only Test for England,^[3] having previously appeared as wicket-keeper in one of his 18 Tests for Australia. He and Jonny Bairstow are the only replacement keepers to make a stumping for England. Eight stand-in keepers have taken a total of ten catches as replacements,^[4] including two by Jonny Bairstow.

On one occasion in 1986, two replacement wicket-keepers were called on, neither of whom were members of the side, and one was a member of the crowd. Former England keeper, Bob Taylor, aged 45 and retired from professional cricket, stepped in at a Test match to replace Bruce French, with the permission of the New Zealand captain, after French had been hit in the head while batting.^[5] Later, Hampshire's Bobby Parks, (son of former England wicket keeper Jim Parks) who did not otherwise make a Test appearance in his career, took over from Taylor for the rest of the match.^[5]

Statistics are correct as of 31 July 2023.^[6]

See also

• List of English Test cricketers

Notes

• ^A Selby appeared in four further Tests as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^B MacGregor appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^C Moon appeared in three further Tests as a fielder, taking three catches.
• ^B Strudwick appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^E Smith appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking one catch.
• ^F Ames appeared in three further Tests as a fielder, taking two catches.
• ^G Gibb appeared in five further Tests as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^H Griffith appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^I McIntyre appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking one catch.
• ^J Parks appeared in three further Tests as a fielder, taking two catches.
• ^K Murray appeared in one further Test as a fielder, taking no catches.
• ^L Stewart appeared in 51 further Tests as a fielder, taking 36 catches.
• ^M Bairstow has appeared in 40 further Tests as a fielder, taking 36 catches. He stood in as wicket-keeper for Foakes and Buttler in six of these games, taking two catches and one stumping; and 19 catches respectively.^[7][8]
• ^N Buttler has appeared in 20 further Tests as a fielder, taking 23 catches. He stood in as wicket-keeper for Bairstow in one of these games.^[9]
• ^O Pope has appeared in 35 further Tests as a fielder, taking 36 catches.

References