List of England Cricket Captains - Men's Test Match Captains

Men's Test Match Captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the England cricket team for at least one Test match. It has been updated to the end of the Test series against Australia in January 2011. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player deputised for the appointed captain or was appointed by the home authority for a minor proportion in a series. The dagger classification follows that adopted by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

English Test match captains
Number Name Year Report Opposition Location Played Won Lost Drawn
1 James Lillywhite 1876/7 Report Australia Australia 2 1 1 0
2 Lord Harris
 1878/9 Report Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
1880 Report Australia England 1 1 0 0
1884 Report Australia England 2 1 0 1
Total 4 2 1 1
3 Alfred Shaw
 1881/2 Report Australia Australia 4 0 2 2
4 A N Hornby
 1882 Report Australia England 1 0 1 0
1884 † Report Australia England 1 0 0 1
Total 2 0 1 1
5 Honourable Ivo Bligh 1882/3 Report Australia Australia 4 2 2 0
6 Arthur Shrewsbury
 1884/5 Report Australia Australia 5 3 2 0
1886/7 Report Australia Australia 2 2 0 0
Total 7 5 2 0
7 Allan Steel 1886 Report Australia England 3 3 0 0
1888† Report Australia England 1 0 1 0
Total 4 3 1 0
8 Walter Read
 1887/8 Report Australia Australia 1 1 0 0
1891/2 Report South Africa South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 2 2 0 0
9 W G Grace
 1888 Report Australia England 2 2 0 0
1890 Report Australia England 2 2 0 0
1891/2 Report Australia Australia 3 1 2 0
1893 Report Australia England 2 1 0 1
1896 Report Australia England 3 2 1 0
1899† Report Australia England 1 0 0 1
Total 13 8 3 2
10 C. Aubrey Smith 1888/9 Report South Africa South Africa 1 1 0 0
11 Monty Bowden 1888/9† Report South Africa South Africa 1 1 0 0
12 Andrew Stoddart 1893† Report Australia England 1 0 0 1
1894/5 Report Australia Australia 5 3 2 0
1897/8 Report Australia Australia 2 0 2 0
Total 8 3 4 1
13 Sir Tim O'Brien 1895/6† Report South Africa South Africa 1 1 0 0
14 Lord Hawke
 1895/6 Report South Africa South Africa 2 2 0 0
1898/9 Report South Africa South Africa 2 2 0 0
Total 4 4 0 0
15 Archie MacLaren 1897/8† Report Australia Australia 3 1 2 0
1899 Report Australia England 4 0 1 3
1901/2 Australia Australia 5 1 0 4
1902 Report Australia England 5 1 2 2
1909 Australia England 5 1 2 2
Total 22 4 7 11
16 Plum Warner 1903/4 Report Australia Australia 5 3 2 0
1905/6 South Africa South Africa 5 1 4 0
Total 10 4 6 0
17 Honourable Stanley Jackson 1905 Australia England 5 2 0 3
18 Tip Foster 1907 South Africa South Africa 3 1 0 2
19 Frederick Fane 1907/8† Australia Australia 3 1 2 0
1909/10† South Africa South Africa 2 1 1 0
Total 5 2 3 0
20 Arthur Jones 1907/8 Australia Australia 2 0 2 0
21 H D G Leveson-Gower 1909/10 South Africa South Africa 3 1 2 0
22 Johnny Douglas 1911/2 Australia Australia 5 4 1 0
1913/4 South Africa South Africa 5 4 0 1
1920/1 Australia Australia 5 0 5 0
1921† Australia England 2 0 2 0
1924† South Africa England 1 0 0 1
Total 18 8 8 2
23 C B Fry
 1912 Report South Africa England 3 3 0 0
1912 Report Australia England 3 1 0 2
Total 6 4 0 2
24 Honourable Lionel Tennyson 1921 Australia England 3 0 1 2
25 Frank Mann 1922/3 South Africa South Africa 5 2 1 2
26 Arthur Gilligan 1924 South Africa England 4 3 0 1
1924/5 Australia Australia 5 1 4 0
Total 9 4 4 1
27 Arthur Carr 1926 Australia England 4 0 0 4
1929† South Africa England 2 1 0 1
Total 6 1 0 5
28 Percy Chapman 1926† Australia England 1 1 0 0
1928 West Indies England 3 3 0 0
1928/9 Australia Australia 4 4 0 0
1930 Australia England 4 1 1 2
1930/1 South Africa South Africa 5 0 1 4
Total 17 9 2 6
29 Rony Stanyforth 1927/8 South Africa South Africa 4 2 1 1
30 Greville Stevens 1927/8† South Africa South Africa 1 0 1 0
31 Jack White 1928/9† Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
1929 South Africa England 3 1 0 2
Total 4 1 1 2
32 Harold Gilligan 1929/30 New Zealand New Zealand 4 1 0 3
33 Honourable Freddie Calthorpe 1929/30 West Indies West Indies 4 1 1 2
34 Bob Wyatt 1930† Australia England 1 0 1 0
1932/3† New Zealand New Zealand 1 0 0 1
1933† West Indies England 1 0 0 1
1934 Australia England 4 1 1 2
1934/5 West Indies West Indies 4 1 2 1
1935 South Africa England 5 0 1 4
Total 16 3 5 8
35 Douglas Jardine
 1931 New Zealand England 3 1 0 2
1932 India England 1 1 0 0
1932/3 Report Australia Australia 5 4 1 0
1932/3 New Zealand New Zealand 1 0 0 1
1933 West Indies England 2 1 0 1
1933/4 India India 3 2 0 1
Total 15 9 1 5
36 Cyril Walters 1934† Australia England 1 0 1 0
37 Gubby Allen 1936 India England 3 2 0 1
1936/7 Australia Australia 5 2 3 0
1947/8 West Indies West Indies 3 0 2 1
Total 11 4 5 2
38 Walter Robins 1937 New Zealand England 3 1 0 2
39 Wally Hammond 1938 Australia England 4 1 1 2
1938/9 South Africa South Africa 5 1 0 4
1939 West Indies England 3 1 0 2
1946 India England 3 1 0 2
1946/7 Australia Australia 4 0 2 2
1946/7 New Zealand New Zealand 1 0 0 1
Total 20 4 3 13
40 Norman Yardley 1946/7† Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
1947 South Africa England 5 3 0 2
1948 Australia England 5 0 4 1
1950 West Indies England 3 1 2 0
Total 14 4 7 3
41 Ken Cranston 1947/8† West Indies West Indies 1 0 0 1
42 George Mann 1948/9 South Africa South Africa 5 2 0 3
1949 New Zealand England 2 0 0 2
Total 7 2 0 5
43 Freddie Brown 1949† New Zealand England 2 0 0 2
1950† West Indies England 1 0 1 0
1950/1 Australia Australia 5 1 4 0
1950/1 New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1951 South Africa England 5 3 1 1
Total 15 5 6 4
44 Nigel Howard 1951/2 India India 4 1 0 3
45 Donald Carr 1951/2† India India 1 0 1 0
46 Len Hutton 1952 India England 4 3 0 1
1953 Australia England 5 1 0 4
1953/4 Report West Indies West Indies 5 2 2 1
1954 Pakistan England 2 0 1 1
1954/5 Australia Australia 5 3 1 1
1954/5 New Zealand New Zealand 2 2 0 0
Total 23 11 4 8
47 David Sheppard 1954† Pakistan Pakistan 2 1 0 1
48 Peter May 1955 South Africa England 5 3 2 0
1956 Australia England 5 2 1 2
1956/7 South Africa South Africa 5 2 2 1
1957 West Indies England 5 3 0 2
1958 New Zealand England 5 4 0 1
1958/9 Australia Australia 5 0 4 1
1958/9 New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1959 India England 3 3 0 0
1959/60 West Indies West Indies 3 1 0 2
1961 Australia England 3 1 1 1
Total 41 20 10 11
49 Colin Cowdrey 1959† India England 2 2 0 0
1959/1960† West Indies West Indies 2 0 0 2
1960 South Africa England 5 3 0 2
1961† Australia England 2 0 1 1
1962† Pakistan England 1 1 0 0
1966 West Indies England 3 0 2 1
1967/8 West Indies West Indies 5 1 0 4
1968 Australia England 4 1 1 2
1968/9 Pakistan Pakistan 3 0 0 3
Total 27 8 4 15
50 Ted Dexter 1961/2 Pakistan Pakistan 3 1 0 2
1961/2 India India 5 0 2 3
1962 Pakistan England 4 3 0 1
1962/3 Australia Australia 5 1 1 3
1962/3 New Zealand New Zealand 3 3 0 0
1963 West Indies England 5 1 3 1
1964 Australia England 5 0 1 4
Total 30 9 7 14
51 M. J. K. Smith 1963/4 India India 5 0 0 5
1964/5 South Africa South Africa 5 1 0 4
1965 New Zealand England 3 3 0 0
1965 South Africa England 3 0 1 2
1965/6 Australia Australia 5 1 1 3
1965/6 New Zealand New Zealand 3 0 0 3
1966† West Indies England 1 0 1 0
Total 25 5 3 17
52 Brian Close 1966† West Indies England 1 1 0 0
1967 India England 3 3 0 0
1967 Pakistan England 3 2 0 1
Total 7 6 0 1
53 Tom Graveney 1968† Australia England 1 0 0 1
54 Ray Illingworth 1969 West Indies England 3 2 0 1
1969 New Zealand England 3 2 0 1
1970/1 Australia Australia 6 2 0 4
1970/1 New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1971 Pakistan England 3 1 0 2
1971 India England 3 0 1 2
1972 Australia England 5 2 2 1
1973 New Zealand England 3 2 0 1
1973 West Indies England 3 0 2 1
Total 31 12 5 14
55 Tony Lewis 1972/3 India India 5 1 2 2
1972/3 Pakistan Pakistan 3 0 0 3
Total 8 1 2 5
56 Mike Denness
 1973/4 West Indies West Indies 5 1 1 3
1974 India England 3 3 0 0
1974 Pakistan England 3 0 0 3
1974/5 Australia Australia 5 1 3 1
1974/5 New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1975† Australia England 1 0 1 0
Total 19 6 5 8
57 John Edrich 1974/5† Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
58 Tony Greig 1975 Australia England 3 0 0 3
1976 West Indies England 5 0 3 2
1976/7 India India 5 3 1 1
1976/7 Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
Total 14 3 5 6
59 Mike Brearley 1977 Australia England 5 3 0 2
1977/8 Pakistan Pakistan 2 0 0 2
1978 Pakistan England 3 2 0 1
1978 New Zealand England 3 3 0 0
1978/9 Australia Australia 6 5 1 0
1979 India England 4 1 0 3
1979/80 Australia Australia 3 0 3 0
1979/80 India India 1 1 0 0
1981 Australia England 4 3 0 1
Total 31 18 4 9
60 Geoffrey Boycott
 1977/8† Pakistan Pakistan 1 0 0 1
1977/8 New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 1 1
Total 4 1 1 2
61 Ian Botham 1980 West Indies England 5 0 1 4
1980 Australia England 1 0 0 1
1980/1 West Indies West Indies 4 0 2 2
1981† Australia England 2 0 1 1
Total 12 0 4 8
62 Keith Fletcher 1981/2 India India 6 0 1 5
1981/2 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 1 1 0 0
Total 7 1 1 5
63 Bob Willis 1982 India England 3 1 0 2
1982 Pakistan England 2 2 0 0
1982/3 Australia Australia 5 1 2 2
1983 New Zealand England 4 3 1 0
1983/4 New Zealand New Zealand 3 0 1 2
1983/4† Pakistan Pakistan 1 0 1 0
Total 18 7 5 6
64 David Gower 1982† Pakistan England 1 0 1 0
1983/4 Pakistan Pakistan 2 0 0 2
1984 West Indies England 5 0 5 0
1984 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 1 0 0 1
1984/5 India India 5 2 1 2
1985 Australia England 6 3 1 2
1985/6 West Indies West Indies 5 0 5 0
1986† India England 1 0 1 0
1989 Australia England 6 0 4 2
Total 32 5 18 9
65 Mike Gatting 1986 India England 2 0 1 1
1986 New Zealand England 3 0 1 2
1986/7 Australia Australia 5 2 1 2
1987 Pakistan England 5 0 1 4
1987/8 Pakistan Pakistan 3 0 1 2
1987/8 Australia Australia 1 0 0 1
1987/8 New Zealand New Zealand 3 0 0 3
1988† West Indies England 1 0 0 1
Total 23 2 5 16
66 John Emburey 1988 West Indies England 2 0 2 0
67 Chris Cowdrey 1988† West Indies England 1 0 1 0
68 Graham Gooch
 1988† West Indies England 1 0 1 0
1988 Sri Lanka England 1 1 0 0
1989/90 West Indies West Indies 2 1 0 1
1990 New Zealand England 3 1 0 2
1990 India England 3 1 0 2
1990/1 Australia Australia 4 0 2 2
1991 West Indies England 5 2 2 1
1991 Sri Lanka England 1 1 0 0
1991/2 New Zealand New Zealand 3 2 0 1
1992 Pakistan England 5 1 2 2
1992/3 India India 2 0 2 0
1993 Australia England 4 0 3 1
Total 34 10 12 12
69 Allan Lamb 1989/90† West Indies West Indies 2 0 2 0
1990/1† Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 3 0
70 Alec Stewart 1992/3† India India 1 0 1 0
1992/3 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 1 0 1 0
1998 South Africa England 5 2 1 2
1998 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 1 0 1 0
1998/9 Australia Australia 5 1 3 1
2000† West Indies England 1 1 0 0
2001† Pakistan England 1 0 1 0
Total 15 4 8 3
71 Michael Atherton
 1993† Australia England 2 1 1 0
1993/4 West Indies West Indies 5 1 3 1
1994 New Zealand England 3 1 0 2
1994 South Africa England 3 1 1 1
1994/5 Australia Australia 5 1 3 1
1995 West Indies England 6 2 2 2
1995/6 South Africa South Africa 5 0 1 4
1996 India England 3 1 0 2
1996 Pakistan England 3 0 2 1
1996/7 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 2 0 0 2
1996/7 New Zealand New Zealand 3 2 0 1
1997 Australia England 6 2 3 1
1997/8 West Indies West Indies 6 1 3 2
2001† Australia England 2 0 2 0
Total 54 13 21 20
72 Nasser Hussain
 1999 New Zealand England 3 1 2 0
1999/2000 South Africa South Africa 5 1 2 2
2000 Zimbabwe England 2 1 0 1
2000 West Indies England 4 2 1 1
2000/1 Pakistan Pakistan 3 1 0 2
2000/1 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 2 1 0
2001 Pakistan England 1 1 0 0
2001 Australia England 3 1 2 0
2001/2 India India 3 0 1 2
2001/2 New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 1 1
2002 Sri Lanka England 3 2 0 1
2002 India England 4 1 1 2
2002/3 Report Australia Australia 5 1 4 0
2003 Zimbabwe England 2 2 0 0
2003 South Africa England 1 0 0 1
Total 45 17 15 13
73 Mark Butcher 1999† New Zealand England 1 0 0 1
74 Michael Vaughan
 2003 South Africa England 4 2 2 0
2003/4 Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
2003/4 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 0 1 2
2003/4 West Indies West Indies 4 3 0 1
2004 New Zealand England 2 2 0 0
2004 West Indies England 4 4 0 0
2004/5 South Africa South Africa 5 2 1 2
2005 Report Bangladesh England 2 2 0 0
2005 Report Australia England 5 2 1 2
2005/6 Report Pakistan Pakistan 2 0 1 1
2007 Report West Indies England 3 3 0 0
2007 Report India England 3 0 1 2
2007 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 0 1 2
2008 New Zealand New Zealand 3 2 1 0
2008 New Zealand England 3 2 0 1
2008 South Africa England 3 0 2 1
Total 51 26 11 14
75 Marcus Trescothick
 2004† New Zealand England 1 1 0 0
2005/6† Report Pakistan Pakistan 1 0 1 0
Total 2 1 1 0
76 Andrew Flintoff
 2006 Report India India 3 1 1 1
2006 Sri Lanka England 3 1 1 1
2006/7 Report Australia Australia 5 0 5 0
Total 11 2 7 2
77 Andrew Strauss
 2006 Report Pakistan England 4 3 0 1
2007† Report West Indies England 1 0 0 1
2008/9 Report West Indies West Indies 5 0 1 4
2009 Report West Indies England 2 2 0 0
2009 Report Australia England 5 2 1 2
2009 Report South Africa South Africa 4 1 1 2
2010 Report Bangladesh England 2 2 0 0
2010 Report Pakistan England 4 3 1 0
2010/11 Report Australia Australia 5 3 1 1
2011 Report Sri Lanka England 3 1 0 2
2011 Report India England 4 4 0 0
2012 Report Pakistan U.A.E. 3 0 3 0
2012 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0
2012 Report West Indies England 3 2 0 1
Total 47 24 9 14
78 Kevin Pietersen
 2008 South Africa England 1 1 0 0
2008/9 India India 2 0 1 1
Total 3 1 1 1
79 Alastair Cook
 2010 Report Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
Grand total 920 327 265 328

Read more about this topic:  List Of England Cricket Captains

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