Rory Burns, Mark Stoneman, Adam Lyth and more – 9 top run-scorers in County Championship, division one, history
02/18/2025 08:11 PM
Some of the greatest talents in English cricket built their careers in division one of the County Championship – England’s premier red-ball cricket competition.
But which nine players led the way with the most runs in the history of the competition?
Read more to see which England Test cricket legend was in a league of his own domestically.
9. Rory Burns – 8,250 runs in County Championship, division one
Having debuted for Surrey in 2012, Rory Burns has been a true one-club man, collecting 8,250 Division One runs for his county.
Despite his frequently questioned technique, the opener has been rock solid at the top of the order with his domestic form earning him considerable time in the England side.
He’s top-scored with a total of 227 and maintained a considerable average of 43.19 for Surrey in the top division.
8. Chris Read – 8,402 runs in County Championship, division one
Read was a prime example of an effective wicketkeeper-batsman, contributing runs freely and being dependable with the gloves for Nottinghamshire from 2005 to 2016.
He was a valuable asset to the Trent Bridge-based side with his ability to turn games on their head with vital contributions including a career-high total of 142.
Read averaged 42.43 and collected 16 hundreds over his Division One career.
7. Jimmy Adams – 8,814 runs in County Championship, division one
Considered one of Hampshire’s most reliable batters, the left-hander built a reputation for being able to spend time in the middle and anchor his county’s innings.
His tenaciousness at the crease meant he notched an admirable 49 career half-centuries including many innings that defined the match.
An unbeaten high score of 262 topped his expansive career as a Division One batter.
6. Chris Nash – 8,821 runs in County Championship, division one
Nash represented both Nottinghamshire and Sussex in Division One and averaged 36.75 as a batter who played with aggression, taking the game to the bowling side at the top of the order.
A knack for getting his sides off to fast starts and his handy bowling only added an extra string to his bow – not to mention his incredible 43 not-out scores!
His 13-year career which was brought to a close in 2019 featured 17 centuries and 47 fifties.
5. Ed Joyce – 9,081 runs in County Championship, division one
Joyce’s classy technique helped him average a staggering 50.45 in his Division One career where he played for both Middlesex and Sussex.
He could score runs at will with great consistency and struck 23 centuries over his ten-year County Cricket career from 2005 – 2015.
It took Joyce just 113 matches to reach number five on the all-time Division One run scorer list.
Also read: Top 10 highest scores on ODI debut – Matthew Breetzke beats Desmond Haynes’ world record
4. Adam Lyth – 9,399 runs in County Championship, division one
Adam Lyth churned out runs for 14 years at the top of Yorkshire’s batting order until his retirement in 2022.
His reliability earned him a stretch in the England Test side alongside Alistair Cook.
Despite finishing his career just shy of the 10,000 run milestone, his high score of 251 and 52 fifties cement his credentials as one of the greats.
3. Mark Stoneman – 10,031 runs in County Championship, division one
Stoneman’s longevity was remarkable with 174 completed matches through his spells with Durham, Middlesex and Surrey in Division One.
His resistance and knack for dominating bowlers game after game led to him accumulating 20 centuries in the top division of England‘s domestic red ball cricket.
An effective scorer against both pace and spin helped him etch a place in the exclusive 10,000-run club.
2. James Hildreth – 11,703 runs in County Championship, division one
One of the division’s longest-serving players, Hildreth smacked 31 centuries for Somerset including a career-best total of 303 not out.
He played 189 Division One matches over his 14-year career and was widely considered one of the best batters to have not won an England Test cap.
Despite this, he was lauded as one of the greats of his generation in a golden era for his country.
1. Marcus Trescothick – 12,318 runs in County Championship, division one
The only player to better Hildreth’s efforts was his long-term Somerset teammate who was in a league of his own with over 12,000 County Championship Division One runs.
His prowess opening the batting for both club and country has cemented Trescothick as a legend of English cricket.
An average of 46.30 over 163 innings including 37 centuries and 58 fifties outlines his dominance.
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