Mike Atherton's suggestion that Andy Caddick is scarred by playing against Australia has not gone down too well. "It's rubbish and it annoys me," Caddick said, "particularly coming from someone who shared a dressing-room with us and should know better. Atherton knows me well enough so I wonder why he did not come and put his theories to my face. We would have had an interesting discussion." Here's a stat they might have chewed over: Caddick has the worst average of any bowler to take 50 Test wickets against Australia. He took his 50th wicket at Brisbane, and they have come at an average of 43.36 each. Even more significantly, the Aussies have panned Caddick for 3.68 runs per over. Against everybody else he only goes for 2.81.

The very nature of the list - not every Tom, Dick or Chalky gets 50 wickets against Australia - means that it is an esteemed one, and Caddick is in good company. Immediately below him is Garry Sobers, and the bottom ten includes Allan Donald, a fast bowler from either side of the Pennines (Brian Statham and Darren Gough), as well as two great offspinners (Lance Gibbs and Hugh Tayfield).

There are a few surprising names in the 43-man list (22 of whom are English): Shivlal Yadav and Trevor Goddard, to name but two, yet there is nothing amazing about the man on top of the list: the great George Lohmann's wickets against Australia cost just 13.01 runs apiece. Nor is there much surprise about who has nailed the most Australians: Ian Botham, with 148, each one celebrated like it was his last.

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