Most Wickets in BBL History: Sean Abbott Leads the All-Time Big Bash Bowling Chart

Sean Abbott is the highest wicket-taker in Big Bash League history, with 186 wickets since the league began in 2011. The Sydney Sixers fast bowler leads a chasing pack that includes his own club-mate Ben Dwarshuis, hat-trick king Andrew Tye and left-arm swing master Jason Behrendorff — and with all four still active, the all-time bowling chart is a live race going into BBL|16.

These figures are correct through the end of BBL|15 in January 2026, before the BBL 2026-27 season begins on 12 December 2026. Every wicket taken in BBL|16 will be added to these totals, so this list is both a record of the league’s first fifteen seasons and the starting point for the next chapter.

Most Wickets in BBL History: Top 5 All-Time Wicket-Takers

Rank	Bowler	Teams	Innings	Wickets	Span
1	Sean Abbott	Sydney Thunder, Sydney Sixers	132	186	2011–2026
2	Ben Dwarshuis	Sydney Sixers	126	164	2014–2026
3	Andrew Tye	Sydney Thunder, Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Renegades	117	162	2014–2026
4	Jason Behrendorff	Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Renegades	113	145	2012–2026
5	Kane Richardson	Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Sixers	115	142	2011–2025

Sean Abbott: The BBL’s Most Prolific Bowler

Sean Abbott’s record is built on longevity and death-bowling skill. He began his BBL career with Sydney Thunder before becoming a Sydney Sixers mainstay, and across 132 innings he has taken 186 wickets — 22 clear of second place. Abbott is the only bowler in BBL history to pass 180 wickets, and he has done it while regularly bowling the hardest overs in T20 cricket: the powerplay and the death.

His all-round value shows up elsewhere in the record books too. Abbott is third on the BBL’s all-time catches list for fielders, with 75 catches, which makes him one of the most complete cricketers the league has ever seen: strike bowler, safe hands, and a handy lower-order hitter.

Ben Dwarshuis and Andrew Tye: The Chasers

Ben Dwarshuis, second on the list with 164 wickets, is a one-club man: every one of his BBL wickets has come for the Sydney Sixers since 2014. That makes the Abbott–Dwarshuis contest a team-mate rivalry — the two men share the new ball for the same club, and Dwarshuis needs 23 more wickets to catch Abbott. Both are active in BBL|16, so the gap could narrow quickly if Dwarshuis has a big season.

Andrew Tye, third with 162 wickets, is the BBL’s hat-trick king and the only bowler with two BBL hat-tricks to his name: one for Perth Scorchers against Brisbane Heat in 2016–17 and another against Sydney Sixers in 2017–18. Tye’s knuckle ball made him one of the most feared death bowlers in world T20 cricket at his peak, and he remains within striking distance of second place.

Jason Behrendorff and Kane Richardson: Swing and Experience

Jason Behrendorff, fourth with 145 wickets, built his record on left-arm swing with the new ball, mostly for Perth Scorchers, the most successful club in BBL history. He is still active, so his total will keep growing in BBL|16.

Kane Richardson, fifth with 142 wickets, is the only man in the top five whose total is frozen: his BBL career across Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers ended after the 2024–25 season. That makes him the target for the next tier of bowlers coming through in BBL|16.

Best Bowling Figures in BBL History

The single greatest bowling performance in BBL history still belongs to Lasith Malinga, who took 6 wickets for 7 runs for Melbourne Stars against Perth Scorchers on 12 December 2012. More than thirteen years later, nobody has bettered it. Malinga also owns the best economy rate in BBL history among bowlers with a substantial career, conceding just 5.40 runs per over across his 50 overs in the league, ahead of Muttiah Muralitharan on 5.70.

The record for the most wickets in a single BBL season is shared: Daniel Sams took 30 wickets for Sydney Thunder in 2019–20, and Peter Siddle matched him with 30 for Adelaide Strikers in 2020–21. No bowler has ever taken more than 30 wickets in one BBL season.

Two more bowling landmarks round out the picture. Daniel Sams also owns the best bowling figures on BBL debut, taking 4/14 for Sydney Sixers against Sydney Thunder on 19 December 2017 — a debut that announced one of the league’s great death bowlers. At the other end of the scale, Liam Guthrie conceded 70 runs in a single innings for Brisbane Heat in 2021–22, the most expensive spell in BBL history, a reminder of how unforgiving the league can be for bowlers on a bad night.

Hat-Tricks in BBL History

Ten hat-tricks have been taken in BBL history. Andrew Tye’s two lead the way, and the list also includes Rashid Khan’s hat-trick for Adelaide Strikers against Sydney Sixers in 2019–20, Haris Rauf’s for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Thunder, and the very first BBL hat-trick, by Xavier Doherty for Hobart Hurricanes against Sydney Thunder in 2012–13. Cameron Boyce went one better in his famous spell for Melbourne Renegades against Sydney Thunder, taking four wickets in four balls.

For Indian fans tracking the new season, the BBL schedule 2026-27 shows when Abbott, Dwarshuis, Tye and Behrendorff bowl next — and the most runs in BBL history chart shows the batters they will be trying to dismiss.

What BBL|16 Could Change in the Most Wickets Chart

Three things are worth watching when the new season starts on 12 December 2026. First, Sean Abbott will extend a lead that already stands at 22 wickets, and 200 BBL wickets is a realistic target within the next two seasons. Second, the race for second place between Dwarshuis (164) and Tye (162) is separated by just two wickets and could flip in a single match. Third, Behrendorff needs only a strong season to pass Richardson’s frozen total of 142 and move into the top four.

Like the batting chart, the bowling chart is not a museum piece. It is a live race, and BBL|16 is where the next chapter gets written.

Most Wickets in BBL History FAQs

Who has taken the most wickets in BBL history?

Sean Abbott, with 186 wickets for Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers between 2011 and 2026.

Who is second in the BBL all-time wickets list?

Ben Dwarshuis with 164 wickets, just two ahead of Andrew Tye on 162. Both are still active, so the order can change in BBL|16.

What are the best bowling figures in BBL history?

Lasith Malinga’s 6/7 for Melbourne Stars against Perth Scorchers on 12 December 2012.

Who has taken the most wickets in a single BBL season?

Daniel Sams (30 for Sydney Thunder, 2019–20) and Peter Siddle (30 for Adelaide Strikers, 2020–21) share the record.

Who has taken the most BBL hat-tricks?

Andrew Tye, with two — the only bowler with more than one BBL hat-trick. Ten hat-tricks have been taken in BBL history in total.