Sydney Barnes is ranked at the top in the ICC Best-Ever Test Championship Rating for bowlers and was regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in history. He was a right-arm bowler who had the ability to make the ball both swing and break from off or leg. He spent a little more than two seasons in first-class cricket as he opted to play league cricket for his native club Staffordshire. He picked up 1,432 wickets for Staffordshire and played until he was 61. Barnes played for England in 27 Tests from 1901 to 1914, picking up 189 wickets at an average of 16.43. When he was playing his final Test series against South Africa in 1913-14, he took 49 wickets which was a world record.