Top 5 England batsmen with most Test sixes

England, the birthplace of cricket, has a rich heritage when it comes to the Gentleman's Game, having been associated with the sport since the very first officially recognized Test match against Australia, back in 1877.

They have played more Test matches than any other team in history and is, in fact, just 5 matches short of the landmark of 1000 Test matches.

They have contributed many world-class players to the sport and continue to do so, as one of the leading member nations of the ICC.

The likes of Walter Hammond, Jack Hobbs, Fred Trueman, and Ian Botham have given way to modern greats like James Anderson, Alastair Cook and Joe Root, and with a very strong domestic structure in place, there is no doubt that England will continue to produce players of the highest quality.

While the England limited-overs sides have transformed their game into a more aggressive approach since the 2015 World Cup debacle, the Test side has remained more or less true to their traditional self, with players taking the aerial route a rare sight, when compared to the other international sides.

Still, there have been some maverick players who were an exception to the rule and were not shy about going for the big hits, even in the longest format of the game.

Let's have a look at the Top 5 English batsmen with most Test sixes beginning with the only active player in the list and one who has the capability to reach all the way up to the top if he manages to get his career back on track.

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#5 Ben Stokes

Stokes holds the England record for most sixes (11) in a Test innings - scored against South Africa in 2016

The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder seemingly had the world at his feet before it all came crashing down one day after a late night altercation at a Bristol nightclub.

He has not played international cricket since and is still awaiting the fate of the course of law as he hopes to get his promising career back on track.

Arguably, England's most valuable player at the moment, Stokes proved to be an integral member of the side under Joe Root's captaincy, with his effectiveness with both bat and bowl.

One major facet of his batting was his aggressive nature, which took the game away from the opposition in no time and with 6 Test centuries in 39 matches, Stokes has proved that he has the class and composure to build an innings to go along with his big-hitting skills.

He has 39 sixes in his Test career already, 11 of which came during his blistering knock of 258 against South Africa at Cape Town in January 2016 - an English record.

Stokes has all the time in the world to top this particular list by the time he calls time on his career but it all depends on what course the law takes and how well he is able to handle himself in the future.

#4 Marcus Trescothick

Trescothick is widely regarded as one of the cleanest hitters of the cricket ball

The 42-year-old former England opener is still going strong in County Cricket, with his boyhood club Somerset, but his international career was brought to an early end as he was unable to cope with the constant stress of travel and time away from family.

However, with a career spanning 76 Test matches, Trescothick was a terrific opening batsman for his side as his 14 Test centuries prove.

He also had the ability to clear the boundary ropes and earned a reputation as one of the cleanest hitters of the ball during his time.

During his seven-year Test career, Trescothick smashed 42 sixes and despite retiring from the international scene more than a decade ago, still holds a spot in the Top 5 list fending off competition from the T20 era players.

#3 Sir Ian Botham

Botham loved taking the attack to the opposition even in the longest format of the game

The legendary Sir Ian Botham was a player way ahead of his times and often carried England team single-handedly on his shoulders as a skipper and the side's most valuable player.

In a Test career spanning more than 15 years and over a 100 matches, Botham shone more with the ball than bat but with 14 centuries to his name, it would be foolish on the part of the opposition to take the burly Englishman lightly.

He was a big-hitter as well, as his record of 67 Test sixes prove and for someone who used to bat in the lower middle-order, it was a very effective way of scoring runs, especially when he was running out of partners at the other end.

He succeeded in his aggressive approach of batting and it always proved to be a difficult task for the opposition skipper to set a field for Botham, as he focussed on clearing the ropes rather than finding the gaps on the field.

#2 Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen's big-hitting skills oozed both power and elegance

Many would have expected the maverick South African-born Kevin Pietersen to top this particular list and to be frank, there is very little to choose when it comes to the Top 2.

With 81 sixes from his 104-Test career, which was brought to an abrupt end following the 2013-14 Ashes series Down Under, Pietersen is just one maximum short of the English record.

Despite all the controversies that plagued his career off the field, Pietersen was a joy to watch with the bat in his hand. Effortless and classy at the same time, Pietersen took a liking to the opposition batsmen more often than not and was one of the best batsmen of his time.

Pietersen had the ability to clear the ropes with ease and yet was very consistent with the bat as his average of 47.28 from 104 matches suggest.

He scored seven sixes in an innings during his knock of 158 against Australia at the Oval in the famous Ashes series of 2005 and ripped the Sri Lankan bowling attack to shreds in their own backyard with his knock of 151 at Colombo in 2012.

The manner in which his international career came to an end was pretty unfortunate from the spectator's point of view as there is no doubt that he could have easily achieved the landmark of 100 Test sixes had he carried on playing for England.

#1 Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff features in the overall Top 10 list for most sixes in Test history

Topping the charts as the leading English batsmen with most Test sixes to his name is all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who smashed 82 hits over the ropes in his 79-match Test career.

He also makes it to the overall Top 10 list, which is topped by New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

For much of his career, Flintoff fought a lone battle for his side. However, injuries were a major hindrance throughout his career and eventually it cut short his career as well, but not before he established a name for himself as one of England's most loved players.

As the Player of the Series in the 2005 Ashes win over bitter-rivals Australia, Flintoff was always going to be revered as a great by the English faithful, but there was much more to his international career than that summer.

Flintoff may have lacked the consistency to be considered a great Test batsman but he had the ability to take on any opposition on his day, as the West Indies attack found out during his knock of 167 at Birmingham in 2004 - an innings which featured as many as 7 sixes.