The top five swing bowlers in world cricket include Tim Southee, and James Anderson, known for their exceptional ability to move the ball.

5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Test Wickets in 2014: 19

Bowling Average in 2014: 26.63

At number five is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. An ICC bowling ranking of 34th does not tell the whole story of the Indian bowler.

Despite bowling at a gentle medium pace, Kumar is extremely skilful and capable of generating a prodigious swing both ways in almost any conditions.

Kumar was consistently India’s best bowler on their summer tour of England. In the first Test, he took 5-82 and followed it up with career-best figures of 6-82 at Lord’s—dismissing the left-handed Alastair Cook and right-handed Sam Robson with beautiful away swingers.

The Indian’s ability to swing the ball both ways with little discernible change in action is what makes him so talented. His mastery is such that he has not needed extreme pace, prolific seam movement or variations to take wickets in his career thus far.

At 24 years old and only having played 11 Test matches, we are sure to see more of his talent in the future.

4. Tim Southee

Test Wickets in 2014: 22

Bowling Average in 2014: 22.45

Beating Kumar to fourth spot with more wickets and a lower average is Tim Southee.

The New Zealander has been excellent bowling alongside Trent Boult this year as the national side has enjoyed a period of success. The 25-year-old has been a consistent performer and is currently ranked as the seventh-best bowler in the world by the ICC.

Although not especially quick, Southee is an intelligent bowler. His control and fitness allow him to bowl long spells on a tight off-stump line and build pressure for his team.

He has a classical action, naturally swinging the ball away from the right-hander. However, in his best bowling performance of the year, he showed he can swing the ball both ways as he picked up 4-19 against the West Indies.

3. Stuart Broad

Test Wickets in 2014: 30

Bowling Average in 2014: 26.70

In third place is England’s sixth-highest all-time wicket-taker, Stuart Broad.

Broad has been a key component of the England team since 2008, and he has many attributes that have made him successful bowler for England over the years.

His height gives him the ability to generate good bounce on hard pitches. His pace means he can bowl aggressively when required. However, it is his ability to swing the ball, particularly in English conditions, that has brought him the majority of his wickets.

When he develops a rhythm and pitches the ball up in favourable conditions, he is capable of bowling match-winning spells.

One such spell was his 6-25 against India at Old Trafford this summer, in which he blew away the Indian batting order with aggressive swing bowling.

2. James Anderson

Test Wickets in 2014: 40

Bowling Average in 2014: 22.15

Beating Broad to a place in the top two is his bowling partner, James Anderson.

Anderson is approaching Ian Botham’s England Test wicket record, and it is not hard to see why. The Lancashire bowler has the purest bowling action of all the bowlers in this list—a smooth run in and a perfect wrist position that allows him exceptional control, decent pace and long spells.

He has every trick in the swing-bowler’s manual: the hooping out-swinger, the darting in-swinger and the canny use of reverse swing as the ball deteriorates.

England rely upon Anderson for crucial wickets, and he rarely fails to deliver. Their rise to top of the world rankings owed a lot to his wicket-taking ability, and he was still performing as they fell away.

He will go down in history as one of England’s finest bowlers and one of the best swing bowlers of all time.

1. Dale Steyn

Test Wickets in 2014: 33

Bowling Average in 2014: 19.03

In first position is not just the best swing bowler in the world, it is the best bowler in the world: Dale Steyn.

The South African has continued on from a remarkable 2013 to keep his place at the top of the tree. Having bowled 120 less overs than the likes of Anderson and Broad in 2014, he has still managed 33 wickets at a fantastic average.

The 31-year-old is a batsman’s nightmare. He combines hostility, ferocious pace and swing to create the hardest possible formula for the opposition to deal with.

He can take every kind of wicket: vicious bouncers and yorkers can be followed by phenomenal out- and in-swingers. He is also an expert at utilising reverse swing—adding another string to his bow with the old ball.

Lots of bowlers can swing the ball, but it is Steyn’s pace, competitive edge and skill that set him apart from the competition.