SYDNEY, Nov 18: There can be no greater testament to Shane Warne's influence in Australia's golden age of cricket than the fact that he has played in a winning Test team in 86 of 139 matches for his country.

Ten times the leg-spinner has snared 10 wickets in a Test match along with 36 five-wicket hauls and he needs just 15 more wickets for an unprecedented 700 Test victims.

English batsmen are particularly attractive to Warne with 172 of his record 685 Test wickets coming in 31 Tests at an average 22.31.

Yet despite his phenomenal performance of capturing 40 wickets in the 2005 series, England carried off the Ashes, ending a 16-year era of Australian dominance.

Once again the 37-year-old wrist-spin conjurer could be England's nemesis as they try to hang on to the Ashes after just 15-months' bragging rights.

Ominous news for Andrew Flintoff's tourists is that Warne believes he's playing his best cricket. “My cricket has improved. The last two or three years have been better than any time in my last 15 or 16 seasons,” he said.

“I haven't been injured. Between 1998 and 2001, I had two shoulder operations, a shoulder dislocation, a knee operation and two finger operations, so I struggled a bit.

“The last five years I haven't been injured. Combine that with the way cricket is now played, and as well as I'm bowling, it's the best period I've had so far.”

Warne is anticipating reaching new ground during the Ashes series as he eyes 700 Test wickets. “I only need 15, so I'd like to think at some stage during the series I'd get that,” he said.

“I've always been confident against England, probably because of the way they play. The amount of one-day and 20-20 cricket, it's playing into my hands because they're a lot more aggressive.”—AFP