Some Issues in the Calculation of Batting Averages: Ranking (and Re-Ranking) the Top 50 Batsmen in Test Cricket, 1877-2006

Borooah, Vani K. and Mangan, John (2007). Some Issues in the Calculation of Batting Averages: Ranking (and Re-Ranking) the Top 50 Batsmen in Test Cricket, 1877-2006. Discussion Paper No. 351, School of Economics, The University of Queensland.

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Author Borooah, Vani K.
Mangan, John
Title Some Issues in the Calculation of Batting Averages: Ranking (and Re-Ranking) the Top 50 Batsmen in Test Cricket, 1877-2006
School, Department or Centre School of Economics
Institution The University of Queensland
Series Discussion Paper
Report Number No. 351
Publication date 2007-10-22
Language eng
Subject 230204 Applied Statistics
Abstract/Summary Batsmen in cricket are invariably ranked according to their batting average. Such a ranking suffers from two defects. First, it does not take into account the consistency of scores across innings: a batsman might have a high career average but with low scores interspersed with high scores; another might have a lower average but with much less variation in his scores. Second, it pays no attention to the 'value' of the player’s runs to the team: arguably, a century, when the total score is 600, has less value compared to a half-century in an innings total of, say, 200. The purpose of this paper is to suggest new ways of computing batting averages which, by addressing these deficiencies, complement the existing method and present a more complete picture of batsmen's performance. Based on these 'new' averages, the paper offers a 'new' ranking of the top 50 batsmen in the history of Test Cricket.
Keyword cricket
batting average
re-evaluation
consistency adjustment
inequality measures
batsmen
top 50
re-ranking
test cricket

Document type: Working Paper
Collection: Discussion Papers (School of Economics)
 
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Created: Mon, 22 Oct 2007, 13:24:47 EST by Belinda Weaver