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August 17, 2000
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Test players' performances - an analytical review Part II

Ananth Narayanan

7. Top 20 Bowlers - By Strike Rate
Bowler Mat Overs Wkts StRt
Lohmann G.A 18 636.5 112 34.1
Barnes S.F 27 1312.1 189 41.7
Waqar Younis 67 2161.0 308 42.1**
Briggs J 33 888.4 118 45.2
Blythe C 19 757.4 100 45.5
Donald A.A 62 2260.4 297 45.7**
Marshall M.D 81 2930.4 376 46.8
Croft C.E.H 27 1027.3 125 49.3
Trueman F.S 67 2529.4 307 49.4
Garner J 58 2195.5 259 50.9
Hadlee R.J 86 3653.0 431 50.9
Holding M.A 60 2113.2 249 50.9
Peel R 20 869.2 102 51.1
Turner C.T.B 17 863.1 101 51.3
McGrath G.D 62 2477.1 288 51.6**
Lillee D.K 70 3077.5 355 52.0
Bishop I.R 43 1402.1 161 52.3
Thomson J.R 51 1755.5 200 52.7
Pollock S.M 45 1639.5 186 52.9**
Wasim Akram 98 3603.3 407 53.1**

This is a true indication of the attacking skills of bowlers. Lohmann's strike rate is the best, followed by SF Barnes. It is not surprising that Waqar Younis, despite a recent slump, is in third position. In fact, he was in the second position until last year. His attacking skills are legendary. He never bowls to a defensive line and always tries to take a wicket. Wasim Akram finds a place in the top 20, amongst other expected modern bowlers such as Pollock, Donald and McGrath.

8. Top 20 Bowlers - By Wickets/Test
Bowler Mat Wkts W/T
Barnes S.F 27 189 7.00
Lohmann G.A 18 112 6.22
Turner C.T.B 17 101 5.94
Grimmett C.V 37 216 5.84
O'Reilly W.J 27 144 5.33
Blythe C 19 100 5.26
Muralitharan M 57 291 5.11**
Peel R 20 102 5.10
Lillee D.K 70 355 5.07
Hadlee R.J 86 431 5.01
Donald A.A 62 297 4.79**
McGrath G.D 62 288 4.65**
Marshall M.D 81 376 4.64
Bedser A.V 51 236 4.63
Croft C.E.H 27 125 4.63
Waqar Younis 67 308 4.60**
Tayfield H.J 37 170 4.59
Trueman F.S 67 307 4.58
Kumble A 61 276 4.52**
Garner J 58 259 4.47

The purpose of this analysis, as against the strike rate, is to give due recognition to the spinners who tend to bowl longer spells to take wickets. Sidney Barnes, probably the best seam bowler who ever bowled, leads with 7 wickets per test, followed by Lohmann with 6.22 wickets per test.
Of the moderns, only Lillee and Hadlee finished with over 5 wickets per test.
Of the current pack of bowlers, Muralitharan is the only bowler to take more than 5 wickets per test. This is an outstanding achievement. One should not foget that he has to do the work of a sock bowler also. There is no doubt that Murali and Hadlee have benefited from the lack of wicket taking skills of the other bowlers. But then they have provided wonderful service to their countries. Since it is unlikely that Murali will suddenly fall off, he is expected to maintain this average of 5 wickets per test.

7. Top 20 Bowlers - By Strike Rate
Bowler Mat Overs Wkts StRt
Lohmann G.A 18 636.5 112 34.1
Barnes S.F 27 1312.1 189 41.7
Waqar Younis 67 2161.0 308 42.1**
Briggs J 33 888.4 118 45.2
Blythe C 19 757.4 100 45.5
Donald A.A 62 2260.4 297 45.7**
Marshall M.D 81 2930.4 376 46.8
Croft C.E.H 27 1027.3 125 49.3
Trueman F.S 67 2529.4 307 49.4
Garner J 58 2195.5 259 50.9
Hadlee R.J 86 3653.0 431 50.9
Holding M.A 60 2113.2 249 50.9
Peel R 20 869.2 102 51.1
Turner C.T.B 17 863.1 101 51.3
McGrath G.D 62 2477.1 288 51.6**
Lillee D.K 70 3077.5 355 52.0
Bishop I.R 43 1402.1 161 52.3
Thomson J.R 51 1755.5 200 52.7
Pollock S.M 45 1639.5 186 52.9**
Wasim Akram 98 3603.3 407 53.1**

This is a true indication of the attacking skills of bowlers. Lohmann's strike rate is the best, followed by SF Barnes. It is not surprising that Waqar Younis, despite a recent slump, is in third position. In fact, he was in the second position until last year. His attacking skills are legendary. He never bowls to a defensive line and always tries to take a wicket. Wasim Akram finds a place in the top 20, amongst other expected modern bowlers such as Pollock, Donald and McGrath.

8. Top 20 Bowlers - By RPO (Criteria - 100 wkts/1500 overs)
Bowler Mat Overs Mdn Runs RPO
Goddard T.L 41 1956.0 706 3226 1.65
Nadkarni R.G 41 1527.3 665 2559 1.68
Verity H 40 1862.1 604 3510 1.88
Wardle J.H 28 1099.3 403 2080 1.89
Lohmann G.A 18 636.5 364 1205 1.89
Illingworth R 61 1989.0 715 3807 1.91
Turner C.T.B 17 863.1 457 1670 1.93
Tate M.W 39 2087.1 5.81 4055 1.94
Valentine A.L 36 2158.5 789 4215 1.95
Tayfield H.J 37 2261.2 6.02 4405 1.95
O'Reilly W.J 27 1670.4 585 3254 1.95
Titmus F.J 53 2519.4 777 4931 1.96
Ramadhin S 43 2323.1 813 4579 1.97
Peel R 20 869.2 444 1715 1.97
Davidson A.K 44 1931.1 431 3819 1.98
Gibbs L.R 79 4519.1 1313 8989 1.99
Allen D.A 39 1882.5 685 3779 2.01
Lock G.A.R 49 2191.1 819 4451 2.03
Laker J.C 46 2004.3 674 4101 2.05
Adcock N.A.T 26 1065.1 218 2195 2.06

This is a bowling accuracy table. Goddard leads the list. It is not surprising that the top four bowlers are spinners.

This is the only list in which no currently active bowler figures. Possibly because the batsmen today are more attacking minded and the bowlers also tend to try and take wickets and the captains look for wins. The currently active bowlers with the best RPO figures are

41. Ambrose C.E.L 96 3613.0 982 8384 2.32
42. Pollock S.M       45 1639.5 491 3805 2.32

No surprise about Ambrose. It is remarkable that a very attacking bowler such as Shaun Pollock is also the most accurate bowler bowling today.

There are no major conclusions to be derived from these sets of analysis, other than to remind one of Bradman's way-out position, Lara and Tendulkar's top batting positions in today's Test cricket, Muralitharan's well-known bowling skills, Shaun Pollock's not so well-known bowling skills and finally the enormity of Walsh's achievements.



New ways to evaluate Batsmen

Ananth Narayanan

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