Ever wondered about the average of Test bowling averages?
If we take all Tests up to Oct 25, 2019 and disregarding the Test involving the ICC XI in 2005, and a cutoff of 2000 balls bowled:
There are 613 bowlers fitting this criteria. A full statement:
The bowling averages range from GA Lohmann’s 10.75 to EAR de Silva’s 129.00, which is the only 3-figure bowling average.
The average or mean bowling average is 34.45, which corresponds to that of JE Taylor and KD Mackay.
Looking at other measures of central tendency:
First quartile: 28.24 (SP Jones, RJ Sidebottom, HC Griffith)
Median: 32.92 (BL Cairns, L Amarnath)
Third quartile: 38.59 (AMB Rowan).
We also have the Economy Rate, which ranges from 1.31 runs/over for W Attewell to 4.16 for Shahadat Hossain.
The average is 2.75 (DK Lillee, RM Hogg)
And the Strike Rate, which ranges from 34.10 balls/wicket by GA Lohmann to 291.00 by EAR de Silva. Remember that they have the best and worst bowling averages as well.
We may as well have a closer look at them:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/16337.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/48456.html
The average is 76.10 by Iqbal Qasim.
Next we will take up the difference between home and away bowling averages, as was done for batting averages in a recent post.
abn397 