Review of Australia-West Indies Tests-Part 1

Australia won the two-Test series 2-0. This was the first series between these teams since 2015-16 in Australia. The West Indies has not hosted Australia since 2015.

Here is a summary of all Tests between these teams:

Total: 118 Tests, 60 won by Aus, 32 won by WI, 1 tie, 25 draws

In Aus: 68 Tests, 39 won by Aus, 18 won by WI,1 tie, 10 draws

In WI: 50 Tests, 21 won by Aus, 14 won by WI, 15 draws.

Going to individual scores, starting with

Batting:

Most runs, minimum 1000:

Led by Lara by a large margin.Next is Viv Richards. The most by an Aus player is by Steve Waugh. Lara and Richards also have the most centuries (9 each). Lara also has the most 50+ scores (20) followed by Haynes and Border with 19.

No current player here, partly because these teams have not met much in the recent past.

Highest individual scores, minimum 175:

Led by Lara, with what was his first Test century.Second is 269* by the already forgotten AC Voges less than a decade ago. The 242 by KD Walters is significant as he was the first of several to score a double century and century in the same Test. M Labuschagne also achieved this, and his 204 also appears above.

Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings and 40.00):

Headed by the somewhat unexpected pair of Ian Chappell and Larry Gomes. Greg Chappell is just after Gomes. No current player here.

Highest strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced and 50.00):

Data on balls faced is not fully available. But it is reasonable to assume that Viv Richards would have the highest strike rate. Next is the less disputable SR of Steven Smith..

Now for

Bowling:

Most wickets (Minimum 50):

Headed by the long-serving CA Walsh (135), Ambrose (128) and McGrath (110). Again, no one from recent years.

The most fivers are 8 by Ambrose and McGrath. Only McGrath has taken two tenners.

Best innings bowling (including all 7wi and better):

Nothing from recent years. The most recent entry is by WI’s J Lawson in 2003 (not the Australian GF Lawson).

Best match bowling (Including all 10wm and better):

Headed by the colourful MG Hughes. Nothing after 2012, which does include current player Kemar Roach.

Best bowling averages (Minimum 2000 balls bowled, maximum 30.00):

Headed by McGrath and Garner. We also see that the best economy rates were by Gibbs and Walker, and that the best strike rates were by B Lee and J Thomson). N Lyon represents the current players.

To be continued.

Review of England-West Indies Tests-2020-II

Hope that you have seen part 1 ( https://abn397.wordpress.com/2020/07/30/review-of-england-west-indies-tests-2020-i/ )

We now look at Bowling figures.

Most wickets (60 or more):

The top two were contemporaries at a time when WI were declining from their peak. Broad is the only current player.

The most 5-fors were by Ambrose (8) and Gibbs (7), while several (including Broad) had two 10-fors.

Most wickets in an innings (8wi and above):

The only one from recent years was Chase’s 8-60 in 2019.

Most wickets in a Test (11wm and above):

Broad’s 10-67 is the best in recent years.

Best bowling averages (Minimum 2000 balls, maximum 30.00):

While Garner and Ambrose lead the averages, Valentine and Ramadhin have the best economy rates and Marshall and Holding the best strike rates. An equitable distribution of work.

Now for Fielding statistics:

Most dismissals (25 or more):

Buttler is the only current player here.

The most stumpings were by Ames (11), the most catches by a keeper by DL Murray (90) and the most by a non-keeper by Lara (45)  and Sobers (40).

Most dismissals in an innings (5 or more):

Most dismissals in a match (7 or more):

Best dismissal ratio (Minimum 20 innings and 0.750)

Only Root from recent times. The best by a non-keeper is 0.916 by Hammond and 0.863 by Constantine. Also see the figures for the “hybrids” Stewart and Walcott.

All-round performances (see criteria below):

Minimum 20 innings batted, 2000 balls, 3+ fifties, 3+ 4wi:

Sobers is far ahead of the others. Oddly enough Holding is in second place. Botham did not perform well against WI.

Match performances (Minimum one fifty and one 5wi):

Most of the famous names are here, with Stokes, Chase (2) and Broad in recent years.

The double of 100/5wi was reached by Sobers and Greig, while the double of 50/10 wm was reached by Boyce and Broad.