In cricket, a players bowling average is a measure of their performance as a bowler. It is the number of runs they have conceded per wicket taken, and the lower the bowling average, the better the bowler is performing. A cricketers bowling average is calculated by dividing the number of runs they have conceded by the number of wickets they have taken. The number of runs conceded by a bowler is determined as the total number of runs that the opposing side has scored while the bowler was bowling, excluding any byes, leg byes, or penalty runs. The bowler receives credit for any wickets taken during their bowling that are either bowled, caught, hit wicket, leg before wicket, or stumped.
To calculate the bowling average in cricket, you need to take the total number of runs the bowler conceded and the total number of wickets the bowler took. Then, divide these numbers to get the bowling average. The formula for calculating the bowling average is:
Bowling Average = Runs Conceded รท Wickets Taken
The bowling average of a cricket bowler is usually between 20 and 50, and a bowling average under 20 is considered extraordinary. It is important to note that different eras in which cricket has been played can affect a players bowling average, and qualification criteria are generally set when establishing records for bowling averages. For Test cricket, the Wisden Cricketers Almanack sets this as 75 wickets, while ESPNcricinfo requires 2,000 deliveries. Similar restrictions are set for one-day cricket.
