Different measurements of bowlers

[Matt79]

From a post made in the Lillee vs Garner thread, I was talking about how wickets per match (wpm) or strike rate can be a valuable alternative/addition to straight bowling average when seeking to quantify a bowler's quality and importance.

Strike rate is easy enough to retrieve from Statsguru, but unless I missed it (and therefore just wasted forty-five minutes playing around with a spreadsheet), wickets per match isn't. So for your viewing pleasure, please see below, the top 100 most prolific wicket takers, sorted by their number of wickets per match.

Player	        Mat	Wkts	WPM	Ave	SR
SF Barnes	27	189	7.00	16.43	41.6
M Muralitharan	132	792	6.00	22.71	55.1
CV Grimmett	37	216	5.84	24.21	67.1
WJ O'Reilly	27	144	5.33	22.59	69.6
DW Steyn	38	196	5.16	23.51	39.6
DK Lillee	70	355	5.07	23.92	52
Sir RJ Hadlee	86	431	5.01	22.29	50.8
SK Warne	145	708	4.88	25.41	57.4
SCG MacGill	44	208	4.73	29.02	54
A Kumble	132	619	4.69	29.65	65.9
MD Marshall	81	376	4.64	20.94	46.7
AV Bedser	51	236	4.63	24.89	67.4
HJ Tayfield	37	170	4.59	25.91	79.8
AA Donald	72	330	4.58	22.25	47
FS Trueman	67	307	4.58	21.57	49.4
MG Johnson	34	155	4.56	28.03	52.1
GD McGrath	124	563	4.54	21.64	51.9
J Garner	58	259	4.47	20.97	50.8
H Trumble	32	141	4.41	21.78	57.4
Danish Kaneria	58	254	4.38	34.27	67.5
AME Roberts	47	202	4.30	25.61	55.1
Waqar Younis	87	373	4.29	23.56	43.4
Harbhajan Singh	83	355	4.28	30.94	65.9
Saqlain Mushtaq	49	208	4.24	29.83	67.6
AK Davidson	44	186	4.23	20.53	62.2
JC Laker	46	193	4.20	21.24	62.3
BS Chandra'	58	242	4.17	29.74	65.9
MA Holding	60	249	4.15	23.68	50.9
TM Alderman	41	170	4.15	27.15	59.8
SP Gupte	36	149	4.14	29.55	75.7
CEL Ambrose	98	405	4.13	20.99	54.5
JA Snow	        49	202	4.12	26.66	59.5
Imran Khan	88	362	4.11	22.81	53.7
GD McKenzie	60	246	4.10	29.78	71.8
CJ McDermott	71	291	4.10	28.63	56.9
Fazal Mahmood	34	139	4.09	24.7	70.7
B Lee	        76	310	4.08	30.81	53.3
MHN Walker	34	138	4.06	27.47	73.1
WW Hall	        48	192	4.00	26.38	54.2
MG Hughes	53	212	4.00	28.38	57.9
WA Johnston	40	160	4.00	23.91	69
Wasim Akram	104	414	3.98	23.62	54.6
MW Tate	        39	155	3.97	26.16	80.7
BS Bedi	        67	266	3.97	28.71	80.3
D Gough	        58	229	3.95	28.39	51.6
R Benaud	63	248	3.94	27.03	77
CA Walsh	132	519	3.93	24.44	57.8
JR Thomson	51	200	3.92	28	52.6
GF Lawson	46	180	3.91	30.56	61.7
LR Gibbs	79	309	3.91	29.09	87.7
SM Pollock	108	421	3.90	23.11	57.8
Shoaib Akhtar	46	178	3.87	25.69	45.7
M Ntini	        101	390	3.86	28.82	53.4
AL Valentine	36	139	3.86	30.32	93.1
EAS Prasanna	49	189	3.86	30.38	75.9
ARC Fraser	46	177	3.85	27.32	61.4
AR Caddick	62	234	3.77	29.91	57.9
IT Botham	102	383	3.75	28.4	56.9
IR Bishop	43	161	3.74	24.27	52.2
RR Lindwall	61	228	3.74	23.03	59.8
MJ Hoggard	67	248	3.70	30.5	56
MH Mankad	44	162	3.68	32.32	90.6
S Ramadhin	43	158	3.67	28.98	88.2
JN Gillespie	71	259	3.65	26.13	54.9
RGD Willis	90	325	3.61	25.2	53.4
JB Statham	70	252	3.60	24.84	63.7
H Verity	40	144	3.60	24.37	77.5
SJ Harmison	63	226	3.59	31.82	59.1
Mushtaq Ahmed	52	185	3.56	32.97	67.7
GAR Lock	49	174	3.55	25.58	75.5
J Srinath	67	236	3.52	30.49	64
Abdul Qadir	67	236	3.52	32.8	72.5
CL Cairns	62	218	3.52	29.4	53.6
AA Mallett	38	132	3.47	29.84	75.6
DL Underwood	86	297	3.45	25.83	73.6
Iqbal Qasim	50	171	3.42	28.11	76.1
JM Anderson	46	156	3.39	34.81	60.4
GR Dilley	41	138	3.37	29.76	59.3
Z Khan	        72	242	3.36	32.98	59.5
DK Morrison	48	160	3.33	34.68	62.9
HH Streak	65	216	3.32	28.14	62.7
N Kapil Dev	131	434	3.31	29.64	63.9
DL Vettori	100	325	3.25	33.86	76.9
CS Martin	56	181	3.23	35.03	61.1
Sarfraz Nawaz	55	177	3.22	32.75	78.8
WPUJC Vaas	111	355	3.20	29.58	66
PAJ DeFreitas	44	140	3.18	33.57	70.2
CM Old	        46	143	3.11	28.11	61.9
KR Miller	55	170	3.09	22.97	61.5
PR Adams	45	134	2.98	32.87	66
FJ Titmus	53	153	2.89	32.22	98.8
A Flintoff	79	226	2.86	32.78	66.1
S Venkat'	57	156	2.74	36.11	95.3
AF Giles	54	143	2.65	40.6	85.1
GS Sobers	93	235	2.53	34.03	91.9
AW Greig	58	141	2.43	32.2	69.5
JE Emburey	64	147	2.30	38.4	104.7
TE Bailey	61	132	2.16	29.21	73.5
JH Kallis	137	261	1.91	31.55	67.2
RJ Shastri	80	151	1.89	40.96	104.3

Here's the same table, sorted by strike rate:

Player	       Mat	Wkts	WPM	Ave	SR
DW Steyn	38	196	5.16	23.51	39.6
SF Barnes	27	189	7.00	16.43	41.6
Waqar Younis	87	373	4.29	23.56	43.4
Shoaib Akhtar	46	178	3.87	25.69	45.7
MD Marshall	81	376	4.64	20.94	46.7
AA Donald	72	330	4.58	22.25	47
FS Trueman	67	307	4.58	21.57	49.4
Sir RJ Hadlee	86	431	5.01	22.29	50.8
J Garner	58	259	4.47	20.97	50.8
MA Holding	60	249	4.15	23.68	50.9
D Gough	        58	229	3.95	28.39	51.6
GD McGrath	124	563	4.54	21.64	51.9
DK Lillee	70	355	5.07	23.92	52
MG Johnson	34	155	4.56	28.03	52.1
IR Bishop	43	161	3.74	24.27	52.2
JR Thomson	51	200	3.92	28	52.6
B Lee	        76	310	4.08	30.81	53.3
M Ntini	        101	390	3.86	28.82	53.4
RGD Willis	90	325	3.61	25.2	53.4
CL Cairns	62	218	3.52	29.4	53.6
Imran Khan	88	362	4.11	22.81	53.7
SCG MacGill	44	208	4.73	29.02	54
WW Hall	        48	192	4.00	26.38	54.2
CEL Ambrose	98	405	4.13	20.99	54.5
Wasim Akram	104	414	3.98	23.62	54.6
JN Gillespie	71	259	3.65	26.13	54.9
M Muralitharan	132	792	6.00	22.71	55.1
AME Roberts	47	202	4.30	25.61	55.1
MJ Hoggard	67	248	3.70	30.5	56
CJ McDermott	71	291	4.10	28.63	56.9
IT Botham	102	383	3.75	28.4	56.9
SK Warne	145	708	4.88	25.41	57.4
H Trumble	32	141	4.41	21.78	57.4
CA Walsh	132	519	3.93	24.44	57.8
SM Pollock	108	421	3.90	23.11	57.8
MG Hughes	53	212	4.00	28.38	57.9
AR Caddick	62	234	3.77	29.91	57.9
SJ Harmison	63	226	3.59	31.82	59.1
GR Dilley	41	138	3.37	29.76	59.3
JA Snow	        49	202	4.12	26.66	59.5
Z Khan	        72	242	3.36	32.98	59.5
TM Alderman	41	170	4.15	27.15	59.8
RR Lindwall	61	228	3.74	23.03	59.8
JM Anderson	46	156	3.39	34.81	60.4
CS Martin	56	181	3.23	35.03	61.1
ARC Fraser	46	177	3.85	27.32	61.4
KR Miller	55	170	3.09	22.97	61.5
GF Lawson	46	180	3.91	30.56	61.7
CM Old	        46	143	3.11	28.11	61.9
AK Davidson	44	186	4.23	20.53	62.2
JC Laker	46	193	4.20	21.24	62.3
HH Streak	65	216	3.32	28.14	62.7
DK Morrison	48	160	3.33	34.68	62.9
JB Statham	70	252	3.60	24.84	63.7
N Kapil Dev	131	434	3.31	29.64	63.9
J Srinath	67	236	3.52	30.49	64
A Kumble	132	619	4.69	29.65	65.9
Harbhajan Singh	83	355	4.28	30.94	65.9
BS Chandra	58	242	4.17	29.74	65.9
WPUJC Vaas	111	355	3.20	29.58	66
PR Adams	45	134	2.98	32.87	66
A Flintoff	79	226	2.86	32.78	66.1
CV Grimmett	37	216	5.84	24.21	67.1
JH Kallis	137	261	1.91	31.55	67.2
AV Bedser	51	236	4.63	24.89	67.4
Danish Kaneria	58	254	4.38	34.27	67.5
Saqlain Mushtaq	49	208	4.24	29.83	67.6
Mushtaq Ahmed	52	185	3.56	32.97	67.7
WA Johnston	40	160	4.00	23.91	69
AW Greig	58	141	2.43	32.2	69.5
WJ O'Reilly	27	144	5.33	22.59	69.6
PAJ DeFreitas	44	140	3.18	33.57	70.2
Fazal Mahmood	34	139	4.09	24.7	70.7
GD McKenzie	60	246	4.10	29.78	71.8
Abdul Qadir	67	236	3.52	32.8	72.5
MHN Walker	34	138	4.06	27.47	73.1
TE Bailey	61	132	2.16	29.21	73.5
DL Underwood	86	297	3.45	25.83	73.6
GAR Lock	49	174	3.55	25.58	75.5
AA Mallett	38	132	3.47	29.84	75.6
SP Gupte	36	149	4.14	29.55	75.7
EAS Prasanna	49	189	3.86	30.38	75.9
Iqbal Qasim	50	171	3.42	28.11	76.1
DL Vettori	100	325	3.25	33.86	76.9
R Benaud	63	248	3.94	27.03	77
H Verity	40	144	3.60	24.37	77.5
Sarfraz Nawaz	55	177	3.22	32.75	78.8
HJ Tayfield	37	170	4.59	25.91	79.8
BS Bedi	        67	266	3.97	28.71	80.3
MW Tate	        39	155	3.97	26.16	80.7
AF Giles	54	143	2.65	40.6	85.1
LR Gibbs	79	309	3.91	29.09	87.7
S Ramadhin	43	158	3.67	28.98	88.2
MH Mankad	44	162	3.68	32.32	90.6
GS Sobers	93	235	2.53	34.03	91.9
AL Valentine	36	139	3.86	30.32	93.1
S Venkat	57	156	2.74	36.11	95.3
FJ Titmus	53	153	2.89	32.22	98.8
RJ Shastri	80	151	1.89	40.96	104.3
JE Emburey	64	147	2.30	38.4	104.7

To my mind, I like the WPM and strike rate measurements more than the average even because ultimately, bowlers are in the team to take wickets, and if you take wickets quickly enough, the runs will be kept down anyway.

Thoughts?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Puts MacGill in a good light, especially for a bloke who wasn't Test class...

 

[Matt79]

Highlights what a freak Barnes was. You can talk about pitch conditions etc, when weighing up averages or even strike rates, but the fact is that in the history of test cricket there have been only seven bowlers who've averaged more than 5 wickets a match, only one bowler in living memory, Murali, to average 6, and he averaged 7! Playing in the world's strongest team at the time.

 

[Sir Alex]

Steyn WAFG. If he continues like this through his peak, he'll have a great case to be considered one of the greatest ever.

 

[Matt79]

Yeah, was thinking that. He's already getting to the stage where he's played enough tests over a six year period for the "well he's just starting, let's see him keep it up" argument to be losing much force. His strike rate is phenomenal - again, on this list of the 100 greatest wicket takers, there are seven guys who strike at under fifty, and only one who strikes at under forty.

 

[Himannv]

Wickets per innings will be fairly accurate I reckon. Looking at some of Barnes' stats, there may not have been a second innings in the match and it may well have been a greater difference in his favour.

 

[marc71178]

Thoughts?

Kallis is a batsman that bowls.

 

[Matt79]

^^ Actually, in his 27 matches, he bowled in two innings in 24 of them. 2 of them, he only bowled in one innings, and in one, he didn't get to bowl at all - England batted, and then only a couple of overs of the Aussies first innings were played before rain - so that match counts, but really, he had no chance to bowl in it!

 

[Matt79]

Kallis is a batsman that bowls.

Yeah, the sole qualification I used for inclusion in the table was that you were in the top 100 wicket takers of all time...

 

[Oscillatingmind]

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

Steyn definitely building something, a class above pretty much everybody else, Asif the only real challenger.

 

[stephen]

I have to say that Steyn is vastly underrated on this forum. Average under 24, Strike rate under 40, 196 wickets at 5.16 WPM is simply unbelievable. Especially in this era of dire flat wickets and shortened boundaries.

 

[Matt79]

slightly random selection there - away matches since 2006, exc. NZ, WIs and the minnows?

 

[Matt79]

I have to say that Steyn is vastly underrated on this forum. Average under 24, Strike rate under 40, 196 wickets at 5.16 WPM is simply unbelievable. Especially in this era of dire flat wickets and shortened boundaries.

I think most would rank him as clearly the best bowler in the world (cough Dougeh, cough), but I know I'm always pretty reluctant to start comparing a guy with the majority of his career hopefully still ahead of him with guys who have finished their career.

 

[marc71178]

Yeah, the sole qualification I used for inclusion in the table was that you were in the top 100 wicket takers of all time...

Well under 2 wpm is to me not an allrounder's load (especially when you see factor in how many overs he bowled)

 

[Matt79]

I think we are agreeing with each other (or at least, let me say, I agree with you). His inclusion in the table reflected nothing more than he was in the top 100 wicket takers of all time.

Although honestly, his strike rate isn't that bad. 67 is comparable to many other middle of the road quicks - in fact, its basically the same as Flintoff, Vaas and Bedser. Nothing to be excited about, but when it comes with his batting, you aren't going to complain. I think his WPM is so low because of the many matches he's played in, in which he's done little to no bowling.

 

[Sir Alex]

I have to say that Steyn is vastly underrated on this forum. Average under 24, Strike rate under 40, 196 wickets at 5.16 WPM is simply unbelievable. Especially in this era of dire flat wickets and shortened boundaries.

More because there aren't many of not any, in the current age who can match upto him, and that his career still is fairly young to merit comparison to past greats, explaining absence of these 'vs' threads.

 

[Teja.]

Great stuff!

Imran was a serious bowler only till his 73rd test or so which was in the end of 1988. After that he was just a batsman who sometimes had a run with the ball. If Imran's first 73 tests alone are considered, he took 334 wickets at 21.9 and a SR of 51. Though the wicket-taking rate isn't Lillee-esque it is still pretty awesome at 4.6 wpm.

 

[marc71178]

And if you do that it then helps expose the myth about his "awesome" spell as an all-rounder.

 

[Teja.]

Interesting to see where Lillee and Waqar stand after 38 matches like Steyn.

Player Mat Wkts WPM Ave SR

Lillee 38 206 5.42 23.1 50.6

Waqar 38 200 5.26 20.6 38.6

 

[Thirdman1]

Interesting to see where Lillee and Waqar stand after 38 matches like Steyn.

Player Mat Wkts WPM Ave SR


Waqar 38 200 5.26 20.6 38.6

Did Waqar play a single match against OZ, SA , Ind in that spell?And how did he perform? Steyn has played huge number of test in India and Pak
and against OZ.