Match Factors

[Thala_0710]

So match factor is defined as:
(The total bowling average (by other pacers/spinners) in your matches) /(Your bowling average).
This is generally seen as a better alternative to the general bowling average as, by design, it takes into account the pitches you bowl on. However, it has some disadvantages too as bowlers who bowl with good bowling support and especially a poor batting line up suffer on this metric, and conversely bowlers bowling with other poor bowlers and especially with strong batting lineups do really well.
For example, Chaminda Vaas, for the majority of his career, played with poor pacers but a strong batting line up, which ends up overrating him on this metric, while Akram bowled with Imran, Waqar etc but didn't have great batting line ups and hence gets underrated here.
Overall, still a very good metric (arguably better than just bowling average).
Here are the match factors for all bowlers with at least a 100 test wickets.

Bowling Match Factors

docs.google.com

Discuss.

 

[Thala_0710]

The overall top 50

 

[Coronis]

So match factor is defined as:
(The total bowling average (by other pacers/spinners) in your matches) /(Your bowling average).
This is generally seen as a better alternative to the general bowling average as, by design, it takes into account the pitches you bowl on. However, it has some disadvantages too as bowlers who bowl with good bowling support and especially a poor batting line up suffer on this metric, and conversely bowlers bowling with other poor bowlers and especially with strong batting lineups do really well.
For example, Chaminda Vaas, for the majority of his career, played with poor pacers but a strong batting line up, which ends up overrating him on this metric, while Akram bowled with Imran, Waqar etc but didn't have great batting line ups and hence gets underrated here.
Overall, still a very good metric (arguably better than just bowling average).
Here are the match factors for all bowlers with at least a 100 test wickets.

Bowling Match Factors

docs.google.com

Discuss.

Swear we had a derivation of this from a year ago. Though that only went to 300 wickets. Doesn’t seem to have the same results either.

 

[Coronis]

Yeah looks like you’ve forgotten to subtract [players] bowling average from the average of other players.

For example the bowling average of other spinners in Murali’s matches was actually 39.75

 

[Thala_0710]

Yeah looks like you’ve forgotten to subtract [players] bowling average from the average of other players.

How much would that matter though.. The results would be similar anyway

 

[Coronis]

How much would that matter though.. The results would be similar anyway

iirc it puts Warne right near the top, for one. Will generally have a much bigger effect on spinners.

 

[vidiq]

View attachment 46786
The overall top 50

Bumrah didn't played before 2018 (a different era basically) , so match Total bowling average is very low.

 

[ankitj]

How much would that matter though.. The results would be similar anyway

It will matter a lot because the bowler in question bowls a sizeable % of overs in a match. It wouldn't matter much if you were looking at aggregate over all teams over a decade or so.

 

[Thala_0710]

Bowling Match Factors

docs.google.com

Updated match factors calculation @Coronis

 

[Thala_0710]

Irfan Pathan top 30 Pacers due to statpadding against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe is madness

 

[ataraxia]

That's an impressive showing from MacGill.

 

[Coronis]

Andrew Flintoff = the most average bowler?

 

[vidiq]

Bowling Match Factors

docs.google.com

Updated match factors calculation @Coronis

@Johan
Walsh played in more bolwing friendly condition than Hazlewood.

 

[Thala_0710]

@Johan
Walsh played in more bolwing friendly condition than Hazlewood.

Probably true on avg although the gap isn't as big as here as Hazlewood has played with better batting lineups too.

 

[Thala_0710]

Irfan the most overrated and Walsh the most underrated player on this list certainly

 

[Thala_0710]

Jadeja
Ashwin
Kumble
Gupte
Coming right after one another (only Wardle in between them) is also really fascinating. Also Doshi beating all of them.

 

[Thala_0710]

The corrected overall top 50.

 

[trundler]

Goes to show how underrated Gibbs is. Bloke bowled on pitches that nearly killed cricket and made Lloyd give up on spin bowling altogether after Gibb's retirement. He was elite.

 

[Thala_0710]

Batting Match Factors

docs.google.com

This one is affected by the strength of your teammates a lot. Sachin who played with good batsmen and crap bowling for most of his career, gets hard done by here, while guys like Smith, Lara and even Pant or Kohli who have had elite bowling line ups and weaker batting teammates have great match factors.

 

[Thala_0710]

The overall top 50 here. The match factors definitely work better for the bowlers.