Cricket Statistics Explained: Average, Strike Rate and Economy
Cricket scorecards are packed with numbers. Once you know five core statistics, you can read any scorecard and compare players across formats. Here is how each is calculated.
The five key stats
| Stat | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Runs ÷ times out | 600 runs, 15 outs = 40.00 |
| Batting strike rate | (Runs ÷ balls faced) × 100 | 45 off 30 balls = 150.0 |
| Bowling average | Runs conceded ÷ wickets | 300 runs, 12 wickets = 25.00 |
| Economy rate | Runs conceded ÷ overs bowled | 28 runs in 4 overs = 7.00 |
| Bowling strike rate | Balls bowled ÷ wickets | 240 balls, 10 wickets = 24.0 |
Batting average
Not-out innings add runs but do not count as dismissals, which is why a player can average more than their highest score. Lower is not better here: a higher average means more runs per dismissal.
What is a good batting average?
It depends on the level and format. Comparisons are only meaningful against players in the same competition and format.
Strike rate
Batting strike rate shows scoring speed, runs per 100 balls. It matters most in T20 and other short formats. Bowling strike rate is different: the number of balls a bowler needs per wicket, where lower is better.
Bowling average and economy
Bowling average shows runs conceded per wicket; economy shows runs conceded per over. A bowler can be economical but rarely take wickets, or expensive but take wickets quickly. Read them together.
Partial overs
Overs are written as overs.balls, so 3.4 means 3 overs and 4 balls (22 balls). Convert to balls before calculating economy.
Reading a scorecard
A bowling line such as 4-0-28-2 reads overs, maidens (overs with no runs off the bat), runs, wickets. On batting scorecards, columns usually show R (runs), B (balls), and sometimes M (minutes batted), along with 4s and 6s. Scoring apps automate these calculations for club matches.
Formats change the picture
Averages and strike rates vary sharply between Test, one-day and T20 cricket. See our guide to cricket formats.
Worked example: a T20 innings
Imagine a batter scores 48 from 32 balls and is caught. Their strike rate is 48 ÷ 32 × 100 = 150.0. If this was their tenth innings, with 380 runs in total and 8 dismissals, their average would be 380 ÷ 8 = 47.50; the two not-outs raise the average because they add runs without adding dismissals.
Now a bowler: 4 overs, 0 maidens, 31 runs, 2 wickets (written 4-0-31-2). Economy is 31 ÷ 4 = 7.75. In the season so far, 210 runs conceded for 12 wickets gives an average of 17.50; 168 balls bowled for 12 wickets gives a strike rate of 14.0.
Net run rate
Tournaments often split tied teams using net run rate: a team's runs per over scored minus runs per over conceded across the competition.
Using stats to improve your game
Club players can learn a lot from simple numbers. A batter with a solid average but low strike rate in T20 might work on rotating strike and boundary options. A bowler with a strong average but high economy may be taking wickets with attacking lengths but leaking runs in between. Scoring apps used by many US leagues track these figures automatically, making it easy to review a season.
Other common scorecard terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not out (*) | Batter was not dismissed, e.g. 45* |
| Maiden | An over with no runs conceded off the bat or as wides/no balls |
| Extras | Runs not scored off the bat: byes, leg byes, wides, no balls, penalties |
| Run rate | Runs per over for a batting side |
| Required run rate | Runs per over needed to win in a chase |
| Partnership | Runs scored while two batters are together |
Run rate and chases
Run rate is total runs divided by overs faced, using balls converted correctly (for example, 15.3 overs is 15.5 overs as a decimal). In a chase, the required run rate is runs needed divided by overs remaining. These numbers drive tactics in limited-overs cricket: batting sides plan when to accelerate, and bowling sides aim to keep the required rate rising.
Quick conversion
To convert overs.balls to decimal, divide the balls by six: 3.4 overs = 3 + 4/6 = 3.67 overs.
Comparing players fairly
Raw totals favour players who have played more matches. Averages and strike rates make comparisons fairer, but only across similar conditions. Pitch type, format, ball and level of opposition all affect numbers. Combine statistics with context when judging performance.
Fielding and wicket-keeping stats
Fielders are credited with catches; wicket-keepers with catches and stumpings. Run outs are recorded, with the fielders involved often noted. These numbers help evaluate players whose value is not fully captured by batting or bowling figures.
Stats and equipment
Better numbers come from practice and well-fitted gear. A bat that suits you, pads that let you run freely, and gloves with grip all help. See our bat size chart.
Keeping your own records
Many club players track their own runs, balls, wickets and overs across a season. Even a simple spreadsheet shows trends: whether your strike rate improves, which bowlers trouble you, or which lengths bring you wickets. Most US leagues use scoring apps that generate these stats automatically, which is a great way to review your season.
Remember to compare like with like: tennis-ball and leather-ball statistics, or T20 and longer formats, are not directly comparable.
Quick answers on stats
What is a good economy rate in T20?
It depends on the level and conditions; compare with other bowlers in the same competition.
Do not-outs help an average?
Yes, runs count but the innings is not counted as a dismissal.
What is a strike rate of 100?
One run per ball faced.
What is a five-wicket haul?
Five or more wickets in an innings, a notable bowling achievement.
Putting it all together
Read batting figures as a pair: average tells you how reliably a batter scores, strike rate tells you how quickly. Read bowling figures as a trio: average for wicket-taking value, economy for control, and strike rate for how often wickets come. A player with strong numbers across these measures in the same format and level is genuinely performing well. Use statistics as a starting point for questions, not the final word, and remember that match situations, such as batting with the tail or bowling at the death, shape every number on the scorecard.
Frequently asked questions
How is a batting average calculated?
Total runs divided by the number of times out.
What is strike rate in batting?
Runs scored per 100 balls faced.
What is economy rate?
Runs conceded per over bowled.
What does bowling average mean?
Runs conceded per wicket taken. Lower is better.
What is M on a batting scorecard?
Usually minutes batted. On a bowling line, M means maidens.
Practice makes the numbers.
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