View source for Batting average (cricket)

{{short description|Cricket statistic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{sabermetric | formula = <math>\mathrm{Batting~average} = \frac{\mathrm{Runs~scored}}{\mathrm{Number~of~times~out}}</math>}}
In [[cricket]], a players' '''batting average''' is the total number of [[run (cricket)|runs]] they have scored divided by the number of times they have been [[dismissal (cricket)|out]], usually given to two decimal places. Since the number of runs a player scores and how often they get out are primarily measures of their own playing ability, and largely independent of their teammates, batting average is a good metric for an individual player's skill as a batter (although the practice of drawing comparisons between players on this basis is not without criticism<ref>{{cite web |last=Date |first=Kartikeya |date=29 May 2014 |title=The calculus of the batting average
|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21499377/calculus-batting-average |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref>). The number is also simple to interpret intuitively. If all the batter's [[innings]] were completed (i.e. they were out every innings), this is the [[Arithmetic mean|average]] number of runs they score per innings. If they did not complete all their innings (i.e. some innings they finished [[not out]]), this number is an estimate of the unknown average number of runs they score per innings.

Each player normally has several batting averages, with a different figure calculated for each [[Forms of cricket|type of match]] they play (first-class, one-day, Test matches, List A, T20, etc.), and a player's batting averages may be calculated for individual seasons or series, or at particular [[Ground (cricket)|grounds]], or against particular opponents, or across their whole career.

Batting average has been used to gauge cricket players' relative skills since the 18th century.

Batting averages are sometimes calculated for whole teams, across a series or tournament.<ref>{{cite web|first=Andy|last=Zaltzman|title=Ashes 2023: Andy Zaltzman on why England's profligacy is costing them |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66097255 |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=BBC SPORT |date=4 July 2023 |quote=The numerical facts are that England have scored 1260 runs off the bat to Australia's 1245... both sides have lost 38 wickets. Thus, England's batting line-up has a collective average of 33.1, Australia's 32.7.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Brydon|last=Coverdale|title=Trashing the brand |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/brydon-coverdale-on-australia-s-travel-sickness-795903 |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=ESPNcricinfo |date=3 November 2014 |quote=Perhaps the most damning statistic was that the difference between Pakistan's collective batting average of 80.15 and Australia's of 25.65 was the all-time biggest gap in an Australian series defeat.}}</ref>

==Values==
[[File:CricketBattingAverageHistogram.png|thumb|400px|right|International cricket career batting averages (as of 14 September 2019). Note [[Donald Bradman|Bradman's]] Test average of 99.94.]]
Most players have career batting averages in the range of 20 to 40. This is also the desirable range for [[wicket-keeper]]s, though some fall short and make up for it with keeping skill. Until a substantial increase in scores in the 21st century due to improved bats and smaller grounds among other factors, players who sustained an average above 50 through a career were considered exceptional, and before the development of the [[heavy roller]] in the 1870s (which allowed for a flatter, safer cricket pitch) an average of 25 was considered very good.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rae |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Rae |date=1998 |title=W.G. Grace: A Life |location=London |publisher=Faber and Faber |isbn=0571178553 |page=26}}</ref>
* All-rounders who are more prominent [[Bowler (cricket)|bowlers]] than batsmen typically average something between 20 and 30.
* 15 and under is typical for specialist bowlers.
* A small number of players have averaged less than 5 for a complete career, though a player with such an average is a liability unless an exceptional bowler such as [[Alf Valentine]], [[B. S. Chandrasekhar]] or [[Glenn McGrath]] were.

Career records for batting average are usually subject to a minimum qualification of 20 [[innings]] played or completed, in order to exclude batsmen who have not played enough games for their skill to be reliably assessed. Under this qualification, the highest [[Test cricket|Test]] batting average belongs to [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]'s Sir [[Donald Bradman]], with 99.94. Given that a career batting average over 50 is exceptional, and that only [[List of Test cricket records#Highest career batting average|4 other players]] have averages over 60, this is an outstanding statistic. The fact that Bradman's average is so far above that of ''any'' other cricketer has led several statisticians to argue that, statistically at least, he was the greatest athlete in any sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4188.html |publisher=Cricinfo.com |work=Players and Officials |title=Sir Donald Bradman |access-date=27 April 2006}}</ref>

Disregarding this 20 innings qualification, the highest career Test batting average is 144 by [[Kurtis Patterson]], who scored 144 runs and was dismissed once in his two Test innings. He then fell out of the Australian squad due to a loss of form and injury.

Batting averages in [[One Day International]] (ODI) and [[T20 International]] (T20I) cricket tend to be lower than in Test cricket because of the need to score runs more quickly. Consequently, batters tend to play riskier strokes and less emphasis is placed on building an innings in order to amass a high individual score. It should also be remembered, especially in relation to the ODI and T20I histograms above, that there were no ODI or T20I matches when Bradman played.

==Interpretation==
If a batter has been dismissed in every single innings, then this statistic gives exactly the [[Arithmetic mean|average]] number of runs they score per innings.

However, for a batter with one or more innings which finished [[not out]], the true mean or average number of runs they score per innings is unknown as it is not known how many runs they would have scored if they could have completed all their not out innings. In this case, this statistic is an [[Estimation|estimate]] of the average number of runs they score per innings. If their scores have a [[geometric distribution]], then this statistic is the [[maximum likelihood estimate]] of their true unknown average.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Das |first=Shubhabratha |date=2011 |title=On Generalized Geometric Distributions: Application to Modeling Scores in Cricket and Improved Estimation of Batting Average in Light of Notout Innings |ssrn=2117199 | journal=Social Science Research Network }}</ref>

Batting averages can be strongly affected by the number of not outs. For example, [[Phil Tufnell]], who was noted for his poor batting,<ref>{{cite web |last=Lister |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Lister |date=28 July 2007 |title=The Jack of all rabbits |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/303300.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017110007/http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/303300.html |archive-date=17 October 2007 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> has an apparently respectable [[One Day International|ODI]] average of 15 (from 20 games), despite a highest score of only 5 not out, as he scored an overall total of 15 runs from 10 innings, but was out only once.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/21611.html|title=Phil Tufnell|website=Cricinfo}}</ref>

A batter who was not dismissed in any of the innings over which their average is being calculated does not have a batting average, as [[division by zero]] does not give a result.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://wisden.com/stories/why-did-stuart-law-only-play-one-test-for-australia |title=Why did Stuart Law only play one Test for Australia? |work=Wisden |date=28 March 2020 |access-date=23 July 2022 |quote=However, only 54 of those runs came in Australian Test whites, with Law making an unbeaten half-century in his only Test innings, meaning he finished his career without a Test average.}}</ref>

==Leading male batting averages==

===First-class===
{{See also|List_of_first-class_cricket_records#Highest_career_average|label 1=Highest career batting averages in first-class cricket}}

Highest career batting averages in [[first-class cricket]] as follows:

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Batter
! Matches
! Innings
! N.O.
! Runs
! Highest
! Ave
! First Class career dates
|-
! 1
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Don Bradman]]
| 234
| 338
| 43
| 28,067
| 452*
| '''95.14'''
| 1927–49
|-
! 2
| {{cricon|India}} [[Vijay Merchant]]
| 150
| 234
| 46
| 13,470
| 359*
| '''71.64'''
| 1929–51
|-
! 3
| {{cricon|West Indies}} [[George Headley]]
| 103
| 164
| 22
| 9,921
| 344*
| '''69.86'''
| 1927–54
|-
! 4
| {{cricon|India}} [[Ajay Sharma]]
| 129
| 166
| 16
| 10,120
| 259*
| '''67.46'''
| 1984–2001
|-
! 5
| {{cricon|India}} '''[[Sarfaraz Khan (cricketer)|Sarfaraz Khan]]'''
| 54
| 82
| 12
| 4,593
| 301*
| '''65.61'''
| 2014–24
|- 
! 6
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Bill Ponsford]]
| 162
| 235
| 23
| 13,819
| 437
| '''65.18'''
| 1920–34
|-
! 7
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Bill Woodfull]]
| 174
| 245
| 39
| 13,388
| 284
| '''64.99'''
| 1921–34
|-
! 8
| {{cricon|Sri Lanka}} '''[[Kamindu Mendis]]'''
| 53
| 83
| 7
| 4,846
| 200*
| '''63.76'''
| 2018–24
|-
! 9
| {{cricon|India}} '''[[Yashasvi Jaiswal]]'''
| 33
| 60
| 5
| 3,484
| 265
| '''63.34'''
| 2019–24
|-
! 10
| {{cricon|India}} [[Shantanu Sugwekar]]
| 85
| 122
| 18
| 6,563
| 299*
| '''63.10'''
| 1987–2002
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{small| Qualification for inclusion: 50 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source:  [http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284199.html ESPNcricinfo]. Last updated: 18 December 2024.}}
|}

===Test matches===
[[File:Donald Bradman australian cricket player pic.JPG|thumb|[[Don Bradman]]]]

{{See also|List of Test cricket records#Highest career batting average|label 1=Highest career batting averages in Tests}}

A batting average of above 50 is considered by many as a benchmark to distinguish between a good and a great batsman.<ref>{{cite web |last=Varghese |first=Mathew |date=12 October 2007 |title=A genuine matchwinner – A statistical look at Inzamam-ul-Haq's Test career |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/a-genuine-matchwinner-315169 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> Highest male career batting averages in [[Test cricket|Test matches]] as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Rank 
! Batter 
! Tests 
! Innings 
! Not<br>out 
! Runs 
! High<br>Score 
! Average 
! Test career<br>dates
|-
! 1
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Don Bradman]]
| 52
| 80
| 10
| 6,996
| 334
|'''99.94'''
| 1928–48
|-
! 2
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Adam Voges]]
| 20
| 31
| 7
| 1,485
| 269*
|'''61.87'''
| 2015–16
|-
! 3
| {{cricon|South Africa}} [[Graeme Pollock]]
| 23
| 41
| 4
| 2,256
| 274
|'''60.97'''
| 1963–70
|-
! 4
| {{cricon|West Indies}} [[George Headley]]
| 22
| 40
| 4
| 2,190
| 270*
|'''60.83'''
| 1930–54
|-
! 5
| {{cricon|England}} [[Herbert Sutcliffe]]
| 54
| 84
| 9
| 4,555
| 194
|'''60.73'''
| 1924–35
|-
! 6
| {{cricon|England}} [[Eddie Paynter]]
| 20
| 31
| 5
| 1,540
| 243
|'''59.23'''
| 1931–39
|-
! 7
| {{cricon|England}} [[Ken Barrington]]
| 82
| 131
| 15
| 6,806
| 256
|'''58.67'''
| 1955–68
|-
! 8
| {{cricon|West Indies}} [[Everton Weekes]]
| 48
| 81
| 5
| 4,455
| 207
|'''58.61'''
| 1948–58
|-
! 9
| {{cricon|England}} '''[[Harry Brook]]'''
| 24
| 40
| 1
| 2,281
| 317
|'''58.48'''
| 2022–24
|-
! 10
| {{cricon|England}} [[Wally Hammond]]
| 85
| 140
| 16
| 7,249
| 336
|'''58.45'''
| 1927–47
|-
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{small |Qualification for inclusion: 20 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source: [http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282910.html ESPNcricinfo]. Correct to 18 December 2024.}}
|}

===One Day Internationals===
{{See also|List_of_One_Day_International_cricket_records#Highest_career_average|label 1=Highest career batting averages in ODIs}}

Highest career batting averages in [[One Day International]] cricket as follows:

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Batter
! ODIs
! Innings
! N.O.
! Runs
! Highest
! Ave
! ODI career dates
|-
! 1
| {{cricon|Netherlands}} [[Ryan ten Doeschate]]
| 33
| 32
| 9
| 1,541
| 119
| '''67.00'''
| 2006–11
|-
! 2
| {{cricon|India}} '''[[Shubhman Gill]]'''
| 47
| 47
| 7
| 2,308
| 208
| '''58.20'''
| 2019–24
|-
! 3
| {{cricon|India}} '''[[Virat Kohli]]'''
| 295
| 283
| 44
| 13,906
| 183
| '''58.18'''
| 2008–24
|-
! 4
| {{cricon|Pakistan}} '''[[Babar Azam]]'''
| 117
| 114
| 13
| 5,729
| 158
| '''56.72'''
| 2015–23
|-
! 5
| {{cricon|England}} [[Dawid Malan]]
| 30
| 30
| 4
| 1,450
| 140
| '''55.76'''
| 2019–23
|-
! 6
| {{cricon|Australia}} [[Michael Bevan]]
| 232
| 196
| 67
| 6,912
| 108[[Not out|*]]
| '''53.58'''
| 1994–2004
|-
! 7
| {{cricon|South Africa}} [[AB de Villiers]]
| 228
| 218
| 39
| 9,577
| 176
| '''53.50'''
| 2005–18
|-
! 8
| {{cricon|New Zealand}} '''[[Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand cricketer)|Daryl Mitchell]]'''
| 39
| 35
| 5
| 1,577
| 134
| '''52.56'''
| 2021–23
|-
! 9
| {{cricon|Afghanistan}} '''[[Azmatullah Omarzai]]'''
| 30
| 24
| 8
| 832
| 149*
| '''52.00'''
| 2021–24
|-
! 10
| {{cricon|England}} [[Jonathan Trott]]
| 68
| 65
| 10
| 2,819
| 137
| '''51.25'''
| 2009–13
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{small |Qualification for inclusion: 20 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source:  [http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282911.html ESPNcricinfo]. Last updated: 8 October 2024}}
|}

===T20 Internationals===

{{See also|List_of_Twenty20_International_records#Highest_career_average|label 1=Highest career batting averages in T20Is}}

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Batsmen
! T20Is
! Innings
! N.O.
! Runs
! Highest
! Ave
! T20I career dates
|-
! 1
| {{cricon|Malawi}} '''[[Sami Sohail]]'''
| 46
| 42
| 18
| 1,347
| 94[[Not out|*]]
| '''56.12'''
| 2019–24
|-
! 2
| {{cricon|Bahrain}} '''[[Sohail Ahmed]]'''
| 28
| 27
| 10
| 857
| 80*
| '''50.41'''
| 2022–24
|-
! 3
| {{cricon|Pakistan}} '''[[Mohammad Rizwan (cricketer)|Muhammad Rizwan]]'''
| 102
| 89
| 21
| 3,313
| 104*
| '''48.72'''
| 2015–24
|-
! 4
| {{cricon|India}} [[Virat Kohli]]
| 125
| 117
| 31
| 4,188
| 122*
| '''48.69'''
| 2010–24
|-
! 5
| {{cricon|Japan}} '''[[Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming]]'''
| 35
| 35
| 4
| 1,420
| 114
| '''45.80'''
| 2022–24
|-
! 6
| {{cricon|Qatar}} '''[[Muhammad Tanveer]]'''
| 50
| 46
| 13
| 1,499
| 88*
| '''45.42'''
| 2019–24
|-
! 7
| {{cricon|India}} [[Manish Pandey]]
| 39
| 33
| 17
| 709
| 79*
| '''44.31'''
| 2015–20
|-
! 8
| {{cricon|India}} '''[[Suryakumar Yadav]]'''
| 74
| 71
| 11
| 2,544
| 117
| '''42.40'''
| 2021–24
|-
! 9
| {{cricon|France}} '''[[Gustav McKeon]]'''
| 20
| 20
| 1
| 785
| 109
| '''41.31'''
| 2022–24
|-
! 10
| {{cricon|Pakistan}} '''[[Babar Azam]]'''
| 123
| 116
| 15
| 4,175
| 122
| '''41.03'''
| 2016–24
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{small |Qualification for inclusion: 20 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source:  [http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282912.html ESPNcricinfo]. Last updated: 12 October 2024.}}
|}

==Leading female batting averages==

===Test matches===
{{See also|List of women's Test cricket records#Individual records (batting)}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Rank !! Batter !! Tests !! Innings !! Not out !! Runs !! High Score !! Average !! Test career dates
|-
! 1 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Denise Annetts]] || 10 || 13 || 3 || 819 || 193 || '''81.90''' || 1987-1992
|-
! 2 
| {{crwicon|IND}} '''[[Shafali Verma]]''' || 5 || 10 || 1 || 567 || 205 || '''63.00''' || 2021-2024
|-
! 3 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Lorraine Hill]] || 7 || 10 || 2 || 499 || 118* || '''62.37''' || 1975-1977
|-
! 4 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} '''[[Ellyse Perry]] '''|| 13 || 22 || 7 || 928 || 213* || '''61.86''' || 2008-2023
|-
! 5 
| {{crwicon|ENG}} [[Enid Bakewell]] || 12 || 22 || 4 || 1,078 || 124 || '''59.88''' || 1968-1979
|-
! 6 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Belinda Haggett]] || 10 || 15 || 2 || 762 || 144 || '''58.61''' || 1987-1992
|-
! 7 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Betty Wilson]] || 11 || 16 || 1 || 862 || 127 || '''57.46''' || 1948-1958
|-
! 8 
| {{crwicon|IND}} '''[[Smriti Mandhana]]''' || 7 || 12 || 1 || 629 || 149 || '''57.18''' || 2014-2024
|-
! 9 
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Karen Rolton]] || 14 || 22 || 4 || 1,002 || 209* || '''55.66''' || 1995-2009
|-
! 10 
| {{crwicon|NZ}} [[Debbie Hockley]] || 19 || 29 || 4 || 1,301 || 126* || '''52.04''' || 1979-1996
|- class=sortbottom 
| colspan=9 | {{small |Qualification for inclusion: 10 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source: [https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/highest-career-batting-average-284197 ESPNcricinfo]. Correct to 24 July 2024 (or later).}}
|}

===One Day Internationals===
{{See also|List of women's One Day International cricket records#Highest career average}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Rank !! Batter !! ODIs !! Innings !! N.O. !! Runs !! Highest !! Ave. !! ODI Career Dates
|-
! 1
| {{crwicon|ENG}} [[Rachael Heyhoe Flint]] || 23 || 20 || 9 || 643 || 114 || '''58.45''' || 1973-1982
|-
! 2
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Lindsay Reeler]] || 23 || 23 || 5 || 1,034 || 143* || '''57.44''' || 1984-1988
|-
! 3
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Meg Lanning]] || 103 || 102 || 16 || 4,602 || 152* || '''53.51''' || 2011-2023
|-
! 4
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Bronwyn Calver]] || 34 || 21 || 11 || 534 || 81* || '''53.40''' || 1991-1998
|-
! 5
| {{crwicon|AUS}} '''[[Beth Mooney]]''' || 74 || 67 || 21 || 2,380 || 133 || '''51.73''' || 2016-2024
|-
! 6
| {{crwicon|AUS}} '''[[Ellyse Perry]]''' || 147 || 120 || 42 || 3,948 || 112* || '''50.74''' || 2007-2024
|-
! 7
| {{crwicon|IND}} [[Mithali Raj]] || 232 || 211 || 57 || 7,805 || 125* || '''50.68''' || 1999-2022
|-
! 8
| {{crwicon|SA}} '''[[Laura Wolvaardt]]''' || 98 || 97 || 13 || 4,148 || 184* || '''49.38''' || 2016-2024
|-
! 9
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Karen Rolton]] || 141 || 132 || 32 || 4,814 || 154* || '''48.14''' || 1995-2009
|-
! 10
| {{crwicon|ENG}} [[Wendy Watson (cricketer)|Wendy Watson]] || 23 || 22 || 6 || 768 || 107* || '''48.00''' || 1987-1993
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{small |Qualification for inclusion: 20 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source: [https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/highestrecordshighest-career-batting-average-284195 ESPNcricinfo]. Correct to 1 October 2024.}}
|}

===T20 Internationals===
{{See also|List of women's Twenty20 International records#Highest career average}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Rank !! Batter !! T20Is !! Innings !! N.O. !! Runs !! Highest !! Ave. !! T20I Career Dates
|-
! 1
| {{crwicon|IOM}} '''[[Lucy Barnett]]''' || 21 || 20 || 9 || 742 || 96 || '''67.45''' || 2022-2024
|-
! 2
| {{crwicon|AUS}} '''[[Tahlia McGrath]]''' || 50 || 38 || 12 || 1,049 || 91* || '''40.34''' || 2021-2024
|-
! 3
| {{crwicon|AUS}} '''[[Beth Mooney]]''' || 106 || 100 || 24 || 3,002 || 117* || '''39.50''' || 2016-2024
|-
! 4
| {{crwicon|DEU}} '''[[Christina Gough]]''' || 42 || 40 || 12 || 1,096 || 101* || '''39.14''' || 2019-2023
|-
! 5
| {{crwicon|Indonesia}} '''[[Ni Luh Dewi]]''' || 26 || 21 || 7 || 529 || 78 || '''37.78''' || 2023-2024
|-
! 6
| {{crwicon|IND}} [[Mithali Raj]] || 89 || 84 || 21 || 2,364 || 97* || '''37.52''' || 2006-2019
|-
! 7
| {{crwicon|SCO}} '''[[Kathryn Bryce]]''' || 49 || 47 || 13 || 1,273 || 73* || '''37.44''' || 2018-2024
|-
! 8
| {{crwicon|Indonesia}} '''[[Ni Putu Ayu Nanda Sakarini]]''' || 42 || 37 || 11 || 968 || 95* || '''37.23''' || 2018-2024
|-
! 9
| {{crwicon|AUS}} [[Meg Lanning]] || 132 || 121 || 28 || 3,405 || 133* || '''36.61''' || 2010-2023
|-
! 10
| {{crwicon|NED}} '''[[Sterre Kalis]]''' || 38 || 38 || 5 || 1,198 || 126* || '''36.30''' || 2018-2024
|-
|- class=sortbottom
| colspan=9 | {{Small |Qualification for inclusion: 20 innings. Names in '''bold text''' are current players whose figures are likely to change. <nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes not out. Source: [https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/highest-career-batting-average-284194 ESPNcricinfo]. Correct to 15 October 2024.}}
|}

==Alternatives==

Alternative measures of batting effectiveness have been developed, including:

===Strike rate===
{{main|Strike rate}}
Strike rate measures a different concept to batting average – how quickly the batsman scores (i.e. average number of runs from 100 balls) – so it does not supplant the role of batting average. It is used particularly in [[One-day cricket|limited overs matches]], where the speed at which a batter scores is more important than it is in [[first-class cricket]]. Strike rate may also be used to compare a player's ability to score runs against differing types of bowling (i.e. spin, fast bowling).

===Player rankings===
{{main|ICC Player Rankings}}

A system of player rankings was developed to produce a better indication of players' current standings than is provided by comparing their averages.

==See also==
*[[Cricket statistics]]
*[[Batting average]]
*[[Bowling average]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Batsmen with a Test batting average above 50}}
{{Cricket statistics}}

[[Category:Batting (cricket)]]
[[Category:Cricket records and statistics]]
[[Category:Cricket terminology]]