Strike rate
Encyclopedia
Strike rate refers to two different statistics
in the sport
of cricket
. Batting strike rate is a measure of how frequently a batsman achieves the primary goal of batting
, namely scoring runs
. Bowling strike rate is a measure of how frequently a bowler achieves the primary goal of bowling
, namely taking wickets (i.e. getting batsmen out).
Both strike rates are relatively new statistics, having only been invented and considered of importance after the introduction of One Day International cricket in the 1970s.
faced. The higher the strike rate, the more effective a batsman is at scoring quickly.
In Test cricket
, a batsman's strike rate is of secondary relevance to his ability to score runs without getting out. This means a Test batsman's most important statistic is generally considered to be his batting average
, rather than his strike rate. However, given players of similar batting averages, the one with the higher strike rate would be considered a better batsman.
In limited overs cricket, strike rates are of considerably more importance. Since each team only faces a limited number of balls in an innings, the faster a batsman scores, the more runs his team will be able to accumulate. Strike rates of over 150 are becoming common in Twenty20
cricket. Strike rate or s/r as it is abbreviated to, is probably considered by most as the key factor in a batsman in one day cricket. Accordingly the batsmen with the higher strike rate, especially in Twenty20 matches, are more valued than those with a lesser strike rate.
Although introduced as a statistic complementary to the batting strike rate during the ascension of one-day cricket in the 1980s, bowling strike rates are arguably of more importance in Test cricket than One-day Internationals. This is because the primary goal of a bowler in Test cricket is almost always to take wickets, whereas in a one-day match it is often sufficient to bowl economically - giving away as few runs as possible even if this means taking fewer wickets.
A Test bowling strike rate below 60.0 is considered good, whereas in One-day Internationals a strike rate needs to be below 40.0 to be considered good. The difference arises because in Test cricket the batsmen are much more concerned about preserving their wickets, and collecting runs over extended periods, whereas in One-day Internationals batsmen are expected to take risks to score runs very quickly, and so it is considerably more difficult to get a batsman out in Test cricket compared to One-day Internationals.
Cricket statistics
Cricket is a sport that generates a large number of statistics.Statistics are recorded for each player during a match, and aggregated over a career. At the professional level, statistics for Test cricket, one-day internationals, and first-class cricket are recorded separately...
in the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. Batting strike rate is a measure of how frequently a batsman achieves the primary goal of batting
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
, namely scoring runs
Run (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
. Bowling strike rate is a measure of how frequently a bowler achieves the primary goal of bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
, namely taking wickets (i.e. getting batsmen out).
Both strike rates are relatively new statistics, having only been invented and considered of importance after the introduction of One Day International cricket in the 1970s.
Batting strike rate
Batting strike rate is defined for a batsman as the average number of runs scored per 100 ballsDelivery (cricket)
A delivery or ball in cricket is a single action of bowling a cricket ball towards the batsman.During play of the game, a member of the fielding team is designated as the bowler, and bowls deliveries towards the batsman...
faced. The higher the strike rate, the more effective a batsman is at scoring quickly.
In Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, a batsman's strike rate is of secondary relevance to his ability to score runs without getting out. This means a Test batsman's most important statistic is generally considered to be his batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, rather than his strike rate. However, given players of similar batting averages, the one with the higher strike rate would be considered a better batsman.
In limited overs cricket, strike rates are of considerably more importance. Since each team only faces a limited number of balls in an innings, the faster a batsman scores, the more runs his team will be able to accumulate. Strike rates of over 150 are becoming common in Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
cricket. Strike rate or s/r as it is abbreviated to, is probably considered by most as the key factor in a batsman in one day cricket. Accordingly the batsmen with the higher strike rate, especially in Twenty20 matches, are more valued than those with a lesser strike rate.
Bowling strike rate
Bowling strike rate is defined for a bowler as the average number of balls bowled per wicket taken. The lower the strike rate, the more effective a bowler is.Although introduced as a statistic complementary to the batting strike rate during the ascension of one-day cricket in the 1980s, bowling strike rates are arguably of more importance in Test cricket than One-day Internationals. This is because the primary goal of a bowler in Test cricket is almost always to take wickets, whereas in a one-day match it is often sufficient to bowl economically - giving away as few runs as possible even if this means taking fewer wickets.
A Test bowling strike rate below 60.0 is considered good, whereas in One-day Internationals a strike rate needs to be below 40.0 to be considered good. The difference arises because in Test cricket the batsmen are much more concerned about preserving their wickets, and collecting runs over extended periods, whereas in One-day Internationals batsmen are expected to take risks to score runs very quickly, and so it is considerably more difficult to get a batsman out in Test cricket compared to One-day Internationals.