Test Medians

[GOAUS!]

I thought it might be interesting to compile a list of the medians of test cricketers with an average of greater than 50 (30 innings minimum), for those of you unaware a median is the middle value in any set of numbers. Medians also (unlike averages) aren't skewed by a big score. So here's what I found.


No surprises there with Bradman clearly ahead of his rivals, Barrington is the surprising one here being so far ahead of everyone else. The Australian captains (well Clarke, Waugh and Ponting) haven't fared as well as their averages might suggest, this goes even more so for Headley.

 

[BarneyBent]

Do it for Ed Cowan. Reckon his median would be about equal to his average.

 

[GOAUS!]

Do it for Ed Cowan. Reckon his median would be about equal to his average.

Fairly close. Test average is 32.62, median is 29.

 

[BarneyBent]

Fairly close. Test average is 32.62, median is 29.

Thanks. Wow. It says a lot about Cowan, both good and bad, that his median score is higher than Ponting, Clarke and co.

 

[The_Reaper]

Barrington isn't a suprise. He made a career of boring spectators to death.

 

[The Speaker]

Barrington isn't a suprise. He made a career of boring spectators to death.

Might be worth comparing with Boycott then.

 

[The Passenger]

Barrington isn't a suprise. He made a career of boring spectators to death.

not really got anything to do with being entertaining or not... more consistency. but generally yeah the plodders are more consistent.

i wonder if any has a higher median than average?

i don't know why cricinfo, and in turn the big broadcasters, use more stats. median score would be a great one to know for batsmen.

the other one i'd like to know is something like a "wickets bowled in" (not quite accurate but the closest i can think of). nothing to do with bowling while a run out occurs, but being the bowler of the proceeding over. would probably give an indication of bowlers which can build pressure from the other end but not always get the rewards. there wouldn't be a figure for every wicket. obviously a wicker in the first over of the innings, but neither if there is a wicket in the first over after a break (scheduled or rain caused) of 20 minutes or longer.

in saying that it would also be interesting to know if there are any bowlers who are regularly bowling while a run out occurs. To be honest I don't think there would be any outliers in this category but you never know.

there also needs to be some advancements in fielding stats (runs saved (+ or -), difficult of caches taken and/or dropped), but gee it's hard to judge. very subjective.

 

[GOAUS!]

Might be worth comparing with Boycott then.

Boycott's median is only 30.

 

[GOAUS!]

Closest median to average that I can find is a player by the name of Johnny Taylor who played for Australia in the 1920's, who had an average of 35.6 and a median of 33.

 

[BarneyBent]

Closest median to average that I can find is a player by the name of Johnny Taylor who played for Australia in the 1920's, who had an average of 35.6 and a median of 33.

I reckon Nathan Lyon might have a pretty close median and average. He's usually good for at least 10, but has never scored more than 40. I reckon his scores would be reasonably normally distributed.

 

[GOAUS!]

I reckon Nathan Lyon might have a pretty close median and average. He's usually good for at least 10, but has never scored more than 40. I reckon his scores would be reasonably normally distributed.

His median is only 5, only scored 10 or more 7 times so far in his 25 innings.

 

[BarneyBent]

His median is only 5, only scored 10 or more 7 times so far in his 25 innings.

Really? Huh. I guess he just kinda hangs around without scoring much then.

 

[The Passenger]

rob quiney has a higher median than average

get him back.

EDIT: no he doesn't. my bad. thought he went 9-0-9 not 9-0-0

 

[TassieEagle]

Chris Martin Would be an interesting one. My guess would be 0. CBFd doing the maths right now though.

 

[The Passenger]

Chris Martin Would be an interesting one. My guess would be 0. CBFd doing the maths right now though.

yep median of 0. regardless of whether we're using not out innings.

including not outs, he has 64 innings of 0 or 0 not out of 104 trips to the crease

excluding not outs, he has been dismissed for 0 36 times out of 52 times dismissed.