The top-order allrounders

On the second day of the Newlands Test, Shane Watson began the madness after lunch with a five-wicket burst that routed South Africa for 96. He had little time to savour his performance for he was soon opening Australia's second innings. Watson lasted only three balls as Australia were razed for 47. In the aftermath of that eight-wicket defeat, Watson said it had been a challenge to switch to a batting mindset soon after bowling. In this week's column, therefore, we've examined the Test stats of top-order allrounders: those who batted in the top five and bowled a sizeable number of overs as well. The likes of Watson and Garry Sobers, not Daniel Vettori and Ian Botham, who batted lower than No. 5.

The first table lists all players who batted in the top five for more than half their careers and bowled an average of 15 overs per Test. It begins with George Ulyett (1877-1890) and ends with Watson (2005-2011). There are only 42 in all, out of 2658 Test cricketers, making the top-order allrounder a rare asset. Manoj Prabhakar, Carl Hooper, Jacques Kallis, Neil Johnson, Shahid Afridi and Watson are the only ones since 1980.

Another current allrounder who is close to getting on that list is Mohammad Hafeez. He has opened in all 41 innings but bowled only 310 overs in 21 Tests, which is fewer than our qualification average of 15 overs a match. He has become a much more regular bowler for Pakistan in the last 12 months, though. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan has batted above No. 6 only once, so doesn't make the cut.

List of top-order allrounders (over half of career in top 5, average of 90 balls per match, minimum of 10 Tests)

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	50	Balls	Conc	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5
G Ulyett (Eng)	1877-1890	25	39	0	949	149	24.33	1	7	2627	1020	50	7/36	20.40	1
AG Steel (Eng)	1880-1888	13	20	3	600	148	35.29	2	0	1360	605	29	3/27	20.86	0
RG Barlow (Eng)	1881-1887	17	30	4	591	62	22.73	0	2	2456	767	34	7/40	22.55	3
W Bates (Eng)	1881-1887	15	26	2	656	64	27.33	0	5	2364	821	50	7/28	16.42	4
G Giffen (Aus)	1881-1896	31	53	0	1238	161	23.35	1	6	6391	2791	103	7/117	27.09	7
MA Noble (Aus)	1898-1909	42	73	7	1997	133	30.25	1	16	7159	3025	121	7/17	25.00	9
W Rhodes (Eng)	1899-1930	58	98	21	2325	179	30.19	2	11	8225	3425	127	8/68	26.96	6
WW Armstrong (Aus)	1902-1921	50	84	10	2863	159*	38.68	6	8	8022	2923	87	6/35	33.59	3
GA Faulkner (SA)	1906-1924	25	47	4	1754	204	40.79	4	8	4227	2180	82	7/84	26.58	4
CG Macartney (Aus)	1907-1926	35	55	4	2131	170	41.78	7	9	3561	1240	45	7/58	27.55	2
FE Woolley (Eng)	1909-1934	64	98	7	3283	154	36.07	5	23	6495	2815	83	7/76	33.91	4
C Kelleway (Aus)	1910-1928	26	42	4	1422	147	37.42	3	6	4363	1683	52	5/33	32.36	1
JW Hearne (Eng)	1911-1926	24	36	5	806	114	26.00	1	2	2926	1462	30	5/49	48.73	1
J Ryder (Aus)	1920-1929	20	32	5	1394	201*	51.62	3	9	1897	743	17	2/20	43.70	0
WR Hammond (Eng)	1927-1947	85	140	16	7249	336*	58.45	22	24	7969	3138	83	5/36	37.80	2
DPB Morkel (SA)	1927-1932	16	28	1	663	88	24.55	0	4	1704	821	18	4/93	45.61	0
SJ McCabe (Aus)	1930-1938	39	62	5	2748	232	48.21	6	13	3746	1543	36	4/13	42.86	0
L Amarnath (India)	1933-1952	24	40	4	878	118	24.38	1	4	4241	1481	45	5/96	32.91	2
KR Miller (Aus)	1946-1956	55	87	7	2958	147	36.97	7	13	10461	3906	170	7/60	22.97	7
VS Hazare (India)	1946-1953	30	52	6	2192	164*	47.65	7	9	2840	1220	20	4/29	61.00	0
MH Mankad (India)	1946-1959	44	72	5	2109	231	31.47	5	6	14686	5236	162	8/52	32.32	8
FMM Worrell (WI)	1948-1963	51	87	9	3860	261	49.48	9	22	7141	2672	69	7/70	38.72	2
AJ Watkins (Eng)	1948-1952	15	24	4	810	137*	40.50	2	4	1364	554	11	3/20	50.36	0
GO Rabone (NZ)	1949-1955	12	20	2	562	107	31.22	1	2	1385	635	16	6/68	39.68	1
JR Reid (NZ)	1949-1965	58	108	5	3428	142	33.28	6	22	7725	2835	85	6/60	33.35	1
GS Sobers (WI)	1954-1974	93	160	21	8032	365*	57.78	26	30	21599	7999	235	6/73	34.03	6
OG Smith (WI)	1955-1959	26	42	0	1331	168	31.69	4	6	4431	1625	48	5/90	33.85	1
TL Goddard (SA)	1955-1970	41	78	5	2516	112	34.46	1	18	11736	3226	123	6/53	26.22	5
RB Simpson (Aus)	1957-1978	62	111	7	4869	311	46.81	10	27	6881	3001	71	5/57	42.26	2
Mushtaq Mohammad (Pak)	1959-1979	57	100	7	3643	201	39.17	10	19	5260	2309	79	5/28	29.22	3
RW Barber (Eng)	1960-1968	28	45	3	1495	185	35.59	1	9	3426	1806	42	4/132	43.00	0
RF Surti (India)	1960-1969	26	48	4	1263	99	28.70	0	9	3870	1962	42	5/74	46.71	1
EJ Barlow (SA)	1961-1970	30	57	2	2516	201	45.74	6	15	3021	1362	40	5/85	34.05	1
RM Cowper (Aus)	1964-1968	27	46	2	2061	307	46.84	5	10	3005	1139	36	4/48	31.63	0
BE Congdon (NZ)	1965-1978	61	114	7	3448	176	32.22	7	19	5620	2154	59	5/65	36.50	1
BL D'Oliveira (Eng)	1966-1972	44	70	8	2484	158	40.06	5	15	5706	1859	47	3/46	39.55	0
M Prabhakar (India)	1984-1995	39	58	9	1600	120	32.65	1	9	7475	3581	96	6/132	37.30	3
CL Hooper (WI)	1987-2002	102	173	15	5762	233	36.46	13	27	13794	5635	114	5/26	49.42	4
JH Kallis (ICC/SA)	1995-2011	146	248	39	11949	201*	57.17	40	54	18373	8680	270	6/54	32.14	5
NC Johnson (Zim)	1998-2000	13	23	1	532	107	24.18	1	4	1186	594	15	4/77	39.60	0
Shahid Afridi (Pak)	1998-2010	27	48	1	1716	156	36.51	5	8	3194	1709	48	5/52	35.60	1
SR Watson (Aus)	2005-2011	31	56	2	2047	126	37.90	2	15	3141	1556	55	6/33	28.29	3

Our second table is a list of allrounders with the best averages while batting in the top five, in Tests in which they bowled more than 10 overs in the same innings. Jacques Kallis, for instance, has batted in the top five for South Africa and bowled more than 10 overs in an innings in 129 innings. He has scored 5713 runs in those innings at an average of 51, while taking 176 wickets at 35.61 apiece.

Garry Sobers, widely acknowledged to be the allrounder sans pareil, batted higher than No. 6 and bowled more than 10 overs in 54 innings. He scored 2696 runs in those innings at an average of 55, and took 94 wickets at an average of 34 each.

The best batting average when bowling at least 10 overs in the same innings belongs to former West Indies captain Frank Worrell. He averaged 71.65 with the bat in 36 innings, with seven centuries and 10 fifties, and took 41 wickets at an average of just under 40.

Best batting average in the top 5 when bowling more than 60 balls in the same innings (minimum of 20 innings)

Player	Span	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	50	Balls	Conc	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5
FMM Worrell (WI)	1948-1961	36	4	2293	261	71.65	7	10	4197	1625	41	7/70	39.63	2
RB Simpson (Aus)	1960-1978	37	2	2462	311	70.34	7	13	4290	1761	41	5/57	42.95	2
SJ McCabe (Aus)	1930-1938	24	2	1415	232	64.31	4	5	2421	983	21	4/13	46.80	0
GS Sobers (WI)	1955-1974	54	5	2696	226	55.02	10	7	8607	3208	94	5/63	34.12	2
ER Dexter (Eng)	1959-1964	26	1	1354	205	54.16	1	12	3020	1298	32	4/38	40.56	0
RJ Shastri (India)	1981-1992	26	1	1318	206	52.72	5	5	3572	1633	32	4/78	51.03	0
JH Kallis (SA)	1997-2010	129	17	5713	160	51.00	18	29	13033	6269	176	6/54	35.61	4
GA Faulkner (SA)	1907-1912	25	2	1129	204	49.08	3	6	3045	1668	56	7/84	29.78	3
ST Jayasuriya (SL)	1994-2007	40	2	1855	340	48.81	4	7	4340	1631	59	5/34	27.64	2
MH Mankad (India)	1946-1956	33	2	1442	231	46.51	5	3	7859	2890	83	8/52	34.81	5
CH Gayle (WI)	2000-2009	45	2	1999	317	46.48	5	9	4986	2109	54	5/34	39.05	2
Mushtaq Mohammad (Pak)	1967-1978	22	2	929	157	46.45	3	5	2630	1114	44	5/28	25.31	1
KR Miller (Aus)	1946-1956	59	5	2304	147	42.66	7	9	7232	2759	122	7/60	22.61	6
CL Hooper (WI)	1988-2002	62	3	2315	233	39.23	4	15	7550	2952	59	5/26	50.03	1
EJ Barlow (SA)	1962-1970	24	0	920	138	38.33	3	6	2199	967	31	5/85	31.19	1
ME Waugh (Aus)	1992-2002	20	1	713	137	37.52	2	3	1619	746	21	5/40	35.52	1
Mudassar Nazar (Pak)	1978-1989	36	3	1237	199	37.48	4	2	3764	1597	43	4/55	37.13	0
WR Hammond (Eng)	1927-1939	49	1	1789	177	37.27	4	7	5385	2065	47	5/57	43.93	1
BE Congdon (NZ)	1965-1978	32	3	1076	166*	37.10	3	6	4008	1510	47	5/65	32.12	1
BL D'Oliveira (Eng)	1967-1972	21	1	729	117	36.45	1	4	2438	739	22	3/46	33.59	0

The third table contains allrounders with the best bowling averages when batting in the top five in the same innings. Keith Miller averaged 22.41 apiece for his 129 wickets and batted in the top five in 76 innings, scoring 2687 runs at an average of 38.

Trevor Goddard, the former South Africa captain, used to open the innings and bowl first or second change. He opened the bowling in five innings as well. So in 72 innings in which Goddard batted in the top five, he took 114 wickets at an average of less than 27. He scored 2337 runs in these innings at an average of 34.

Best bowling average when batting in the top 5 in the same innings (minimum of 20 innings, 2000 balls)

Player	Span	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	50	Balls	Conc	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5
TE Bailey (Eng)	1949-1959	29	1	749	134*	26.75	1	2	2744	893	43	7/34	20.76	2
KR Miller (Aus)	1946-1956	76	6	2687	147	38.38	7	12	7623	2891	129	7/60	22.41	6
WJ Cronje (SA)	1992-2000	96	6	3313	135	36.81	6	20	2827	942	36	3/14	26.16	0
TL Goddard (SA)	1955-1970	72	4	2337	112	34.36	1	16	10894	3055	114	6/53	26.79	5
Mushtaq Mohammad (Pak)	1960-1978	71	4	2706	201	40.38	8	15	3515	1543	57	5/28	27.07	1
GA Faulkner (SA)	1907-1912	29	2	1372	204	50.81	3	8	3105	1696	56	7/84	30.28	3
MA Noble (Aus)	1899-1909	53	3	1561	133	31.22	1	14	4352	1880	61	7/17	30.81	2
BL D'Oliveira (Eng)	1967-1972	43	5	1553	117	40.86	3	9	2972	898	29	3/46	30.96	0
RM Cowper (Aus)	1964-1968	39	1	1898	307	49.94	5	9	2821	1058	33	4/48	32.06	0
M Prabhakar (India)	1984-1995	30	2	905	120	32.32	1	5	2379	1165	35	5/104	33.28	1
JR Reid (NZ)	1949-1965	77	2	2732	135	36.42	5	18	7121	2630	79	6/60	33.29	1
G Giffen (Aus)	1883-1896	36	0	981	161	27.25	1	5	4944	2173	65	6/72	33.43	3
JH Kallis (ICC/SA)	1997-2011	226	34	11338	201*	59.05	39	51	15478	7455	219	6/54	34.04	4
FE Woolley (Eng)	1910-1934	67	4	2262	154	35.90	3	16	3885	1642	48	7/76	34.20	3
ST Jayasuriya (SL)	1992-2007	151	8	5711	340	39.93	12	24	6418	2640	77	5/34	34.28	2
MH Mankad (India)	1946-1956	38	2	1567	231	43.52	5	4	8026	3019	88	8/52	34.30	5
GS Sobers (WI)	1955-1974	79	8	4384	365*	61.74	17	11	9127	3445	100	5/63	34.45	2
EJ Barlow (SA)	1961-1970	55	2	2501	201	47.18	6	15	2793	1279	37	5/85	34.56	1
BE Congdon (NZ)	1965-1978	96	5	3104	176	34.10	7	17	4750	1838	53	5/65	34.67	1
WW Armstrong (Aus)	1902-1921	42	2	1646	159*	41.15	3	5	4464	1583	45	5/27	35.17	2

So which allrounder had to do the most bowling on average after batting in the top five? Goddard had one of the highest average number of balls bowled when batting in the top five in the same innings. He bowled 10894 balls in 72 innings - an average of 151.3 balls.

The highest average, however, belongs to India's Vinoo Mankad, who averaged 211 balls per innings for the 38 innings in which he batted in the top five. Mankad took 88 wickets at 34.30 apiece in those innings and scored 1567 runs at an average of 43,52.

Highest rate of balls bowled per innings when batting in the top 5 in the same innings (minimum of 20 innings)

Player	Span	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	50	Balls	Conc	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5	B/I
MH Mankad (India)	1946-1956	38	2	1567	231	43.52	5	4	8026	3019	88	8/52	34.30	5	211.2
TL Goddard (SA)	1955-1970	72	4	2337	112	34.36	1	16	10894	3055	114	6/53	26.79	5	151.3
G Giffen (Aus)	1883-1896	36	0	981	161	27.25	1	5	4944	2173	65	6/72	33.43	3	137.3
IT Botham (Eng)	1978-1987	20	1	994	208	52.31	3	4	2343	1313	34	5/46	38.61	1	117.1
GS Sobers (WI)	1955-1974	79	8	4384	365*	61.74	17	11	9127	3445	100	5/63	34.45	2	115.5
L Amarnath (India)	1933-1952	22	1	503	118	23.95	1	1	2437	900	22	5/118	40.90	1	110.7
GA Faulkner (SA)	1907-1912	29	2	1372	204	50.81	3	8	3105	1696	56	7/84	30.28	3	107.0
WW Armstrong (Aus)	1902-1921	42	2	1646	159*	41.15	3	5	4464	1583	45	5/27	35.17	2	106.2
KR Miller (Aus)	1946-1956	76	6	2687	147	38.38	7	12	7623	2891	129	7/60	22.41	6	100.3
TE Bailey (Eng)	1949-1959	29	1	749	134*	26.75	1	2	2744	893	43	7/34	20.76	2	94.6
JR Reid (NZ)	1949-1965	77	2	2732	135	36.42	5	18	7121	2630	79	6/60	33.29	1	92.4
RF Surti (India)	1961-1969	28	2	832	99	32.00	0	7	2450	1302	26	5/74	50.07	1	87.5
RJ Shastri (India)	1981-1992	49	2	1738	206	36.97	5	6	4100	1917	35	4/78	54.77	0	83.6
C Kelleway (Aus)	1911-1928	24	2	903	147	41.04	3	3	1985	832	17	3/46	48.94	0	82.7
MA Noble (Aus)	1899-1909	53	3	1561	133	31.22	1	14	4352	1880	61	7/17	30.81	2	82.1
FMM Worrell (WI)	1948-1962	60	7	3248	261	61.28	9	17	4802	1902	47	7/70	40.46	2	80.0
M Prabhakar (India)	1984-1995	30	2	905	120	32.32	1	5	2379	1165	35	5/104	33.28	1	79.3
RG Barlow (Eng)	1881-1887	21	1	403	62	20.15	0	1	1664	484	27	7/40	17.92	3	79.2
SA Durani (India)	1961-1973	21	0	509	104	24.23	1	2	1562	674	26	6/73	25.92	1	74.3
RM Cowper (Aus)	1964-1968	39	1	1898	307	49.94	5	9	2821	1058	33	4/48	32.06	0	72.3