Best career bowling average

Best career bowling average in FC

Best averages

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10
F Pilch	1820-1854	229	670	192	142	7/?	1.35	1.71	4.7	3	0
S Cosstick	1860-1876	18	-	998	106	9/61	9.41	-	-	11	5
G Freeman	1865-1880	44	10075	2797	288	8/11	9.71	1.66	34.9	32	10
T Nixon	1841-1854	54	-	1338+	264	9/?	9.98*	-	-	23	7
W Clarke	1826-1855	143	14027+	4319+	795	9/29	9.99*	2.05*	29.2*	82	25
TW Wills	1854-1876	32	-	1221+	130	7/44	10.09*	-	-	15	3
A Mynn	1834-1859	212	-	3261+	1036	9/?	10.28*	-	-	92	33
J Wisden	1845-1863	186	24208+	7390+	1109	10/58	10.32*	1.9*	32.4*	111	39
FW Lillywhite	1825-1853	237	15265+	2435+	1576	10/?	10.36*	1.96*	28.2*	155	55
CE Goodman	1891-1897	15	-	1327+	126	8/40	10.7*	-	-	15	6
WR Hillyer	1835-1853	230	-	4458+	1482	8/26	11*	-	-	149	54
W Martingell	1839-1860	182	-	3886+	529	8/37	11.32*	-	-	37	4
J Jackson	1855-1867	115	20828+	7491+	655	9/27	11.52*	2.15*	32*	59	20
John Lillywhite	1848-1873	185	-	2463+	223	8/54	11.56*	-	-	12	2
J Woods	1893-1905	17	-	1238	107	7/38	11.57	-	-	10	2
A Rylott	1870-1888	85	16928	5333	456	9/30	11.69	1.89	37.1	39	14
J Bickley	1847-1860	38	-	1639+	141	8/7	11.7*	-	-	9	4
GF Tarrant	1860-1869	71	-	4887+	421	10/40	11.74*	-	-	41	16
S Draai	1973-1987	48	7873	2506	212	6/21	11.82	1.9	37.1	14	3
VA Barnes	1978-1995	68	11481	3862	323	9/46	11.95	2.01	35.5	24	6
W Mycroft	1873-1885	138	32345	10441	863	9/25	12.09	1.93	37.4	87	28
A Shaw	1864-1897	404	101967	24577	2027	10/73	12.12	1.44	50.3	177	44
J Grundy	1850-1869	298	-	11338+	1137	9/19	12.2*	-	-	84	24
CDB Marsham	1854-1866	34	-	2095+	180	9/64	12.25*	-	-	14	4
G Nash	1879-1885	58	7790	2868	232	8/14	12.36	2.2	33.5	17	5
F Hollands	1849-1859	31	-	1342+	124	6/15	12.42*	-	-	11	0
J Crossland	1878-1887	84	10264	4019	322	8/57	12.48	2.34	31.8	25	6
W McIntyre	1869-1880	97	18653	6436	510	8/31	12.61	2.07	36.5	53	14
E Willsher	1850-1875	267	-	16493+	1329	8/16	12.68*	-	-	107	30
F Wilding	1881-1900	34	-	1318	103	7/31	12.79	-	-	6	1
R Neill	1889-1906	20	-	1729	134	9/75	12.9	-	-	16	7
S Magiet	1972-1991	67	7346	2222	171	6/24	12.99	1.81	42.9	7	0
G Wootton	1861-1873	186	-	12500+	983	10/54	13*	-	-	87	34
ET Drake	1852-1871	55	-	2007+	197	8/61	13.03*	-	-	19	8
KM Mistry	1893-1928	39	4003	1370	104	8/70	13.17	2.05	38.4	6	2
W Slinn	1861-1864	19	-	1466	111	8/33	13.2	-	-	9	4
A Watson	1871-1893	303	65981	18423	1384	9/118	13.31	1.67	47.6	106	27
FE Allan	1867-1883	31	5052	1638	123	8/20	13.31	1.94	41	11	2
A Jabaar	1974-1991	57	9662	3121	233	7/38	13.39	1.93	41.4	14	3
F Morley	1871-1883	232	53628	17103	1274	8/26	13.42	1.91	42	119	36
W Caffyn	1849-1873	200	-	7872+	602	9/29	13.47*	-	-	49	11
E Peate	1879-1890	209	47116	14517	1076	8/5	13.49	1.84	43.7	94	27
T Emmett	1866-1888	426	60135	21314	1572	9/23	13.55	2.12	38.2	122	29
J Dean snr	1835-1861	305	23770+	7084+	1144	9/34	13.62*	2.19*	37*	86	18
MR Magiet	1971-1980	37	4852	1486	109	7/35	13.63	1.83	44.5	6	1
GA Lohmann	1884-1897	293	71724	25295	1841	9/28	13.73	2.11	38.9	176	57
H Richardson	1887-1894	65	10153	2545	185	7/24	13.75	1.5	54.8	10	1
JC Boucher	1930-1954	28	-	2359	168	7/13	14.04	-	-	18	5
T Hearne	1857-1876	173	11948+	3993+	292	6/12	14.1*	2*	42.2*	16	2
W Hickton	1867-1878	60	10958	4020	284	10/46	14.15	2.2	38.5	24	7
T Armitage	1872-1886	57	4237	1723	121	7/26	14.23	2.43	35	12	3
CTB Turner	1882-1910	155	41808	14152	993	9/15	14.25	2.03	42.1	102	35
A Hill	1871-1883	193	30032	10687	749	8/48	14.26	2.13	40	57	10
JC Shaw	1865-1875	115	27321	9184	642	9/86	14.3	2.01	42.5	59	18
J Southerton	1854-1879	286	68668	24280	1682	9/30	14.43	2.12	40.8	192	59
RC Tinley	1847-1874	117	-	4281+	309	8/12	14.46*	-	-	22	5
T Sherman	1846-1870	82	7643+	2662+	344	8/?	14.46*	2.08*	41.5*	29	8
PH Morton	1877-1886	31	5077	2019	139	7/45	14.52	2.38	36.5	14	2
RG Barlow	1871-1891	351	43468	13799	950	9/39	14.52	1.9	45.7	66	14
VE Walker	1856-1877	145	10009	4858	334	10/74	14.54	2.91	29.9	27	8
AB Cumberbatch	1896-1910	27	4205	1949	133	8/27	14.65	2.78	31.6	11	4
AD Downes	1887-1914	51	-	4564	311	8/35	14.67	-	-	33	13
A Booth	1931-1947	38	7242	1931	131	6/21	14.74	1.59	55.2	7	1
T Hayward	1854-1872	118	9655	3937	267	9/30	14.74	2.44	36.1	19	2
WS Patterson	1874-1882	41	-	2330+	163	7/30	14.74*	-	-	17	5
AG Steel	1877-1893	162	30580	11665	789	9/63	14.78	2.28	38.7	64	20
H Verity	1930-1939	378	84219	29145	1956	10/10	14.9	2.07	43	164	54
FR Spofforth	1874-1888	155	30593	12759	853	9/18	14.95	2.5	35.8	84	32

Minimum of 100 wickets (where the runs conceded are known)

Records includes the following current or recent matches:

Lions v KwaZulu-Natal Inland at Johannesburg, CSA 4-Day Series Division 1 28th match, Feb 9-11, 2026 [First-class]

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited v Water and Power Development Authority at Lahore, President's Trophy Grade-I final, Feb 8-11, 2026 [First-class]

Knights v Easterns at Bloemfontein, CSA 4-Day Series Division 2 final, Feb 6-10, 2026 [First-class]

Bengal v Andhra at Kalyani, Ranji Trophy 3rd quarter final, Feb 6-10, 2026 [First-class]