Bradman v Headley, and Tharanga's tons

When Michael Vaughan was batting on 96 against West Indies at Headingley, he had 15 hundreds and 15 fifties to his name. A streaky four through the slips tilted the scales to 16 centuries and 14 half-centuries, putting him among the top ten batsmen with the best conversion rates. Although it had been two years since his last hundred - 166 against Australia at Old Trafford in 2005 - Vaughan played only nine innings during that period, a little higher than the average number of tries he needs to score a century.

The White Headley and the Black Bradman - Don Bradman and George Headley - have the best conversion rates in Test cricket. Bradman hit a century 29 out of the 42 times he went past fifty and Headley reached hundred ten out of the 15 times he scored a half-century. The two of them also have the highest frequency of centuries in Tests. Bradman hit his 29 centuries in 80 innings while Headley played 40 innings for his ten hundreds.

While Bradman stays on top of the table for the highest frequency of fifties, Headley drops to 20th in that table. Second spot is occupied by Michael Hussey who has scored eight fifties and five hundreds in 26 innings. And remember Asim Kamal? He began his Test career with 99 against South Africa and scored seven more fifties in 19 innings. However, he hasn't played a Test since England toured Pakistan in 2005.

Best ratio of hundreds to innings played - Tests (qualification: 20 innings)

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	100/i
DG Bradman (Aus)	1928-1948	52	80	6996	334	99.94	29	13	0.362
GA Headley (WI)	1930-1954	22	40	2190	270*	60.83	10	5	0.250
CL Walcott (WI)	1948-1960	44	74	3798	220	56.68	15	14	0.202
JF Reid (NZ)	1979-1986	19	31	1296	180	46.28	6	2	0.193
MEK Hussey (Aus)	2005-2007	16	26	1597	182	79.85	5	8	0.192
VG Kambli (India)	1993-1995	17	21	1084	227	54.20	4	3	0.190
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	1924-1935	54	84	4555	194	60.73	16	23	0.190
ED Weekes (WI)	1948-1958	48	81	4455	207	58.61	15	19	0.185
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	1998-2007	75	126	6553	223	56.00	23	27	0.182
RT Ponting (Aus)	1995-2007	110	183	9368	257	59.29	33	36	0.180

The batsman with the second best conversion rate in ODIs has played only 86 matches spanning ten years, hasn't played a World Cup and isn't close to being selected for his country at present. VVS Laxman has reached hundred six out of the 16 times he's passed fifty, putting him in second place behind Upul Tharanga.

Tharanga has six hundreds and eight fifties in 54 innings and not only has the best conversion rate at the moment but also the second highest frequency of scoring hundreds. In fact he scored his six centuries in his first 29 innings but hasn't crossed three figures since the Champions Trophy in October 2006.

Best ratio of hundreds to innings played - ODIs (qualification: 20 innings)

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	100/i
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)	1974-1985	62	60	2572	123	47.62	7	13	0.116
KP Pietersen (Eng/ICC)	2004-2007	51	45	2026	116	56.27	5	14	0.111
WU Tharanga (SL)	2005-2007	57	54	1819	120	33.68	6	8	0.111
SR Tendulkar (India)	1989-2007	384	374	14847	186*	44.05	41	77	0.109
ME Trescothick (Eng)	2000-2006	123	122	4335	137	37.37	12	21	0.098
G Gambhir (India)	2003-2007	21	21	602	103	28.66	2	2	0.095
CH Gayle (ICC/WI)	1999-2007	168	165	5924	153*	37.97	15	30	0.090
RL Taylor (NZ)	2006-2007	24	22	706	128*	33.61	2	3	0.090
CG Greenidge (WI)	1975-1991	128	127	5134	133*	45.03	11	31	0.086
Saleem Elahi (Pak)	1995-2004	48	47	1579	135	36.72	4	9	0.085

Kevin Pietersen burst into the limelight with three hundreds and three half-centuries in his first ten innings after which he suffered a century drought which lasted 31 innings. He passed fifty 11 times during that period but his inability to reach hundred severely affected his conversion rate which is around 26%.

The list of players who've taken ten wickets in a match most often, is dominated by bowlers who thrived on uncovered pitches before World War II. But as you scroll down, in ninth place is Muttiah Muralitharan with a whopping 19 ten-wicket hauls in 110 Tests. Shane Warne is second with ten in 145 Tests and, among the current bowlers, Anil Kumble is closest to Murali with nine ten-wicket hauls. Murali also has 57 five-wicket hauls in an innings which means he takes a five-for in every other match.

Best ratio of 10-wicket-hauls to matches played - Tests (qualification: 10 matches)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	5	10	10w/m
T Richardson (Eng)	1893-1898	14	4498	2220	88	8/94	25.22	11	4	0.285
GA Lohmann (Eng)	1886-1896	18	3830	1205	112	9/28	10.75	9	5	0.277
SF Barnes (Eng)	1901-1914	27	7873	3106	189	9/103	16.43	24	7	0.259
AP Freeman (Eng)	1924-1929	12	3732	1707	66	7/71	25.86	5	3	0.250
FR Spofforth (Aus)	1877-1887	18	4185	1731	94	7/44	18.41	7	4	0.222
C Blythe (Eng)	1901-1910	19	4546	1863	100	8/59	18.63	9	4	0.210
CV Grimmett (Aus)	1925-1936	37	14513	5231	216	7/40	24.21	21	7	0.189
RG Holland (Aus)	1984-1986	11	2889	1352	34	6/54	39.76	3	2	0.181
M Muralitharan (ICC/SL)	1992-2006	110	36705	14649	674	9/51	21.73	57	19	0.172
H Ironmonger (Aus)	1928-1933	14	4695	1330	74	7/23	17.97	4	2	0.142

Shane Bond, when he isn't injured, has managed to take six four-wicket hauls and four five-fors in just 67 matches, putting him in second spot in both our tables. Waqar Younis is the only bowler with over 200 ODIs to appear in the list below, which is a testament to his striking-ability and to how difficult it is to sustain such performances over a long career.

Best ratio of 5-wickets-in-an-innings to matches played - ODIs (qualification: 20 matches)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	4	5	5w/m
BA Williams (Aus)	2002-2004	25	1203	814	35	5/22	23.25	1	2	0.080
SE Bond (NZ)	2002-2007	67	3446	2416	125	6/19	19.32	6	4	0.059
VC Drakes (WI)	1995-2004	34	1640	1293	51	5/33	25.35	3	2	0.058
VJ Marks (Eng)	1980-1988	34	1838	1135	44	5/20	25.79	0	2	0.058
SB O'Connor (NZ)	1997-2000	38	1487	1396	46	5/39	30.34	1	2	0.052
RDM Leverock (Ber)	2006-2007	20	1027	727	21	5/53	34.61	0	1	0.050
Waqar Younis (Pak)	1989-2003	262	12698	9919	416	7/36	23.84	14	13	0.049
MS Kasprowicz (Aus)	1995-2005	43	2225	1674	67	5/45	24.98	1	2	0.046
M Hendrick (Eng)	1973-1981	22	1248	681	35	5/31	19.45	2	1	0.045
FH Edwards (WI)	2003-2006	23	1077	839	26	6/22	32.26	0	1	0.043