Part-time bowlers, and dots and boundaries

One of the features of the IPL this year has been the manner in which spin has played such a dominant role. South Africa isn't traditionally known as a spinners' haven, but with the tournament being played at the end of the season, the pitches have been slow, and the lack of pace has been the mantra for all bowling teams.

Conditions have been such that not only have the specialist spinners had a good time, even the part-timers have enjoyed plenty of success. Rohit Sharma has led the way - he is closer to the purple cap prize for the highest-wicket-taker than the corresponding award for runs - while JP Duminy and Suresh Raina are two others who've given their captains more-than-handy options with the ball.

One of the reasons spinners, even the part-time ones, have done so well is the fact that they've dried up the boundaries much better than the fast bowlers. The two tables below list out the bowlers whose boundary percentages are the lowest and the highest (in terms of balls bowled per boundary, among those who've bowled at least 75 deliveries). The first list comprises almost entirely of spinners, while the second is made up completely of fast and medium-fast bowlers.

The bowler heading the first list isn't a specialist spinner but Duminy, who has conceded only two fours and two sixes in the 84 balls he has bowled so far, an average of 21 balls per boundary conceded. He has bowled in four games so far, and has twice completed his full quota going at less than four per over. Bangalore's current captain is next, averaging 14.39 balls per boundary, while the amazingly consistent Pragyan Ojha is third with just 13 fours and three sixes conceded in 225 balls. In fact, in ten matches only once has he conceded more than seven runs per over. Murali Kartik has been economical as well, but unlike Ojha he has found wickets hard come by, taking just three so far. Among the part-timers, Rohit and Raina figure prominently in the top ten.

At the other end of the spectrum are the bowlers who've leaked boundaries in abundance, and at the top of that list is Chennai's Manpreet Gony, who had such an excellent IPL last time but has struggled to make an impression in South Africa. In 78 balls he has conceded 21 boundaries - 14 fours and seven sixes. He is followed closely by Punjab's Sreesanth, who has been taken apart in every match he has played. Those two are the only bowlers who've leaked more than ten per over (among those who've bowled 75 balls). Ajit Agarkar has been equally infuriating for Kolkata and follows in third place, followed by another bowler who was a big hit last year but has struggled this time. Yusuf Abdulla has taken plenty of wickets, but he has also been generous in conceding boundaries: he is third in the list of bowlers who've conceded the most number of sixes, after Shane Warne (13) and Piyush Chawla (11). Irfan Pathan, who is in tenth spot, has given away the most number of fours - 33.

Teams and their run scoring/conceding patterns

Delhi and Chennai, the two top teams so far, have clearly done the basics right, playing the least number of dot balls - they, along with Deccan, are the three teams whose dot-ball percentages are less than 40. Their boundary percentages are high too, which suggests they are doing plenty of things right in that department.

Among the bowling teams, Rajasthan have done better than anyone else in squeezing th pressure by bowling dot balls. Mumbai's boundary percentage conceded is low, but they've also struggled to hit the boundaries when batting. Punjab have leaked the highest percentage of boundaries, thanks largely to Sreesanth, while Kolkata's bowling stats are pretty dismal as well - their runs per wicket is easily the worst among all teams.