Test-series performances: the top allrounders
A detailed stats analysis of the greatest Test-series performances by allrounders
Garry Sobers: 722 runs and 20 wickets in a five-match series • PA Photos/Getty Images
Last month I had embarked on a major project. This had been triggered by a few comments on performance of allrounders in series. Finally after covering the batsmen, bowlers and teams, I have covered the allrounders in Test series, the idea I started with. This concludes the current series of articles but there are some very good follow-up ideas, especially relating to the teams analysis which will be done later.
The weight basis is the same as has been done in the batting and bowling analyses. The relevant factors considered is given below in summary form. I do not want to repeat the details here.
Batting - Runs scored 1. Where the series was played 2. Series situation 3. Quality of bowling 4. Pitch type 5. Support provided / % of score
The key to the all-rounder analysis is in setting the criteria for selection as an all-round performance. Independent bars have to be set up for batting and bowling. These bars cannot be too high: Very few performances would come in. These bars cannot be too close to the ground: Batsmen who can bowl and bowlers who can bat would sneak in. I have arrived at the following criteria after a few trials.
This stiff set of criteria let in only 60 series-level performances making this quite an exclusive and privileged group. That is the purpose behind the exercise also.
Acknowledging the importance of wicketkeepers in a side and the prevailing conviction that wicket-keepers are allrounders, I have done a set of tables for wicketkeepers at the end.
Since we need to consider runs and wickets captured together, I have used 30 runs per wicket as a rough conversion factor to work out a common Run index. The overall 135-year average is just short of 30.0. I debated using the series RpW figure. However this figure has already been used in determining the Pitch type and I did not want double counting of this. Already steps have been taken to see that, if the RpW was high, the runs would discounted and wickets inflated and vice versa. So I have used a standard measure for conversion across. This conversion is necessary to determine the average contribution per match, of players across the series. One table is drawn based on this.
Readers would note that this average is not used in setting up the criteria for selection. These are two different factors. The criteria have been set using ball-park figures and my judgement while the equalization methodology of determining the Run index requires a more objective basis.
This time I have used the actual number of Tests played while determining the average performances. Only series which a player has played a minimum of 3 Tests have been included in this analysis. Also, the three Triangular tournaments, the 1912 one and the two Asian Championships are not included. This is because these are not bi-lateral series.
The tables are shown for 6, 5, 4 and 3 test series. These are ordered on the base information, which is the Run index.
Ser Year Hme-Awy Player For #-P RunIdx Avge R W Wt-R Wt-W
Botham leads the 6-Test series. In the 5-test series, Sobers' once-in-a-100-years performance of 722 runs and 20 wickets leads the way. Giffen, with 475 runs and 34 wickets, is just behind. Look at the number of times Sobers has appeared in the 5-test table.
Bill Edrich, with 552 runs and 16 wickets is a surprise leader in the 4-test group. However look at the performance of Imran Khan in the series against England. 212 runs and 21 wickets. Johnson is a surprise presence here, however, 255 runs and 16 wickets indicating a real allrounder. It is also interesting to note that 4 out of the 8 players in the 3-Test category are Pakistani players.
Now for the second table, a completely performance-based one. This is ordered on the average Run index per match. In other words, consider as approximately equivalent to the number of runs scored per match. To understand the significance a Run index average of 200 indicates 1000 runs in a series, a figure not yet reached.
Ser Year Hme-Awy Player For #-P RunIdx Avge R W Wt-R Wt-W
Imran Khan, with a Run index value of 304, stop for a moment to digest this figure, 300+ runs per Test, leads this performance-oriented table. Sobers' stupendous series during 1966 follows closely with a near-300 figure. Giffen has also got a Run index value exceeding 290. How about Johnson going through a 3-test series averaging 276 runs per test.
Just to complete the Series bowling analysis, I have given below the table of allrounders who have met the tough criteria set. This is a clear indication of the quality of allrounders. Very few would be surprised at the results. Sobers leads with 6 such performances, indicating that he is the supreme allrounder. Botham, five times, Miller and Flintoff, possibly unexpectedly, four times each, confirm their claim to greatness. Surprises, Kapil Dev just once and the presence of Johnson and Harbhajan Singh.
Sobers: 6 Botham: 5 Miller: 4 Flintoff: 4 on 2, plenty (J.M.Gregory, Imran Khan, Hadlee, Greig, Kallis).
On this strong evidence, there is very little doubt that Sobers is the supreme allrounder. Botham has also performed the all-round feats in series quite often. Miller, not surprisingly, and Flintoff, quite surprisingly, have reached the lofted heights four times each.
To download the complete list of players who have crossed 500 runs in a Test series, please right-click here and save the file.
Now for the allrounders hall of fame (or more correctly, shame). While I sympathise with these players, I like this part of the exercise since it throws a challenge to me to identify such performances. The only criteria I have set is that the concerned player should have captured 100 Test wickets and scored 2000 Test runs. This is to ensure that the list contains only regular allrounders.
Ser Year Hme-Awy Player For #-P RunIdx Avge R W
Sobers and Botham are arguably the top two allrounders ever. However they had nightmare series. The above players scored less than 30 runs per Test and captured fewer than one wicket per Test. Their average Run index was less than 35, in eminently forgettable series for all. However, let us not forget that Sobers and Botham are the top two allrounders in the performance table.
The minimum number of wicket-keeper dismissals has been set at a slightly higher level than the wickets (12/14/16/18). The wicket-keeping allrounder table is ordered on the Run index, which is determined by assigning a value of 20 runs per dismissal. This has been done with some basis. 26 is the highest number of dismissals in this group and 600 runs. Hence the number 20 has been chosen. In case you think that this is arbitrarily done, it is true. However do not forget that it is the same for all wicket-keepers and we are not comparing outside the wicket-keeper domain.
Ser Year Hme-Awy Player For #-P RunIdx Avge R D Wt-R
Look at Gilchrist's 2002 series against South Africa. In 3 Tests, Gilchrist scored 473 runs (this is a performance Bradman would have been proud of) being weighted into 549 runs, away against top quality bowling. He dismissed 14 batsmen, this working out to 280 runs. The total is 829 equivalent runs, averaging 276 runs per Test. One would be at a loss of words to describe this performance.
Andy Flower was equally impressive against Sri Lanka. Playing for a weaker team, he scored just a few runs fewer and almost the same number of dismissals. An average Run index of 226 is ample proof of Andy Flower's contribution in a decent series for Zimbabwe.
Dennis Lindsay's performance in the South African series against Australia has been discussed quite a lot during the Series Batting analysis discussions. 606 runs and 24 dismissals must rank amongst the most impressive all-round performances ever, bowling or wicket-keeping type.
No Indian wicket-keeper has met the criteria set indicating the lack of wicket-keeper-batsmen amongst the Indian players.
Now for the wicket-keepers who have cleared the bar a number of times.
Gilchrist: 7 Stewart: 2 Dujon: 2 Jacobs: 2 Haddin: 2 1 (10 keepers have reached this once each).
The above table tells a story, loud and clear. Gilchrist has achieved the selected landmarks in seven series. Four other keepers, twice. For those who compare Dhoni and Gilchrist, I would like to point out that Dhoni has not reached the set target even once. At least Prior, Akmal, McCullum, Boucher, Haddin, Sangakkara amongst modern keepers have got at least one successful jump over the bar.
I would conclude saying that, as wicket-keeper allrounders go, Gilchrist is as far ahead of the rest of the field as Bradman was, of the next batsmen.
The Readers' list
This is not a merit list since I have not come out with my list. This is just a list of all-rounders who missed the cut. Please check the downloaded file before sending an entry. Also please send the complete series figures for me to consider inclusion.
1. Warne's 249 runs and 40 wickets during 2005 vs England, away (Boll/Raghav). 2. Davidson's 212 runs and 33 wickets during 1960 vs West Indies (Waspsting). 3. Marshall's 244 runs and 33 wickets during 1983 vs India, away (Ravi). 4. Botham's 187 runs and 19 wkts in 3 tests during 1979 vs Aus away (Gerry). 5. Kapil's 278 runs and 32 wkts vs Pak during 1979 (Ganesh). 6. Noble's 417 runs and 16 wkts vs Eng during 1903 (Boll). 7. Healy's 356 runs and 15 dismissals vs Win in 1996-97 (Boll). 8. Marsh's 297 runs and 17 dismissals vs Win in 1972-73, away (Boll). 9. Procter's 209 runs and 28 wickets, in 4 Tests, vs Aus during 1970 (Blakeley).
Anantha Narayanan has written for ESPNcricinfo and CastrolCricket and worked with a number of companies on their cricket performance ratings-related systems