The best batsmen at each position

My blog post from January 9 has received a fair number of comments. Some of the readers have raised relevant queries and points which deserve a response. Here is my attempt to answer them, and also check out the best batsmen at each position.

A couple of readers have suggested that the two openers be allotted a number other than 1.00. The two suggestions offered are 1.5 or 2.0 for both openers. Both suggestions have their merits. 1.5 is more correct since the total for the two batsmen comes to 3.0 which is the sum of 1 and 2. However it does not look good as 1.0 or 2.0 would do. Allotting 2.0 to both batsmen is probably the better solution since it allows one to maintain continuity in numbers from 2.0 to 11.0. The other major benefit is that when an opener bats at 3.0, the variance will be a more correct 1.0 than the somewhat bloated 2.0 as is currently the case. Hence I have decided to allot both openers 2.0 and re-do the tables.

There will be no changes for the batsmen who have never opened. There will be no changes (other than a mean value of 2.0 as against the current 1.0) for the omni-present openers. For batsmen such as Boycott and Gavaskar there will be very little change. The change is significant only for those batsmen like Alec Stewart who have moved up and down the order quite frequently. Some of the key batsmen are compared below.

These are current up to the recently concluded second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Batsman            L Cty  Tests Inns BPTot  BPIdx MeanDev  Freq Batpos (%)
Revised
Stewart A.J          Eng   133  235    919   3.91   1.56    77 @  1( 32.8)
Previous
Stewart A.J          Eng   133  235    842   3.58   1.97    77 @  1( 32.8)
Revised
Jayasuriya S.T     ~ Slk   110  188    519   2.76   1.44   152 @  1( 80.9)
Previous
Jayasuriya S.T     ~ Slk   110  188    367   1.95   1.77   152 @  1( 80.9)
Revised
Langer J.L         ~ Aus   105  182    440   2.42   0.55   115 @  1( 63.2)
Previous
Langer J.L         ~ Aus   105  182    325   1.79   0.90   115 @  1 (63.2) 

It can be seen that the BP Index values are higher because the opening positions are assigned values of 2.0 instead of 1.0. However, more significantly, the Mean Variance values are significantly lower for all these players. These are probably the correct values. Alec Stewart remains the one who has been most tossed around, but he can derive some comfort from a mean variance value of around 1.5.

Just for the record, the top 25 batsmen in the revised table are listed in order of innings played. As per Steve Procter's suggestion, the Standard Deviation has been calculated and shown.

Batsman         L Cty  Tests Inns  BPIdx  M Dev   Freq Batpos (%) StdDev

Border A.R ~ Aus 156 265 4.70 0.98 89 @ 4( 33.6) 1.14 Waugh S.R Aus 168 260 5.42 0.74 142 @ 5( 54.6) 0.95 Stewart A.J Eng 133 235 3.91 1.56 77 @ 1( 32.8) 1.79 Tendulkar S.R Ind 144 233 4.29 0.60 189 @ 4( 81.1) 0.71 Lara B.C ~ Win 131 232 3.78 0.51 148 @ 4( 63.8) 0.65 Gooch G.A Eng 118 215 2.31 0.57 184 @ 1( 85.6) 0.80 Gavaskar S.M Ind 125 214 2.21 0.44 203 @ 1( 94.9) 1.42 Atherton M.A Eng 115 212 2.10 0.25 197 @ 1( 92.9) 0.49 Waugh M.E Aus 128 209 4.24 0.56 170 @ 4( 81.3) 0.67 Gower D.I ~ Eng 117 204 4.00 0.71 91 @ 4( 44.6) 0.87 Haynes D.L Win 116 202 2.03 0.03 201 @ 1( 99.5) 0.42 Dravid R Ind 117 201 3.29 0.78 146 @ 3( 72.6) 1.00 Inzamam-ul-Haq Pak 120 200 4.66 0.91 98 @ 4( 49.0) 1.15 Warne S.K Aus 145 199 8.29 0.82 113 @ 8( 56.8) 1.18 Kallis J.H Saf 114 194 3.77 0.61 96 @ 4( 49.5) 0.79 Boycott G Eng 108 193 2.02 0.13 191 @ 1( 99.0) 0.80 Boon D.C Aus 107 190 2.85 0.61 111 @ 3( 58.4) 0.84 Ponting R.T Aus 114 190 4.02 1.34 125 @ 3( 65.8) 1.46 Javed Miandad Pak 124 189 4.24 0.57 140 @ 4( 74.1) 0.71 Jayasuriya S.T ~ Slk 110 188 2.76 1.44 152 @ 1( 80.9) 1.72 Cowdrey M.C Eng 114 188 3.84 1.09 54 @ 5( 28.7) 1.28 Taylor M.A ~ Aus 104 186 2.00 0.00 186 @ 1(100.0) 0.00 Walsh C.A Win 132 185 10.62 0.65 122 @ 11( 65.9) 0.63 Greenidge C.G Win 108 185 2.03 0.13 182 @ 1( 98.4) 0.72 Vengsarkar D.B Ind 116 185 3.67 0.81 74 @ 3( 40.0) 1.03

This is another interesting request. It would be of considerable interest to see the highest averages at different batting positions, with a qualification of at least 1000 runs at that position. Some surprises are in store for us.

Opening: Sutcliffe H        Eng  4522      61.11

No surprise to see Herbert Sutcliffe at the top. He was amongst the best three openers of all time. He is followed by Bruce Mitchell with 2390 runs @ 56.90.

No.3:    Bradman D.G        Aus  5078     103.63

Again no one should be surprised to see the greatest ever batsman at this position, with a 100+ average, the only instance of a such an average. He is followed by Ken Barrington with 2626 runs at 77.24.

No.4:    Kallis J.H         Saf  5675      71.84

Jacques Kallis' consistency at this position is well-known and this accounts for his overall average of high 50s. Surprisingly he is followed by Sourav Ganguly with 1143 runs @ 71.44. Have the Indian selectors/captains missed a trick there?

No.5:    Worrell F.M.M      Win  1189      59.45

This is a proof of the domination of the famous Ws. They occupy the first three places. Frank Worrell is followed by Clyde Walcott with 1599 runs @ 59.22.

No.6:    Chanderpaul S    ~ Win  2087      63.24

Another surprise, or perhaps not. The difficulty opposing bowlers have in dismissing Shivnarine Chanderpaul is shown by his outstanding average at this pivotal position. He is followed by Salim Malik with 1591 runs @ 56.82.

No.7:    McMillan B.M       Saf  1051      58.39

Brian McMillan has outdone quite a few fancied others at this position. He is followed by the mercurial Gilchrist with 3864 runs @ 49.62.

No.8:    Vettori          ~ Nzl  1136      42.07

Can anyone deny Vettori's claims to an allrounder position when he bats like this at No. 8. He improved his No. 8 position average in the recently concluded Test with an aggressive 94. He is followed by Mark Boucher with 1034 runs at 34.47.

No batsman has scored 1000 runs at Nos.9, 10 and 11. Just for the record, Shaun Pollock has scored 534 runs @ 41.08 at No. 9 (min 500 runs). W. Oldfield has scored 263 runs at 26.30 at No.10 (min 250 runs). Brian Statham has scored 348 runs @ 13.92 at the No.11 position (min 250 runs).

Just to complete the analysis and in anticipation of reader demands, I have given below the best batting position, runs and average for a few key batsmen, with the proviso that a minimum of 1000 runs should have been scored in that position.

Chris Martin had an average of 2.00 (that is the BPI of an opener) until his last innings against Bangladesh when he reached his best ever score of 12 not out, increasing the average to 2.46. In the current Test he remained unbeaten on 0, thus remaining at the majestic figure of 2.46. The million-dollar question is if he will ever get 100 Test runs and reach a double-digit score again.