The cutting edge

The square-cut stars
After checking out the best cover-drivers and defenders, this week's column examines the exponents of the square-cut. As in the study on cover-drivers, this analysis too places a premium on the average runs scored per dismissal when executing this stroke. Using this criterion for batsmen who have scored at least 200 runs from the square-cut in Tests since September 2001 (when Wisden Cricinfo began recording ball-by-ball data for every delivery bowled in international matches), the player who comes out on top of the list is Adam Gilchrist, with 283 runs and only one dismissal, giving him an outstanding average. Gilchrist plays most strokes exceedingly well, but his execution of the square-cut is particularly impressive for the manner in which he is able to latch on to even a fractional error in length, plundering runs off deliveries that most batsmen would be content to defend off the back foot. And the fact that he's only been dismissed once while playing it is a tribute to his judgement and his hand-eye coordination.

The next few slots are occupied by classy strokeplayers as well: Michael Vaughan, Mahela Jayawardene and Ramnaresh Sarwan have a higher strike rate than Gilchrist, while Marvan Atapattu's version, a rasping shot with a particularly exaggerated but lovely follow-through, gives him a high average and an excellent scoring rate.

Atapattu's strike rate of 179.67 is impressive, but it isn't the best. That honour goes to Chris Gayle, whose square-cut is rather less pleasing to the eye, but probably more demoralising for the bowler. Sanath Jayasuriya, another in the Gayle mould, is in the top five as well, while Kumar Sangakkara doesn't hit them with as much raw power, but as the strike rate of 195 shows, it's a mighty effective stroke for him.

And if the sorting is done slightly differently, then another Australian legend heads the list. The square-cut was clearly a favourite stroke for Steve Waugh, and it shows in the stats - the shot fetched him nearly 16% of his total Test runs during this period.

Among the players who missed the cut are Jacques Kallis, whose average of 101.33 puts him in 11th place in that list. Brian Lara has an aggregate of 402, but his relatively high number of dismissals - seven - means that the average drops to just 57, putting him in 28th place.

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