Expensive wicket-takers

There was an odd similarity between the best bowlers in two recently-completed series - the West Indies-South Africa ODIs and the England-Bangladesh Tests. In the Caribbean, Morne Morkel claimed 11 wickets but, while his strike-rate of 17.50 was the best for South Africa, his economy-rate of 5.44 per over was worse than that of several team-mates. In England, Steve Finn dismissed 15 Bangladesh batsmen, evoking premature comparisons to Glenn McGrath. His strike-rate of 26.80 was the best among bowlers who played both Tests, but Finn's economy of 4.00, while nothing to fret about, was the highest for England. So this week we've looked up bowlers with outstanding career strike-rates despite going for more runs an over than they would have liked, and others who might have wanted to trade miserliness for wicket-taking ability.

Extremely few outstanding Test bowlers concede more than 3.50 runs per over. No one with over 200 wickets has gone for that much. Dale Steyn, currently on 196, could be the first. Steyn has an economy-rate of 3.55 per over, the worst after Fidel Edwards for bowlers with at least 100 wickets, but balances that with a strike-rate of 40. Not only is it the best strike-rate for bowlers who've conceded more than 3.50 runs per over, it's the fourth best among all bowlers who've bowled at least 2000 balls in Test cricket.

Another illustration of how expensive, yet incisive, Steyn has been is the comparison between his averages and those of other bowlers in Steyn's 38 Tests. Steyn's economy of 3.55 is the highest, ahead of Morkel and Zaheer Khan, who went for 3.50 each. Steyn's strike-rate though, is 12 balls fewer than that of Morkel's, and is second to only Matthew Hoggard's 36.10 during England's successful tour of South Africa in 2004-05.

Best career bowling strike-rate with an economy over 3.5 - Tests (qualification: 2000 balls)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	5
DW Steyn (SA)	2004-2010	38	7778	4609	196	7/51	23.51	3.55	39.68	13
JJC Lawson (WI)	2002-2005	13	2364	1512	51	7/78	29.64	3.83	46.35	2
CB Llewellyn (SA)	1896-1912	15	2292	1421	48	6/92	29.60	3.71	47.75	4
SP Jones (Eng)	2002-2005	18	2821	1666	59	6/53	28.23	3.54	47.81	3
BP Patterson (WI)	1986-1992	28	4829	2874	93	5/24	30.90	3.57	51.92	5
SL Malinga (SL)	2004-2007	28	4777	3076	91	5/68	33.80	3.86	52.49	2
JEC Franklin (NZ)	2001-2009	26	4399	2612	80	6/119	32.65	3.56	54.98	3
M Morkel (SA)	2006-2010	23	4355	2566	78	5/50	32.89	3.53	55.83	2
Q McMillan (SA)	1929-1932	13	2021	1243	36	5/66	34.52	3.69	56.13	2
C Sharma (India)	1984-1989	23	3470	2163	61	6/58	35.45	3.74	56.88	4
Umar Gul (Pak)	2003-2010	26	5516	3324	96	6/135	34.62	3.61	57.45	4
CRD Fernando (SL)	2000-2009	33	5126	3072	88	5/42	34.90	3.59	58.25	3
RP Singh (India)	2006-2008	13	2330	1564	40	5/59	39.10	4.02	58.25	1
FH Edwards (WI)	2003-2009	43	7259	4811	122	7/87	39.43	3.97	59.50	8
ALF de Mel (SL)	1982-1986	17	3518	2180	59	6/109	36.94	3.71	59.62	3
AM Blignaut (Zim)	2001-2005	19	3173	1964	53	5/73	37.05	3.71	59.86	3
JE Taylor (WI)	2003-2009	29	4935	2923	82	5/11	35.64	3.55	60.18	3
KR Pushpakumara (SL)	1994-2001	23	3792	2242	58	7/116	38.65	3.54	65.37	4
Shahadat Hossain (Ban)	2005-2010	29	4334	2992	66	6/27	45.33	4.14	65.66	4
A Sanford (WI)	2002-2004	11	2217	1316	30	4/132	43.86	3.56	73.90	0

Wisden describes England's William Attewell as a bowler with "exceptional accuracy in length", an expert at 'off theory' - bowling medium-pace deliveries wide outside off stump with a packed off-side field. His methods earned him the lowest economy-rate in Tests - 1.31 per over - but only 28 wickets in ten matches, at a strike-rate of 101.7.

The table below contains bowlers who are the anti-Steyn, ones with low economy-rates and high strike-rates. Indian left-arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni is perhaps the best example: he had an economy of 1.67 per over and averaged a wicket every 104 balls, a result of bizarre performances such as 32-24-23-0 and 34-24-24-1 against Pakistan, at Kanpur and Delhi in 1961, and 32-27-5-0 against England in Madras in 1964, a spell which included 21 consecutive maidens.

Worst career bowling strike-rate with an economy under 2.2 - Tests (qualification: 2000 balls)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	5
JB Mortimore (Eng)	1959-1964	9	2162	733	13	3/36	56.38	2.03	166.30	0
C Gladwin (Eng)	1947-1949	8	2129	571	15	3/21	38.06	1.60	141.93	0
JA Young (Eng)	1947-1949	8	2368	757	17	3/65	44.52	1.91	139.29	0
PR Umrigar (India)	1948-1962	59	4725	1473	35	6/74	42.08	1.87	135.00	2
ARA Murray (SA)	1952-1954	10	2374	710	18	4/169	39.44	1.79	131.88	0
AH Kardar (India/Pak)	1946-1958	26	2712	954	21	3/35	45.42	2.11	129.14	0
TR Veivers (Aus)	1963-1967	21	4191	1375	33	4/68	41.66	1.96	127.00	0
BL D'Oliveira (Eng)	1966-1972	44	5706	1859	47	3/46	39.55	1.95	121.40	0
HB Cave (NZ)	1949-1958	19	4074	1467	34	4/21	43.14	2.16	119.82	0
KD Mackay (Aus)	1956-1963	37	5792	1721	50	6/42	34.42	1.78	115.84	2
Shujauddin (Pak)	1954-1962	19	2313	801	20	3/18	40.05	2.07	115.65	0
GS Chappell (Aus)	1970-1984	87	5327	1913	47	5/61	40.70	2.15	113.34	1
DS Atkinson (WI)	1948-1958	22	5201	1647	47	7/53	35.04	1.90	110.65	3
RR Jumadeen (WI)	1972-1979	12	3140	1141	29	4/72	39.34	2.18	108.27	0
JV Coney (NZ)	1974-1987	52	2835	966	27	3/28	35.77	2.04	105.00	0
JE Emburey (Eng)	1978-1995	64	15391	5646	147	7/78	38.40	2.20	104.70	6
RG Nadkarni (India)	1955-1968	41	9165	2559	88	6/43	29.07	1.67	104.14	4
HJ Howarth (NZ)	1969-1977	30	8833	3178	86	5/34	36.95	2.15	102.70	2
W Attewell (Eng)	1884-1892	10	2850	626	28	4/42	22.35	1.31	101.78	0
NBF Mann (SA)	1947-1951	19	5796	1920	58	6/59	33.10	1.98	99.93	1

Which five bowlers have the best strike-rates in one-day internationals? Some names on the list, for bowlers with a minimum of 1000 balls, may surprise you - Ajantha Mendis, Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate, Shaun Tait, West Indian Tony Gray and Shane Bond. Tait's strike-rate of a wicket every 28 balls is the best among bowlers who concede more than five runs per over on average.

Ajit Agarkar, the former India fast bowler, will be remembered as someone who took wickets frequently but conceded an awful lot of runs. His stats - a strike-rate of 33 and economy of 5.07 - say as much. However, scroll down the table below and you'll spot Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan, with worse economies and higher strike-rates. They'd do extremely well to get anywhere near Agarkar's 288 wickets in 191 matches.

Best career bowling strike-rate with an economy over 5 - ODIs (qualification: 1000 balls)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	5
SW Tait (Aus)	2007-2009	22	1080	961	38	4/39	25.28	5.33	28.42	0
SCJ Broad (Eng)	2006-2010	59	2942	2521	97	5/23	25.98	5.14	30.32	1
Naved-ul-Hasan (Pak)	2003-2010	74	3466	3221	110	6/27	29.28	5.57	31.50	1
M Morkel (Afr/SA)	2007-2010	28	1439	1216	45	4/21	27.02	5.07	31.97	0
Umar Gul (Pak)	2003-2010	69	3316	2801	103	5/17	27.19	5.06	32.19	1
SB O'Connor (NZ)	1997-2000	38	1487	1396	46	5/39	30.34	5.63	32.32	2
JAR Blain (Scot)	1999-2009	33	1329	1173	41	5/22	28.60	5.29	32.41	1
AB Agarkar (India)	1998-2007	191	9484	8021	288	6/42	27.85	5.07	32.93	2
KLT Arthurton (WI)	1988-1999	105	1384	1159	42	4/31	27.59	5.02	32.95	0
DJ Bravo (WI)	2004-2010	107	4260	3721	129	4/19	28.84	5.24	33.02	0
I Sharma (India)	2007-2009	41	1878	1819	56	4/38	32.48	5.81	33.53	0
S Sreesanth (India)	2005-2010	49	2312	2326	68	6/55	34.20	6.03	34.00	1
IK Pathan (India)	2004-2009	107	5194	4547	152	5/27	29.91	5.25	34.17	1
SL Malinga (SL)	2004-2009	64	3114	2631	90	4/28	29.23	5.06	34.60	0
DW Steyn (Afr/SA)	2005-2010	41	2012	1778	58	4/16	30.65	5.30	34.68	0
AJ Ireland (Zim)	2005-2007	26	1326	1115	38	3/41	29.34	5.04	34.89	0
CRD Fernando (Asia/SL)	2001-2010	137	5978	5201	171	6/27	30.41	5.22	34.95	1
CK Langeveldt (SA)	2001-2010	68	3255	2728	93	5/39	29.33	5.02	35.00	2
LE Plunkett (Eng)	2005-2010	28	1303	1272	37	3/24	34.37	5.85	35.21	0
HK Olonga (Zim)	1995-2003	50	2059	1977	58	6/19	34.08	5.76	35.50	2

The table below contains bowlers with exceptional economy-rates in ODIs but poor strike-rates and it has four Zimbabweans in it - two past and two present. John Traicos conceded 3.88 per over during his 27-ODI career but took a wicket once every 80 balls. Left-arm medium Bryan Strang was a handy at containing too, ending with an economy-rate of 4.13 while striking every nine overs on average. Ray Price and Prosper Utseya, two current spinners, are carrying on that mantle. They are among the most economical bowlers in the world, conceding 3.89 and 4.13 an over respectively, while taking a wicket every nine and 11 overs.

Worst career bowling strike-rate with an economy under 4.2 - ODIs (qualification: 1000 balls)

Player	Span	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	5
AJ Traicos (Zim)	1983-1993	27	1524	987	19	3/35	51.94	3.88	80.21	0
P Willey (Eng)	1977-1986	26	1031	659	13	3/33	50.69	3.83	79.30	0
DN Patel (NZ)	1987-1997	75	3251	2261	45	3/22	50.24	4.17	72.24	0
Rashid Khan (Pak)	1980-1985	29	1414	923	20	3/47	46.15	3.91	70.70	0
BS Sandhu (India)	1982-1984	22	1110	763	16	3/27	47.68	4.12	69.37	0
KD Ghavri (India)	1975-1981	19	1033	708	15	3/40	47.20	4.11	68.86	0
Akram Raza (Pak)	1989-1995	49	2601	1611	38	3/18	42.39	3.71	68.44	0
P Utseya (Zim)	2004-2010	110	5547	3819	84	4/46	45.46	4.13	66.03	0
SD Anurasiri (SL)	1986-1994	45	2100	1464	32	3/40	45.75	4.18	65.62	0
EAE Baptiste (WI)	1983-1990	43	2214	1511	36	2/10	41.97	4.09	61.50	0
Tauseef Ahmed (Pak)	1982-1990	70	3250	2247	55	4/38	40.85	4.14	59.09	0
PH Edmonds (Eng)	1977-1987	29	1534	965	26	3/39	37.11	3.77	59.00	0
Arshad Ayub (India)	1987-1990	32	1769	1216	31	5/21	39.22	4.12	57.06	1
GR Larsen (NZ)	1990-1999	121	6368	4000	113	4/24	35.39	3.76	56.35	0
PL Symcox (SA)	1993-1999	80	3991	2762	72	4/28	38.36	4.15	55.43	0
RW Price (Zim)	2002-2010	78	4042	2624	74	4/22	35.45	3.89	54.62	0
JV Coney (NZ)	1979-1987	88	2931	2039	54	4/46	37.75	4.17	54.27	0
BC Strang (Zim)	1995-2001	49	2494	1718	46	6/20	37.34	4.13	54.21	1
PCR Tufnell (Eng)	1990-1997	20	1020	699	19	4/22	36.78	4.11	53.68	0
CE Cuffy (WI)	1994-2002	41	2153	1436	41	4/24	35.02	4.00	52.51	0