Played 42, won 0

Graham Dilley, the former England fast bowler who died on October 5, was part of remarkably few Test wins despite having a record most cricketers would gladly settle for. Dilley's victories - Headingley 1981 and Brisbane 1986-87 - were memorable and came in successful Ashes campaigns, but they were his only successes in a 41-Test career. His win/loss ratio is among the lowest for Test bowlers with averages of less than 30. This week's column is about cricketers who were part of few wins despite possessing impressive individual records.

Bert Sutcliffe, the former New Zealand batsman, played one more Test than Dilley did, but his team didn't win any of them. His 42-Test career is the record for the longest without a victory. Sutcliffe finished as New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer, with 2727 runs at an average of 40.10, having missed the three Tests his country won during his career (1947 to 1965) - at Eden Park in 1956, and at Newlands and in Port Elizabeth in 1962.

Charlie Davis played in 15 out of West Indies' 25 Tests between December 1968 and April 1973. He made 1301 runs at an average of 54.20, with four centuries and four fifties in 29 innings but was never part of a Test win. West Indies beat only New Zealand, in Auckland in 1969, during his period and Davis was not part of that team.

Among present batsmen with Test averages of more than 40, the lowest win/loss ratios belong to Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor. Ryder averages nearly 45 but his only Test win in 16 matches was against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2008. Taylor averages 41 after 30 Tests but has been part of only four victories.

Jack Cowie, the fast bowler, played for New Zealand between 1937 and 1949, when they were good at drawing Tests, not winning them. Cowie took 41 wickets at an average of 21, but New Zealand drew seven and lost two of those nine Tests. He is the first on the list of bowlers with averages below 30 and the lowest win-loss ratios.

Kemar Roach has the lowest win-loss ratio among present bowlers who average below 30 in Tests. Roach has 40 wickets at 29.90 each but West Indies have won only one of his 12 Tests, against Pakistan in Providence in 2011. That match and the victory at St George's Park against South Africa in 2007 are the only two wins Roach's captain, Darren Sammy, has been part of after 16 Tests.

• In one-day internationals, Gavin Hamilton has the smallest win percentage for batsmen with an average greater than 35. Hamilton averaged 35.17 in 38 ODIs, of which Scotland won only 10, giving him a win percentage of 27.70. Andy Flower's 29.40 win percentage is the lowest for batsmen from a Full Member nation. Zimbabwe won 59 of Flower's 213 ODIs.