NEIL MANTHORP: More stats mean more nuance, but Proteas can still look at lowly dot balls
BASEBALL aficionados cannot believe how few statistics there are in cricket, and yet fans of the game reckon that we’ve got quite enough to be getting on with and even that we are overreliant on them when it comes to judging the value and worth of a player.Especially dreaded averages. Favourable home conditions, weak opposition, strong teammates, selfish accumulation of not outs — they all contribute to averages. And that’s just the tip of the stump.A baseball-mad Japanese colleague with a passing interest in cricket once asked many years ago whether Jonty Rhodes was SA’s best fielder and was utterly nonplussed by the response of "probably".On hearing that there were no records of "run saves" in the field he became bewildered but that turned to derision on discovering that run outs were also not credited in the annals.Baseball statistics are equally bewildering when cricket followers first encounter them. Some, frankly, seem absurd. But one that makes perfect sense is the differenti...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.