Muttiah Muralitharan has taken more than 40% of Sri Lanka's wickets in the Tests they've won © AFP

A few days back I posted an article on the runs scored by batsmen in winning cause. A number of comments were received which indicated that the batting averages in winning Tests is a very important indicator. I have done the work but will post the tables in a later article since I want to do justice to the bowlers. In fact the bowlers' analysis is as different from the batsmen analysis as chalk and cheese.

The reason is very simple and fundamental. Look at the following two Tests.

In 1932, Australia scored 153 runs in the match and WON.

    South Africa:36 & 45.
    Australia: 153.

In 1921, England scored 817 runs in the match and LOST.

    Australia: 354 & 582.
    England: 447 & 370.

The common thread running through these two extreme matches is that the winning team captured 20 wickets. This is the mandatory requirement of all wins, barring a few matches in which there might have been declarations or retired-hurt situations.

So I am going to take a somewhat different look at the bowlers' analysis. I have also been influenced by Unnikrishnan's excellent suggestion that the % runs should be calculated for each match, summed and averaged. I applied that to the bowler analysis. However let me inform Unni that there is almost no difference at all in the two ways of calculations since the team wickets is 20 for over 99% of the matches. There would obviously be a difference in batting because the total team runs in won matches vary a lot. I have also compared the bowling averages of bowlers, in winning causes, to the bowling averages of the other bowlers.

This time I have done a table of the top 25 for each of these analysis and a single team-based table, listing only the top-10 for each team. The full table is available through a link.

The criteria is simple. The bowler should have been involved in a minimum of 10 wins and captured over 100 wickets in their career.

1. Top 25 bowlers based on % of team wickets in wins

No Cty  Bowler            Mat Wins  Wkts  Wkts %-of-Wkts
                                     Own  Team

 1.Eng  Barnes S.F         27   13   115   260   44.23
 2.Slk  Muralitharan M    129   53   430  1060   40.57
 3.Nzl  Hadlee R.J         86   22   173   440   39.32
 4.Aus  Grimmett C.V       37   20   143   400   35.75
 5.Ind  Chandrasekhar B.S  58   14    98   276   35.71
 6.Saf  Steyn D.W          33   18   124   360   34.44
 7.Saf  Tayfield H.J       37   11    74   220   33.64
 8.Ind  Kumble A          132   43   284   860   33.02
 9.Aus  Lillee D.K         70   31   203   618   32.80
10.Aus  O'Reilly W.J       27   14    91   279   32.61
11.Eng  Fraser A.R.C       46   12    78   240   32.50
12.Eng  Peel R             20   12    78   240   32.50
13.Eng  Lohmann G.A        18   15    94   300   31.33
14.Aus  McKenzie G.D       60   18   112   360   31.11
15.Eng  Gough D            58   18   105   342   30.83
16.Pak  Imran Khan         88   26   155   520   29.81
17.Win  Marshall M.D       81   43   254   857   29.62
18.Win  Ramadhin S         43   13    76   260   29.23
19.Ind  Bedi B.S           67   17    97   336   28.90
20.Win  Croft C.E.H        27   10    57   200   28.50
21.Pak  Waqar Younis       87   39   222   780   28.46
22.Saf  Donald A.A         72   33   187   660   28.33
23.Eng  Caddick A.R        62   21   114   402   28.27
24.Aus  Davidson A.K       44   16    89   320   27.81
25.Aus  Trumble H          32   14    77   280   27.50

Let us give Barnes his place at the top. That is to be expected, considering that he captured 7 wickets per Test which became nearly 9 per Test in won matches. Muralitharan and Hadlee's high +-40% is to be expected considering that they were the leading bowlers for their respectiove teams, by a wide margin. Grimmett is also to be expected. This single position is also enough to show the contribution that Chandrasekhar has made for Indian cricket. Steyn is fast emerging as one of the great bowlers. Then come the two great spinners, Tayfield and Kumble. Lillee's 6.5 wickets per Test for a strong Australia is a revelation. The top-10 is rounded off by O'Reilly, the other great leg spinner of the 1920s.

The top-10 has 6 spinners. Also 6 modern bowlers appear in these positions.

To view the complete list, please click here.

2. Top 5 bowlers for each country based on % of team wickets in wins

Cty  Bowler            Mat Wins  Wkts  Wkts %-of-Wkts
                                  Own  Team

Aus  Grimmett C.V       37   20   143   400   35.75
Aus  Lillee D.K         70   31   203   618   32.80
Aus  O'Reilly W.J       27   14    91   279   32.61
Aus  McKenzie G.D       60   18   112   360   31.11
Aus  Davidson A.K       44   16    89   320   27.81
...
Eng  Barnes S.F         27   13   115   260   44.23
Eng  Fraser A.R.C       46   12    78   240   32.50
Eng  Peel R             20   12    78   240   32.50
Eng  Lohmann G.A        18   15    94   300   31.33
Eng  Gough D            58   18   105   342   30.83
...
Ind  Chandrasekhar B.S  58   14    98   276   35.71
Ind  Kumble A          132   43   284   860   33.02
Ind  Bedi B.S           67   17    97   336   28.90
Ind  Harbhajan Singh    77   31   168   619   27.13
Ind  Prasanna E.A.S     49   15    81   300   27.00
...
Nzl  Hadlee R.J         86   22   173   440   39.32
Nzl  Martin C.S         50   12    59   240   24.58
Nzl  Cairns C.L         62   16    76   320   23.75
Nzl  Chatfield E.J      43   12    52   240   21.67
Nzl  Cairns B.L         43   12    48   240   20.00
...
Pak  Imran Khan         88   26   155   520  29.81
Pak  Waqar Younis       87   39   222   780  28.46
Pak  Wasim Akram       104   41   211   820  25.73
Pak  Danish Kaneria     54   21   108   420  25.71
Pak  Shoaib Akhtar      46   20    99   400  24.75
...
Saf  Steyn D.W          33   18   124   360  34.44
Saf  Tayfield H.J       37   11    74   220  33.64
Saf  Donald A.A         72   33   187   660  28.33
Saf  Ntini M            99   50   233  1000  23.30
Saf  Pollock P.M        28   10    46   200  23.00
...
Slk  Muralitharan M    129   53   430  1060  40.57
Slk  Vaas WPUJC        111   43   166   860  19.30
...
Win  Marshall M.D       81   43   254   857  29.62
Win  Ramadhin S         43   13    76   260  29.23
Win  Croft C.E.H        27   10    57   200  28.50
Win  Roberts A.M.E      47   21   110   420  26.19
Win  Ambrose C.E.L      98   44   229   878  26.12

The list is elf-explanatory. The Indian top-5 are all spinners. Quite surprising is the presence of Ramadhin amongst great West Indian fast bowlers and the very high placing of Fraser, McKenzie and Kaneria.

To view the complete list, please click here.

3. Top 25 bowlers based on Ratio of bowling average in wins

No Cty  Bowler           Wkts  <-Wins Bow Avge-> Ratio
                               Team   Own Others

 1.Eng  Fraser A.R.C       78  24.20 16.53 27.90  1.69
 2.Nzl  Hadlee R.J        173  18.38 13.07 21.82  1.67
 3.Pak  Imran Khan        155  20.16 14.50 22.56  1.56
 4.Eng  Barnes S.F        115  17.71 13.58 20.98  1.54
 5.Slk  Muralitharan M    430  20.57 16.04 23.66  1.47
 6.Saf  Steyn D.W         124  21.33 16.68 23.77  1.43
 7.Pak  Shoaib Akhtar      99  21.78 17.52 23.19  1.32
 8.Eng  Briggs J           84  16.01 13.01 16.86  1.30
 9.Aus  Davidson A.K       89  19.52 16.04 20.86  1.30
10.Aus  McKenzie G.D      112  23.47 19.49 25.27  1.30
11.Eng  Underwood D.L     123  18.65 15.19 19.67  1.30
12.Aus  O'Reilly W.J       91  17.84 14.96 19.23  1.29
13.Aus  Lillee D.K        203  21.56 18.27 23.18  1.27
14.Win  Gibbs L.R         154  22.93 19.17 24.23  1.26
15.Saf  Goddard T.L        47  23.03 19.09 24.10  1.26
16.Eng  Verity H           71  20.01 16.65 20.97  1.26
17.Eng  Lohmann G.A        94  11.21  9.67 11.91  1.23
18.Ind  Pathan I.K         66  23.70 20.26 24.88  1.23
19.Eng  Peel R             78  16.97 14.67 18.07  1.23
20.Aus  Grimmett C.V      143  19.99 17.60 21.32  1.21
21.Aus  Trumble H          77  20.79 18.00 21.85  1.21
22.Eng  Bedser A.V         74  20.09 17.54 21.04  1.20
23.Ind  Kumble A          284  21.18 18.71 22.40  1.20
24.Saf  Pollock P.M        46  22.86 19.83 23.77  1.20
25.Win  Croft C.E.H        57  19.39 17.12 20.29  1.18

I have ordered this table on the ratio of own wickets average to other bowlers wicket average in won matches. Fraser is on top having outr=performed his peers in won matches by 69%. I am not able to expplain this other than possibly the relatively weaker English attacks. Hadlee is next. However note the stunning contributions made by Imran Khan in their wins, over 55% better. Muralitharan, is next. Shoaib Akhtar comes into the top-10 as also the great left arm fast bowler, davidson.

Note the low averages by the concerned bowlers in wins. No doubt these figures would be influenced, partly, by the outstanding analysis against weaker teams. But neither Fraser nor Hadlee had one easy match in their careers.

To view the complete list, please click here.

4. Top 5 bowlers for each country based on Ratio of bowling average in wins

Cty  Bowler           Wkts  <-Wins Bow Avge-> Ratio
                      Wins  Team   Own Others

Aus  Davidson A.K       89  19.52 16.04 20.86  1.30
Aus  McKenzie G.D      112  23.47 19.49 25.27  1.30
Aus  O'Reilly W.J       91  17.84 14.96 19.23  1.29
Aus  Lillee D.K        203  21.56 18.27 23.18  1.27
Aus  Grimmett C.V      143  19.99 17.60 21.32  1.21
...
Eng  Fraser A.R.C       78  24.20 16.53 27.90  1.69
Eng  Barnes S.F        115  17.71 13.58 20.98  1.54
Eng  Briggs J           84  16.01 13.01 16.86  1.30
Eng  Underwood D.L     123  18.65 15.19 19.67  1.30
Eng  Verity H           71  20.01 16.65 20.97  1.26
...
Ind  Pathan I.K         66  23.70 20.26 24.88  1.23
Ind  Kumble A          284  21.18 18.71 22.40  1.20
Ind  Bedi B.S           97  19.43 17.66 20.14  1.14
Ind  Chandrasekhar B.S  98  20.83 19.28 21.69  1.13
Ind  Prasanna E.A.S     81  19.04 17.62 19.57  1.11
...
Nzl  Hadlee R.J        173  18.38 13.07 21.82  1.67
Nzl  Cairns C.L         76  21.35 20.20 21.70  1.07
Nzl  Bracewell J.G      35  19.54 19.29 19.59  1.02
Nzl  Chatfield E.J      52  18.39 19.00 18.22  0.96
Nzl  Vettori D.L       109  19.07 21.40 18.52  0.87
...
Pak  Imran Khan        155  20.16 14.50 22.56  1.56
Pak  Shoaib Akhtar      99  21.78 17.52 23.19  1.32
Pak  Waqar Younis      222  19.84 18.21 20.49  1.13
Pak  Sarfraz Nawaz      75  21.47 20.52 21.76  1.06
Pak  Wasim Akram       211  18.63 18.49 18.68  1.01
...
Saf  Steyn D.W         124  21.33 16.68 23.77  1.43
Saf  Goddard T.L        47  23.03 19.09 24.10  1.26
Saf  Pollock P.M        46  22.86 19.83 23.77  1.20
Saf  Tayfield H.J       74  20.98 18.85 22.05  1.17
Saf  Donald A.A        187  18.77 16.80 19.56  1.16
...
Slk  Muralitharan M    430  20.57 16.04 23.66  1.47
Slk  Vaas WPUJC        166  20.20 22.64 19.62  0.87
...
Win  Gibbs L.R         154  22.93 19.17 24.23  1.26
Win  Croft C.E.H        57  19.39 17.12 20.29  1.18
Win  Marshall M.D      254  18.70 16.79 19.50  1.16
Win  Ambrose C.E.L     229  18.66 16.86 19.29  1.14
Win  Ramadhin S         76  19.08 17.80 19.61  1.10

The table is self-explanatory. Note the vast difference between Muralitharan, Hadlee and their support bowlers. Also Gibbs leads the West Indian list.

To view the complete list, please click here.

	Dale Steyn has the second-best strike rate among bowlers with at least 100 Test wickets © AFP

How far ahead is the top player in any list is a key point to answering the question of whether a high mark set by a player will be reached. I had earlier done a similar analysis for batting. Now I have taken a few Test bowling measures and created a table of the Top-100, subject to qualifying criteria, and assigned each position a percentage relative to the top position. A perusal of these tables will give an idea of the degree of permanence of the top places.

If an active player is at the top of an all-time list, he keeps on widening the gap on the second placed player, unless otherwise the top two or three are also active. This true of the aggregate type of measures. On the other hand in performance related measures, it does not matter since it is possible for later players to catch up with the particular measure.

The tables are shown in a standardised format. The first five entries are shown to get an idea, not just of the top entry, but also the ones immediately following the top. When required, more entries are shown. Then the 50th entry, exactly at mid-point, is shown to get an idea of the % drop. Finally the 100th entry is shown to get a further idea of the table's distribution of the key measure.

1. Table of Bowling averages (minimum 100 wkts)

SNo.Bowler             Type  Cty    Runs Wkts   Avge     %

  1.Lohmann G.A         RFM  Eng    1205  112  10.76  100.0
  2.Barnes S.F          RFM  Eng    3106  189  16.43   65.5
  3.Turner C.T.B        RFM  Aus    1670  101  16.53   65.1
  4.Peel R              lsp  Eng    1715  102  16.81   64.0
  5.Briggs J            lsp  Eng    2095  118  17.75   60.6
  6.Blythe C            lsp  Eng    1863  100  18.63   57.8
  7.Wardle J.H          lsp  Eng    2080  102  20.39   52.8
  8.Davidson A.K        LFM  Aus    3819  186  20.53   52.4
  9.Marshall M.D        RF   Win    7876  376  20.95   51.4
 10.Garner J            RF   Win    5433  259  20.98   51.3
...
 50.Tate M.W            RFM  Eng    4055  155  26.16   41.1
...
100.Doshi D.R           lsp  Ind    3502  114  30.72   35.0

Lohmann is nearly as far ahead in Bowling average as Bradman is so far as Batting average is concerned. Notwithstanding all the underlying factors (uncovered pitches, 3-day tests, average amateur batsmen etc), this is a huge difference since we are looking only at the raw numbers here. In fact the top 6 bowlers are all pre-WW1 bowlers.

Then come Wardle, a 50s bowler, Davidson, a 60s bowler and two modern West Indian giants, Marshall and Garner. I would say that the best any modern bowler can hope for is an entry into the top-10, as Muralitharan and Steyn are trying for.

Note how far off the 50th placed bowler, Tate and Doshi, at no.100, are.

To view the complete list, please click here.

2. Table of Wickets per Test (minimum 100 wkts)

SNo.Bowler           Type  Cty  Mat  Wkts    WpT    %

  1.Barnes S.F        RFM  Eng   27   189   7.00 100.0
  2.Lohmann G.A       RFM  Eng   18   112   6.22  88.9
  3.Muralitharan M    rob  Slk  129   783   6.07  86.7
  4.Turner C.T.B      RFM  Aus   17   101   5.94  84.9
  5.Grimmett C.V      rlb  Aus   37   216   5.84  83.4
...
 50.Wasim Akram       LFM  Pak  104   414   3.98  56.9
...
100.Giffen G          rob  Aus   31   103   3.32  47.5

The wonderful thing in this table is not the presence of Barnes and Lohmann at the top, that is taken for granted, but how close Muralitharan is to Lohmann. In modern times, to have a wickets per Test of greater than 6 is simply amazing. Let us forget about wickets captured against weaker teams and appreciate the true greatness of this genial giant.

The 50th placed bowler is well above 50% indicating a clustering on top.

To view the complete list, please click here.

3. Table of Career wickets captured

SNo.Bowler            Type  Cty  Mat  Wkts      %

  1.Muralitharan M     rob  Slk  129   783   100.0
  2.Warne S.K          rlb  Aus  145   708    90.4
  3.Kumble A           rlb  Ind  132   619    79.1
  4.McGrath G.D        RFM  Aus  124   563    71.9
  5.Walsh C.A          RF   Win  132   519    66.3
...
 11.Ntini M            RF   Saf   99   388    49.6
...
 50.Hughes M.G         RF   Aus   53   212    27.1
...
100.Cork D.G           RFM  Eng   37   131    16.7

This is a pure longevity based table. Muralitharan is ahead by 10% and counting. Since the next active bowler is Ntini and he is 50% off, it is safe to say that Muralitharan is going to add more wickets to his name and keep this achievement a never-to-be-beaten one.

The career wickets tally drops off so drastically that the 50th placed bowler is only at 27%. Also the 100th placed bowler is 83% away.

To view the complete list, please click here.

4. Table of Bowling economy (minimum 1000 overs)

SNo.Bowler             Type  Cty  Overs  Mdns  Runs   RpO    %

  1.Goddard T.L         LFM  Saf 1956.0   706  3226  1.65 100.0
  2.Nadkarni R.G        lsp  Ind 1527.3   665  2559  1.68  98.4
  3.Verity H            lsp  Eng 1862.1   604  3510  1.88  87.5
  4.Wardle J.H          lsp  Eng 1099.3   403  2080  1.89  87.2
  5.Illingworth R       rob  Eng 1989.0   715  3807  1.91  86.2
...
 22.Edmonds P.H         lsp  Eng 2004.4   613  4273  2.13  77.4
...
 50.Statham J.B         RFM  Eng 2676.0   595  6261  2.34  70.5
...
100.Reid B.A            LFM  Aus 1040.4   244  2784  2.68  61.7

Bowling accuracy was probably more valued in Tests during 50s and 60s. Goddard and Nadkarni are 50s/60s bowlers and have unimaginable accuracy rates. Can we even imagine an analysis of 32-27-5-0 which Nadkarni essayed in 1964. The best modern bowler in this regard is Edmonds, who is 23% away.

The clustering at the top is so pronounced that Statham, at no.50, is only 30% away. And the 100th placed bowler is less than 40% away.

To view the complete list, please click here.

5. Table of Bowling strike rate (Min 100 wkts)

SNo.Bowler             Type  Cty   Balls Wkts  St Rt     %

  1 Lohmann G.A         RFM  Eng    3821  112  34.12  100.0
  2 Steyn D.W           RF   Saf    6676  170  39.27   86.9
  3 Barnes S.F          RFM  Eng    7873  189  41.66   81.9
  4 Waqar Younis        RFM  Pak   16223  373  43.49   78.4
  5 Briggs J            lsp  Eng    5332  118  45.19   75.5
...
 50 Harmison S.J        RFM  Eng   13375  226  59.18   57.6
...
100 DeFreitas P.A.J     RFM  Eng    9838  140  70.27   48.5

Lohmann, as expected is on top. But what is surprising is the second place of Steyn and fourth place of Waqar Younis. Steyn is only 14% away but is likely to slip back as he plays more Tests. But one must give credit to Steyn who is second in an all-time list where the pre-WW1 bowlers are expected to reign supreme. No less is Waqar Younis' achievement.

To view the complete list, please click here.

A table of the best bowling performances in a Test or innings does not belong to this analysis since that is a specific single innings/match event and does not warrant such a comparison. For 10 years, no one might reach 10 or 19 wicket mark, and in one week, two bowlers might go past it.

	Len Hutton scored more than 22% of England's runs in the games they won © Getty Images

I was influenced by a recent comment by a reader on runs scored in winning causes. Everyone and their neighbour's Labrador talk about centuries scored during the wins of teams completely forgetting that more than "centuries", the emphasis should be on "runs" scored. Why ignore a winning 98 or for that matter a winning 48.

Let me take two players not often discussed. The first is Ganguly. He, and most of the knowledgeable Indian supporters, would agree that his majestic unbeaten 98 while orchestrating a great chasing win over Sri Lanka during 2001 was a far greater innings, arguably his best, than many a big 100. Ganguly might have missed a personal landmark but he did not miss the bigger objective. Would anyone, including Ganguly, have been satisfied if Ganguly had scored 5 more runs but India 5 less.

Now for Jimmy Adams. Would anyone rate his 208 against New Zealand higher than his outstanding unbeaten 48 against Wasim/Waqar/Razzak/Saqlain taking his team to an improbable one-wicket win leading to a rare series win. Even though Adams' innings was less than half of Mark Waugh's match-winning of 116 against South Africa, it was no less important.

Hence I have done an analysis of the runs scored by a batsman during his team's wins. It does not matter whether the batsman scored 12(Ambrose), 49(Paranavitana), 96(Shakib Al Hasan) or 309(Sehwag). The runs are considered and added. Not the 400, nor the 241.

Also I have not done an average of these scores. It will be certain that this average would be higher than his career batting average. I have rather looked at the % of share of the runs scored by his team. This will give a clear indication of his contributions. There is no comparison done across eras, across teams, across bowlers et al. It is almost like the peer comparison. In truth it is a peer comparison, but the comparison is only within the team, that too only in selected subset of matches. I have also not prepared tables across teams. Each table is for the concerned team.

The criteria is simple. The batsman should have been involved in 10 wins and scored over 2000 Test runs (exception for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). The team runs are computed, sans extras.

Cty Batsman              L Mat  Runs Wins Runs TmRuns  RpT  % TS

Eng Hutton L                79  6971  27  2678 11891  99.2 22.52
Eng Hobbs J.B               61  5410  28  2720 13715  97.1 19.83
Eng Gooch G.A              118  8900  32  2950 15504  92.2 19.03
Eng Boycott G              108  8114  35  2950 16366  84.3 18.03
Eng Hammond W.R             85  7249  29  2584 14614  89.1 17.68
Eng Pietersen K.P           54  4647  18  1608  9370  89.3 17.16
Eng Cowdrey M.C            114  7624  43  3087 18416  71.8 16.76
Eng Sutcliffe H             54  4555  25  2141 12840  85.6 16.67
Eng Edrich J.H           ~  77  5138  22  1771 10730  80.5 16.51
Eng Barrington K.F          82  6806  31  2319 14188  74.8 16.34
Eng Thorpe G.P           ~ 100  6744  38  3006 18917  79.1 15.89
Eng Strauss A.J          ~  67  5266  30  2596 16344  86.5 15.88
Eng Compton D.C.S           78  5807  25  1801 11420  72.0 15.77
Eng Richardson P.E       ~  34  2061  13   808  5195  62.2 15.55
Eng Trescothick M.E      ~  76  5820  37  2847 18757  76.9 15.18

Hutton is amongst the best across teams, averaging nearly 100 runs per Test and scoring over 22% of the team runs in winning matches. Hobbs is also quite high. Then comes the unheralded Gooch who scored above 19% of his team's winning runs.

Ind Viswanath G.R           91  6080  20  1637  9029  81.8 18.13
Ind Sidhu N.S               51  3202  13  1179  6680  90.7 17.65
Ind Dravid R               134 10823  44  4005 23227  91.0 17.24
Ind Tendulkar S.R          159 12773  51  4416 26993  86.6 16.36
Ind Gavaskar S.M           125 10122  23  1671 10417  72.7 16.04
Ind Vengsarkar D.B         116  6868  18  1187  7823  65.9 15.17
Ind Azharuddin M            99  6215  22  1609 10693  73.1 15.05
Ind Mansur Ali Khan         46  2793  12   846  5712  70.5 14.81
Ind Sehwag V                69  5757  25  1958 13228  78.3 14.80
Ind Amarnath M              69  4378  12   771  5772  64.2 13.36
Ind Engineer F.M            46  2611  13   774  5930  59.5 13.05
Ind Gambhir G            ~  25  2271  13   924  7203  71.1 12.83
Ind Laxman V.V.S           105  6741  36  2428 19479  67.4 12.46
Ind Chauhan C.P.S           40  2084  10   511  4425  51.1 11.55
Ind Shastri R.J             80  3830  10   492  4274  49.2 11.51

The stylish Viswanath leads the Indian table, followed surprisingly by the irrepressible sardar, Sidhu. Then come the three greatest Indian batsmen ever, not necessarily in that order, Dravid, Tendulkar and Gavaskar. Note the somewhat low share of Ganguly (11.23%), possibly because of batting at no.6 position many a time.

Nzl Crowe M.D               77  5444  16  1219  7085  76.2 17.21
Nzl Richardson M.H       ~  38  2776  12   763  5019  63.6 15.20
Nzl McMillan C.D            55  3116  18  1186  7838  65.9 15.13
Nzl Wright J.G           ~  82  5334  21  1253  8430  59.7 14.86
Nzl Fleming S.P          ~ 111  7172  33  2145 14637  65.0 14.65
Nzl Cairns C.L              62  3320  16   936  7393  58.5 12.66
Nzl Howarth G.P             47  2531  12   558  4655  46.5 11.99
Nzl Coney J.V               52  2668  17   814  6900  47.9 11.80
Nzl Astle N.J               81  4702  27  1239 11747  45.9 10.55
Nzl McCullum B.B            46  2283  13   563  5885  43.3  9.57
Nzl Hadlee R.J           ~  86  3124  22   790  8792  35.9  8.99
Nzl Vettori D.L          ~  94  3492  29  1101 12696  38.0  8.67
Nzl Parore A.C              78  2865  19   497  8744  26.2  5.68

The number of wins are somewhat lower indicating New Zealand's rough ride over the years. However out of these, the greatest New Zealand batsman ever, Martin Crowe lives up to his reputation and is on top with a high value of 17+%.

Win Lara B.C             ~ 131 11953  32  2929 14611  91.5 20.05
Win Sarwan R.R              81  5671  13  1210  6505  93.1 18.60
Win Sobers G.St.A        ~  93  8032  31  3097 16926  99.9 18.30
Win Adams J.C            ~  54  3010  21  1534  9045  73.0 16.96
Win EdeC Weekes             48  4455  16  1403  8324  87.7 16.85
Win Greenidge C.G          108  7558  57  4653 27970  81.6 16.64
Win Campbell S.L            52  2882  16  1068  6645  66.8 16.07
Win Walcott C.L             44  3798  12  1113  6955  92.8 16.00
Win Richardson R.B          86  5949  43  3059 19251  71.1 15.89
Win Worrell F.M.M           51  3860  18  1483  9359  82.4 15.85
Win Kanhai R.B              79  6227  27  2404 15248  89.0 15.77
Win Nurse S.M               29  2523  10   873  5569  87.3 15.68
Win Chanderpaul S        ~ 121  8576  27  1933 12839  71.6 15.06
Win Lloyd C.H            ~ 110  7515  43  3337 22217  77.6 15.02
Win Haynes D.L             116  7487  60  4041 27824  67.3 14.52

Lara has contributed quite significantly, above 20%, to the (somewhat lower) proportion of wins during his career. From the strong West Indian teams of the 1980s, only Greenidge is present in the top-10. In fact Richards has a somewhat lower % of runs value of 13.9 although one must admit that he had a win ratio of greater than 50%.

What does this indicate. Possibly that the other batsmen were quite strong. However this is negated by the presence of all the top West Indian batsmen of the 1950s in the top-10. I am happy to see Jimmy Adams in the top-10.

Slk Sangakkara K.C       ~  85  7308  41  4179 22486 101.9 18.58
Slk de Silva P.A            93  6361  19  1467  8736  77.2 16.79
Slk Jayawardene D.P.M.D    107  8750  48  4155 25575  86.6 16.25
Slk Atapattu M.S            90  5502  31  2138 15653  69.0 13.66
Slk Jayasuriya S.T       ~ 110  6973  40  2801 20634  70.0 13.57
Slk Samaraweera T.T         54  3787  30  2222 16748  74.1 13.27
Slk Ranatunga A          ~  93  5105  17   985  7801  57.9 12.63
Slk Tillakaratne H.P     ~  83  4545  24  1534 12221  63.9 12.55
Slk Dilshan T.M             57  3443  28  1843 15126  65.8 12.18
Slk Vaas WPUJC           ~ 111  3087  43  1388 22578  32.3  6.15

Not much to choose amongst the top Sri Lankan batsmen, Sangakkara leading the others quite comfortably. He has also averaged over 100 wickets per won Test.

Saf McGlew D.J              34  2440  11  1156  5285 105.1 21.87
Saf Smith G.C            ~  77  6343  40  3783 20252  94.6 18.68
Saf Wessels K.C          ~  40  2788  12  1044  5800  87.0 18.00
Saf Kallis J.H             131 10277  64  5099 31306  79.7 16.29
Saf Kirsten G            ~ 101  7289  48  3800 23961  79.2 15.86
Saf Barlow E.J              30  2516  11   941  6324  85.5 14.88
Saf Cullinan D.J            70  4554  34  2325 16048  68.4 14.49
Saf Cronje W.J              68  3714  32  2156 15214  67.4 14.17
Saf de Villiers A.B         52  3558  26  1793 13056  69.0 13.73
Saf Hudson A.C              35  2007  13   876  6544  67.4 13.39
Saf McLean R.A              40  2120  12   768  5749  64.0 13.36
Saf Amla H.M                37  2460  21  1389 10713  66.1 12.97
Saf Gibbs H.H               90  6167  44  2877 22607  65.4 12.73
Saf Prince A.G           ~  48  3074  28  1719 13546  61.4 12.69
Saf Rudolph J.A          ~  35  2028  12   721  6371  60.1 11.32

McGlew, the great South African batsmen of the 1960s has an excellent 21+% of run share in won matches and has scored over 100 runs per Test. Then come Smith, Wessels and Kallis. Note also Smith's high win %.

Aus Bradman D.G             52  6996  30  4813 17036 160.4 28.25
Aus Chappell G.S            87  7110  38  3595 19209  94.6 18.72
Aus Simpson R.B             62  4869  22  2015 11264  91.6 17.89
Aus Lawry W.M            ~  67  5234  20  1853 10714  92.7 17.30
Aus Harvey R.N           ~  79  6149  41  3253 19174  79.3 16.97
Aus Hill C               ~  49  3412  25  2223 13200  88.9 16.84
Aus Walters K.D             74  5357  28  2303 14211  82.2 16.21
Aus McDonald C.C            47  3107  23  1557  9994  67.7 15.58
Aus Ponting R.T            136 11341  90  7754 50453  86.2 15.37
Aus Slater M.J              74  5312  44  3508 22833  79.7 15.36
Aus Ponsford W.H            29  2122  16  1508  9884  94.2 15.26
Aus Hayden M.L           ~ 103  8626  71  6038 39634  85.0 15.23
Aus Trumper V.T             48  3163  22  1717 11427  78.0 15.03
Aus Hassett A.L             43  3073  26  1947 13123  74.9 14.84
Aus Hussey M.E.K         ~  42  3317  27  2359 15899  87.4 14.84

Bradman has scored over 28% of the team runs in won games. One more insurmountable number for the other batsmen to contend with. Then come a number of middle era Australians, led by Chappell. Ponting barely makes to the top-10. Hayden and Hussey find their places in the top-15. I am happy to see Victor Trumper in the top-15.

Pak Shoaib Mohammad         45  2705  12  1055  4927  87.9 21.41
Pak Saeed Anwar          ~  55  4052  23  2254 11079  98.0 20.34
Pak Inzamam-ul-Haq         120  8830  49  4690 25012  95.7 18.75
Pak Younis Khan             63  5260  22  2241 12570 101.9 17.83
Pak Javed Miandad          124  8832  39  2923 17298  74.9 16.90
Pak Asif Iqbal              58  3575  10   759  4934  75.9 15.38
Pak Mohammad Yousuf         82  7023  32  2617 17627  81.8 14.85
Pak Mudassar Nazar          76  4114  23  1511 10311  65.7 14.65
Pak Zaheer Abbas            78  5062  22  1530 10483  69.5 14.60
Pak Ijaz Ahmed              60  3315  23  1487 10385  64.7 14.32
Pak Mohsin Khan             48  2709  18  1134  8060  63.0 14.07
Pak Aamer Sohail         ~  47  2823  22  1365  9970  62.0 13.69
Pak Majid Khan              63  3931  13   849  6230  65.3 13.63
Pak Saleem Malik           103  5768  39  1880 17010  48.2 11.05
Pak Kamran Akmal            43  2226  13   776  7443  59.7 10.43

Shoaib Mohammad leads with a 21+%. Saeed Anwar is also high up there. Then come the three modern greats, led by Inzamam. Note Younis Khan's 100+ runs per test in won games.

Cty Batsman                Mat  Runs Wins Runs TmRuns  RpT  % TS

Bng Habibul Bashar          50  3026    1  149   692 149.0 21.53
Bng Mohammad Ashraful       50  2149    3   65  1724  21.7  3.77

Bangladesh has won only 3 Tests. Ashraful was part of all the three tests although he contributed next to nothing. Habibul Basher contributed a lot in their win over Zimbabwe. Shakib Al Hasan, that mercurial world class cricketer, contributed a lot during their brace of wins over West Indies.

Cty Batsman                Mat  Runs Wins Runs TmRuns  RpT  % TS

Zim Whittall G.J            46  2207    4  361  1994  90.2 18.10
Zim Flower A             ~  63  4794    7  507  3461  72.4 14.65
Zim Flower G.W              67  3457    7  529  3630  75.6 14.57
Zim Campbell A.D.R       ~  60  2857    6  167  2908  27.8  5.74

Not many wins here. However note the somewhat higher contribution of Gary Whittall to the Zimbabwe wins ahead of the more fancied Flower brothers.

To view the complete list, please click here.

I will come out with the second part of the "How far ahead is the top one ..." article next week. Later I will do a "In a winning cause" article on bowlers.