Bowling Average and Economy Rate in Cricket Explained
Bowling average measures how many runs a bowler concedes per wicket; economy rate measures runs per over. This guide explains both metrics, how to interpret them, and which matters more in each format.
Two primary metrics measure a bowler's effectiveness: **bowling average** (runs conceded per wicket taken) and **economy rate** (runs conceded per over). A third metric, **bowling strike rate** (balls bowled per wicket), provides a third dimension. Each metric emphasises a different aspect of bowling performance, and their relative importance varies by format — economy rate is paramount in T20; bowling average is the best measure of Test value; strike rate measures how frequently a bowler dismisses batters.
Bowling Average
Bowling average = Total Runs Conceded ÷ Total Wickets Taken. In Test cricket, benchmark bowling averages: below 20 is exceptional; 20-25 is elite; 25-30 is very good; 30-35 is solid; 35-40 is average; above 40 is typically not value-adding for a front-line bowler. The best careers in Test bowling history cluster between 18 and 25: George Lohmann (10.75, though in the 1880s), Sydney Barnes (16.43), Shane Warne (25.41), Dale Steyn (22.95), James Anderson (26.45 over 180 Tests). Sustained averages below 25 over long careers represent elite performance.
Economy Rate
Economy rate = Runs Conceded ÷ Overs Bowled. In T20 cricket, a good economy rate is below 7.0; excellent is below 6.5; elite (for frontline bowlers) is below 6.0. In ODI cricket: below 4.5 is excellent; 5.0-5.5 is good; 6.0+ for a frontline bowler is expensive. Economy rate is most meaningful in limited-overs cricket because the available balls are constrained — conceding extras costs the team directly against a run target. In Test cricket, economy rate is less critical because there is no run limit on overs available to bowl.
Strike Rate in Bowling
Bowling strike rate = Total Balls Bowled ÷ Total Wickets. A bowler taking a wicket every 40 balls has a strike rate of 40. In Test cricket: below 40 is excellent; 45-50 is very good; 55-65 is solid. Shane Warne's career Test bowling strike rate was 57.4 — a wicket every 57.4 balls. Waqar Younis (43.4) and Dale Steyn (42.3) are among the finest strike rate performers in Test history. In T20 cricket, strike rate becomes less relevant than economy rate because the format limits bowlers to 24 balls per innings — taking wickets at 40 balls/wicket in T20 is barely a wicket per match.
Frequently asked questions
Which bowling metric is most important in T20 cricket?
Economy rate is the most important bowling metric in T20 cricket, followed by strike rate (wickets per match). A bowler conceding 10 runs per over in four overs costs 40 runs in a 20-over innings — potentially the match. A bowler conceding 5 runs per over costs 20 runs. That 20-run difference can be the entire winning margin. However, wicket-taking ability — often measured by wickets per match rather than bowling average in T20 — is also crucial because wickets remove batters who are building match-winning innings and limit the batting resources available for acceleration.
Can a bowler have a low average but a high economy rate?
Yes. A bowler who takes many wickets but concedes runs quickly can have a low bowling average (few runs per wicket) but a high economy rate (many runs per over). This is the profile of an attacking but expensive bowler. In Test cricket, this is manageable — the wickets often compensate for the extra runs. In T20 cricket, it is often unacceptable — being expensive in 24 balls while taking two wickets may still cost 40+ runs that outweigh the wickets' value. Context and format determine which tradeoff is acceptable.