Cricket Bowling Figures Explained — How to Read Wickets and Runs
How to read cricket bowling figures: what 5/42 means, how overs are recorded, what maiden overs are, and how to interpret bowling analysis in scoreboards and statistics.
Bowling figures — also called a bowling analysis — appear in cricket scorecards alongside each bowler's name. They record exactly how a bowler performed in a match: how many overs they bowled, how many maidens, how many runs they conceded, and how many wickets they took.
Reading the Bowling Analysis
A bowling analysis is presented in the format: Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets. For example, 10-2-42-3 means the bowler bowled 10 overs, 2 of which were maidens (no runs conceded), gave away 42 runs, and took 3 wickets. The short form often seen in commentary and headlines is Wickets/Runs — so 3/42, or read aloud as 'three for forty-two'.
Reading a Bowling Line
James Anderson: 15-4-38-5 means Anderson bowled 15 overs, 4 maiden overs, conceded 38 runs, and took 5 wickets. His economy rate = 38 ÷ 15 = 2.53 runs per over. His bowling average for this spell = 38 ÷ 5 = 7.6 (runs per wicket in this match). A five-wicket haul — often called a 'fifer' — is the most celebrated individual bowling achievement in a single innings.
What Is a Maiden Over?
A maiden over is an over in which the bowler concedes zero runs. Wide deliveries and no-balls that result in extras break the maiden — any single run (extra or scored by the batter) removes the maiden. A bowler who delivers many maiden overs in a match is considered extremely economical and difficult to score from. In Test cricket, maidens are a sign of genuine control; in T20, a single maiden over is notable and valuable.
How Overs Are Recorded
Overs in bowling analyses are recorded as whole numbers of complete overs. If a bowler bowls 8 overs and 4 balls of a ninth over, this is sometimes written as 8.4. In career statistics, overs are totalled differently — six balls equal one over, so 8 overs and 4 balls (52 balls) would be presented as 8.4 overs or sometimes as 52 balls in ball-by-ball databases. Maiden overs are only awarded for complete overs of six legal deliveries where no runs are scored.
Frequently asked questions
What does 5/42 mean in cricket bowling figures?
5/42 (or 5 for 42) means the bowler took 5 wickets while conceding 42 runs in that innings. It is a match-winning bowling performance. Bowling figures only count wickets and runs from a single innings — a bowler cannot accumulate figures across multiple innings in one set of figures.
What is a good bowling economy rate?
In Test cricket, an economy rate below 3.00 runs per over is considered very good; below 2.50 is outstanding. In ODIs, below 4.50 is very good. In T20 Internationals, below 7.00 is good; below 6.00 is excellent. Economy rates vary significantly based on match format, pitch conditions, and the quality of the batting opposition.
Can extras count against a bowler's figures?
Wides and no-balls are charged to the bowler's figures — they increase their runs conceded and their economy rate. Byes and leg byes are NOT charged to the bowler — they are attributed to the extras column but are considered the wicketkeeper's or team's responsibility rather than the bowler's.