Category : Blogs

Sub Category : Sports

  In the first post, let us consider the concept of Batting Average.

  Basically, let us first re-visit our knowledge of Average.

  Average is a measure of Central Tendency. It is defined as a calculated central value of a set of numbers. To put it simply, we add the values of a set of components and divide the result by the total number of components.

  So now we can jump to the concept of Batting Average.

  Batting Average, should simply be, the total number of runs scored by a batsman in a certain number of innings divided by the total number of innings he has played.

  But, here the concept is a little tweaked. It is not always necessarily the total runs scored by a batsman in a certain number of innings divided by the number of innings played by him/her.

  It is actually the following:-

Batting Average=(Total number of runs scored by a batsman inclusive of the runs in the inning(s) in which the batsman has not been dismissed)/(Total number of innings the batsman has been dismissed).

 It should be understood that while calculating Batting Average, the inning(s) in which the batsman/batsmen remains not out or is not dismissed, should not be considered.

 Let us take an illustration:-
 Let’s say a batsman has scored 45, 23, 128*, 64, 3* in five innings.
 His batting average will be=
(45+23+128+64+3)/3 = 263/3 = 87.67
(Instead of 263/5 = 52.60)

  And talking of Batting Averages, no post is complete without the mention of the great Sir Donald Bradman. He had scored a total of 6996 runs in 52 tests (80 innings). And we all know that he averaged a whopping 99.96 with the bat! Whoa!
  Let us consider this.

  Mathematically,
Batting Average=Total runs scored by the batsman/Total number of innings in which the batsman has been dismissed,
or, Total number of innings in which the batsman has been dismissed=Total runs scored by the batsman/Batting Average,
or, Total number of innings in which the batsman has been dismissed=6996/99.96 = 70 (approx.)

 Hence, the great Sir Don has been dismissed 70 times in his career and remained unconquered in 10 innings.
 
 Hope this clears the concepts of Batting Average.
  
Thank you!