Contextual batting and bowling in limited overs cricket

Abstract

Cricket is a sport for which many batting and bowling statistics have been proposed. However, a feature of cricket is that the level of aggressiveness adopted by batsmen is dependent on match circumstances. It is therefore relevant to consider these circumstances when evaluating batting and bowling performances. This paper considers batting performance in the second innings of limited overs cricket when a target has been set. The runs required, the number of overs completed and the wickets taken are relevant in assessing the batting performance. We produce a visualization for second innings batting which describes how a batsman performs under different circumstances. The visualization is then reduced to a single statistic “clutch batting” which can be used to compare batsmen. An analogous approach is then provided for bowlers based on the symmetry between batting and bowling, and we define the statistic “clutch bowling”.