Quotehanger

  • "I think their minds were already on the plane home. I am just not sure they were here to play today."
    Jamie Siddons on Bangladesh's performance in the last league match of the Asia Cup

    Jul 4, 2008

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    The headlines


    Articles tagged as: stats

    Alert to all statto geeks

    By Will last year, at the end of December, 3 Comments »

    If you’re even remotely interested in cricket, chances are that there’s a lurking geek within you. Don’t worry - we’ve all got it and flaunt it. I notice that Cricinfo’s new statsguru, which has been under wraps for ages, has been let loose on you ‘orrible lot. It is a thing of total, unabashed brilliance…where you can find out such must-have things as the best five-fors conceding 10 runs or less, or spinners who have opened the bowling on the first day of a Test match.

    Pub quiz masters: go forth and splutter.

    3 Comments »

    Geekery on Hussey

    By Will last year, mid-November, 1 Comment »

    Outstanding geekery from Patrick this morning:

    Even I wouldn’t dare put this up on the blog - would look like I am far too sad - but I did some number crunching and I reckon that Hussey needs to average just under 109 per innings between now and the Ashes (assuming he plays in every game scheduled and gets not outs at the present rate) in order for him to be averaging 100 over his career by the time the Ashes start!

    Update: the geek is out of the closet!

    1 Comment »

    Some utterly meaningless milestones

    By Will 2 years ago, mid-May, 3 Comments »

    I’m fast reaching the stage where it does actually feel as though I’ve been blogging for A Long Time.

    Just passed 200,000 words; 1,000 different people have now left a comment (perhaps doesn’t a lot, but that’s many more than most); 12,000 comments have been left and we’ve just passed 1,500 posts.

    (just out of interest)

    3 Comments »

    1000 Murali wickets

    By Will 2 years ago, at the start of March, 8 Comments »

    I think it was Courtney Walsh who first broke through the 500-Test barrier and, at the time, I remember feeling utterly amazed that anyone could have got so far. I was equally doubtful that anyone would ever better it. Since then, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muraliatharan have waltzed past it as though it were nothing; Warne broke past 600 at Old Trafford in the summer. Today, though, Murali has gone past 1000 international wickets! It makes Walsh’s effort look pitiful and feeble*

    Rather appropriately, his 100th wicket was controversial: “Khaled Mashud was given out caught when the ball only hit his pad” (S.Rajesh / Cricinfo)

    * I am, of course, joking. It’s all very well for these glitzy spinners to take hundreds of wickets, but it’s all the more incredible for a fast bowler to manage it.

    8 Comments »

    How did you find this blog?

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of September, 33 Comments »

    OK, question: how did you find this blog? I know I was featured on the BBC, along with every other cricket blog, and the Guardian have also ‘found’ us…but nearly 1500 people have come here today, and I haven’t even blogged anything [much]. How is this happening? Who are you, and where do you come from? EXPLAIN YOURSELVES! (seriously…I’d quite like to know, out of curiosity. Did you come from Google, or another search engine, or a blog, or where?)

    Ta all, and “hello” to all the new readers.

    33 Comments »

    Trescothick reaches 5000 milestone

    By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 6 Comments »

    Marcus Trescothick hit his 5000th Test match run today at Old Trafford against Australia. Interestingly, only Jack Hobbs (55 matches), Len Hutton (55), Wally Hammond (59) and Ken Barrington (61) have reached 5000 Test runs for England in fewer matches than Trescothick (64). Nice stat. Update: Viv Richards and Bill Lawry also reached 5000 Test runs in 64 matches.

    Second update:

    More stats:

    1. Shortest time span from debut to 5000 runs in Tests

    5 years 12 days ME Trescothick
    6 years 64 days R Dravid
    6 years 94 days MA Taylor
    6 years 186 days AR Border

    2. Fewest Tests to reach 5000 runs in Tests

    36 DG Bradman
    52 SM Gavaskar
    55 JB Hobbs
    55 L Hutton
    55 ML Hayden
    56 GS Sobers
    59 WR Hammond
    60 GS Chappell
    61 RN Harvey
    61 KF Barrington
    61 RB Kanhai
    61 BC Lara
    63 R Dravid
    63 HH Gibbs
    64 WM Lawry
    64 IVA Richards
    64 ME Trescothick

    6 Comments »

    Many visitors

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of August, 3 Comments »

    Always surprised and pleased so many people read this humble blog. Just been told that today’s post on Edgbaston is now the most-clicked-post on a sort of directory website called Blogs Of The Day. Spiffing work, chaps!

    Blogs Of The Day

    Tags: , , |

    3 Comments »

    Stats, boring stats

    By Will 3 years ago, at the end of July, 16 Comments »

    Probably thanks to Avinash’s updates during the first Test, the blog has published its 100,000th word - an absolutely pointless statistic. Less pointless is AKR’s century of comments - what an innings, AKR! Full of deft glances and flourishing cover-drives - raise your bat to the MCC members :) Scott is two away from reaching the honours boards himself, and fellow Aussie Harry nine-away from a very quick hundred.

    These stats can be found on the right of the main page.

    Tags: |

    16 Comments »

    Two more fine fifties

    By Will 3 years ago, mid-July, No Comments; be the first!

    Two more frequently-posting commenters have reached their half centuries, and are gratuitiously waving their bats around the blogosphere. Thanks and congrats to Harry (54) and Jagadish (50). Scott is leading the way with a well compiled 58…

    Tags: |

    No Comments »

    A fine half century

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of July, No Comments; be the first!

    Scott Wickstein, during the crazy events of yesterday where 74 comments were posted, brought up a fine half-century of comments here at this blog. Well played, Scott! Not quite a 50 before lunch, but not bad going…(top commenters can be found on the right-hand-side of the main page)

    Tags: |

    No Comments »

    1000 comments

    By Will 3 years ago, at the end of June, No Comments; be the first!

    “worma” posted the 1000th comment on my blog just now - hurrah. Stats:

    85,768 words

    154 people have contributed 1000 comments

    Top commenters:
    1: S Jagadish (46)
    2: Innocent Abroad (43)
    3: manish (42)

    No Comments »

    Busiest day yet at The COU

    By Will 3 years ago, at the end of June, 2 Comments »

    Yesterday was the busiest day yet for my blog. I never imagined so many people would bother reading it when I first started back in November. 15,000 hits yesterday alone, and 1000 unique visitors.

    Stats

    Tags: , |

    2 Comments »

    Middlesex chase down 406 - Joyce makes 1000

    By Will 3 years ago, mid-June, 3 Comments »

    As if today’s news couldn’t get any better, Middlesex have chased down an amazing 406 to beat Glamorgan - absolutely brilliant, albeit whilst batting on a road. The best news of all, though, is Ed Joyce has made it to 1000 runs for the season - as I hoped he would - and I’m over the moon. His innings today of 70 came from just 61 balls, on top of his first-innings 155 - 225 runs in the match, without being dismissed. Phenomenal.

    I’m not really a stats-man, but here are some for those that are. He’s made 1002 runs (1000 runs in a season is the benchmark for batsmen in England - in case some weren’t aware) @ 91 per innings. Curiously, 4 of the top 6 run scorers this season are English - which hasn’t always been the case, and is especially encouraging given the number of overseas players there are this season (and indeed Aussies). They are (Englishman highlighted in Bold):

    Name                Mat    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave     SR 100 50   Ct St Team
    
    EC Joyce              7   13   2  1002  192   91.09  67.06   2  8    5  - MIDDX
    AN Cook               9   16   0   901  195   56.31  54.70   3  3    5  - MCC/ESSEX
    M van Jaarsveld       8   14   1   858  262*  66.00  56.18   4  2   12  - KENT
    SA Newman             8   13   0   842  219   64.76  69.24   4  -    6  - SURREY
    A Flower              9   14   4   823  188   82.30  49.69   3  3    5  - MCC/ESSEX
    IR Bell               9   14   3   823  231   74.81  58.57   2  4    4  - WARWICKS/ENG
    

    At this stage in the season, to see an Englishman (ok - an Irishman, but he qualifies in about 2 weeks time) be first to 1000 runs (I think he gets an award for this, too - anyone know?) is really encouraging news, as is the number of young batsmen in the top 20. We’re generally accustomed to seeing the Old Stagers, like Ramprakash and Hick, in the top 5 - but they’re languishing miles behind having made 622 and 620 runs respectively. English Cricket is certainly becoming stronger and stronger with every season, and players - like Joyce, Shah, Key, Bell, Newman - are thriving.

    3 Comments »

    Inzamam’s 22 hundreds

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of June, 3 Comments »

    Inzamam’s 22nd hundred was scored just yesterday (stats here), and the Pakistani commentator on Sky Sports (not sure who) reckons that 17 of Inzy’s hundreds have been match-winning. Quite remarkable statistic, and will soon be 18. I know Graham Thorpe has had a similar “rock-like” affect on England, but not nearly as stark or dramatic as Inzamam. What a player. What an athlete!

    3 Comments »

    Who are you and where do you come from?

    By Will 3 years ago, at the end of May, No Comments; be the first!

    246 people have arrived here today - who are you, and where did you come from?! The site’s hits have rocketed today - don’t know why, but welcome to all of you and “hello”

    Tags: , |

    No Comments »

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