How it works
Batting average is runs scored per dismissal. Innings where the batter was not out still add runs, but they do not add a dismissal, which is why averages are divided by innings minus not outs rather than by innings.
Strike rate is runs per 100 balls faced. It measures scoring speed, which matters most in T20 and one-day cricket.
The boundary figures show how the runs came. A high share of runs in fours and sixes with few balls per boundary points to an attacking player; a lower share usually means more running between the wickets.
The formula
batting average = runs ÷ (innings − not outs)
strike rate = runs ÷ balls faced × 100
boundary share = (4 × fours + 6 × sixes) ÷ runs × 100
balls per boundary = balls faced ÷ (fours + sixes)Worked example
A batter has 965 runs from 24 innings, 4 of them not out, off 708 balls, with 88 fours and 41 sixes.
- Dismissals: 24 − 4 = 20.
- Average: 965 ÷ 20 = 48.25.
- Strike rate: 965 ÷ 708 × 100 = 136.30.
- Boundary runs: 88 × 4 + 41 × 6 = 598, which is 62.0% of the runs, at one boundary every 5.5 balls.
Questions
Why are not outs taken away from innings?
An average measures runs per dismissal. When a batter is not out, the runs count but there was no dismissal, so the innings is left out of the divisor. That is why a batter with several not outs can average more than their highest score suggests.
What if the batter has never been out?
Then there is no average yet, because you cannot divide by zero dismissals. Scorecards show this as a dash. The calculator shows n/a and still gives runs per innings.
Do wides count as balls faced?
No. Wides are not counted as balls faced. Runs from wides, byes and leg byes go to extras, not to the batter’s score.
What is a good strike rate?
It depends on the format and the batter’s role. A rate that is excellent in Test cricket would be slow in a T20, where openers and finishers are expected to score well above a run a ball.