For last few weeks have been seeking a wholesome indicator for measuring cricket performance, something that is transparent, strong, blends, keeps balance, and can be used for the smallest to largest statistical analysis.
In Cricket, there are three main characters, viz balls, runs and wickets. They govern the match and player’s performance.
I feel a “ball’ is your main character, and everything revolves around it!.
A Ball is an wholesome indicator. If one has to analyse performance, than balls can measure them efficiently, whether you are scoring runs, saving runs, picking wickets, saving wicket, or staying at crease, balls works as a beacon in a cricket match.
Let us see the roles of other two characters
A Run: success of a team is measured from this character. Team that score more runs wins the match.
A Wicket : It is a beginning to Innings closing. A inning will end after a team loses all its 10 wickets. However in limited overs cricket its value is much lesser than runs – Teams can lose less wicket yet lose a match!.
All indicators are based on these three characters. A team, or player’s performance is predicted using these three. It also helps to improve a player and his team’s performance.
If you have to predict, analyse, observe, improve, watch trend or decipher anything from a cricket match than balls per scoring shot is your beacon for other indicators.
This beacon starts from ball one and remains in balance throughout the match. To understand this beacon one has to measure from 1st over ball to ball till the end.
A Run can either flow or dry up….
A Wicket will either fall, or not….
…but a Ball – keeps rolling, never stops!.
Balls per scoring shot is your beacon in all three aspect of game, viz, batting, bowling and fielding.
Interestingly enough – experts feel dot balls is key to measure economy rate of a bowler or batsman’s inability to score runs . However I feel a dot ball merely works as a gap between scoring shots.
The gaps should not be large (for batting perspective) or small(for bowling perspective)for game to move smoothly. It should be in balance. A cricket match will be in balance if the gaps are in balance, or less we find one dominating the other. Hence a dot ball is required to keep the balance of the game irrespective of format!.
Over the years analysts and experts have researched and found various combination of indicators and formulas to measure, predict and improve cricket.
As we go beyond 2020 into world of AI, virtual games, and other valuable technology, I believe this beacon will only flourish those research and findings.
Hope
