Cricket in 2018: Stats and numbers recorded in the year

The year 2018 can easily be termed the best year for Test cricket in a while as this year the batsmen were contained in terms of runs. The bowlers enjoyed great success in the longer format and as far as the result is concerned, the draw percentage came down gradually. The limited-overs formats were taken by the batsmen producing some big scores and huge totals. The Women’s limited-overs also witnessed a spike in power-hitting and scoring rates.

All the stats and numbers that matter from International cricket in 2018:

0.214 – Win-loss ratio for the team’s batting in the 4th innings in 2018; the worst in any calendar year where the chasing team won at least one game. Only on six occasions a team won while chasing a total from the 37 Test matches in 2018 and lost 28; the most number of losses for chasing sides in a calendar year. India and Australia lost six and five matches respectively this year; the most by any team in a single calendar year.

2 – The batting and bowling averages of 26.28 and 27.37 respectively in 2018 are the 2nd lowest in any calendar year with 20 and more Test matches. From the 20 Test matches in 1959, the batting and bowling averages read 25.77 and 26.86 respectively.

10.42 – Draw percentage in 2018 is the lowest in Test cricket in any calendar year with 10+ Test matches bettering the previous lowest of 14.81% in 2002.

71 – Number of five-wicket hauls by bowlers in Test cricket in 2018; the most in a calendar year. The previous most was 67 five-fers from 2005. This is also the first time in 30 years that there were more five-wicket hauls recorded than centuries in Test matches. The last such year was 1988 where 25 centuries and 26 five-fers were recorded from 24 Tests.

147 – Number of occasions the batting teams were bowled out in Test cricket in 2018; the most in any calendar year surpassing 145 instances in 2002.

The year 2018 also witnessed a total of 58 instances of batting sides getting bowled out for less than 200. The previous most was 49 times in the year 2002 and 40 times in 2017.

556 – A total of 556 ducks have been recorded in International cricket in 2018; the first time 500+ ducks have been recorded in a calendar year. The previous most was 492 ducks in 2002.

1730 – A total of 1730 wickets were bagged by the spinners in 2018 across all three International formats; the most by them in a calendar year. The previous best was 1519 wickets in 2017; 211 wickets less than 2018.

The break-up of the 1730 spin wickets in 2018 is 653 in Tests (most in a year surpassing 638 in 2017), 715 ODI wickets (2nd most in a year after 749 in 2011) and 362 T20I wickets (2nd most in a year after 441 in 2016) (Excluding the wickets of the players who can bowl both pace and spin).

Some numbers from Women’s cricket:

4 – The 200-run mark was breached on four occasions including twice in a single day in Women’s T20I cricket. Only once (in 2010) until 2017, a team managed to cross the 200-run barrier in this format.

4.67 – The team run-rate of 4.67 in the Women’s ODI cricket in 2018 is the best in any year bettering last year’s rate of 4.41. As many as eight times the batting sides scored over 300 in this format this year; the most in any calendar year. Six times the 300-run mark was breached in 1997 and 2017.

8 – Number of times a target of 150+ was chased down in Women’s T20Is in 2018. Only on seven occasions, 150+ targets were chased down in Women’s T20I cricket. Four times 160+ targets were chased down in 2018 while it had happened only twice until 2017.

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