One of the perverse joys in my life is to discover statistics in cricket that nobody else has noticed.  I am not sure what you think this means.  Maybe put me on a couch and offer some therapy?  Maybe keep me in your prayers for a fuller, wider, deeper sanctification?  Whatever you think best…

For months I have been watching Kyle Jamieson’s Test bowling career, waiting for the day when it reaches 2000 balls bowled because then he qualifies for this list on cricinfo.com.  Finally, the day arrived — just yesterday.  And if he hadn’t had his first forgettable day in Test cricket, he might have entered the list at #3 … which would have created some satisfying symmetry, but more on that later.  

In the 150 year history of Test cricket these are the bowlers with the ‘best averages’ — namely, they give away the least amount of runs for every person they get out.  It is pretty much the leading bowling statistic by which to measure a bowler’s skill.  But a little caveat before we go any further.  Before World War 2, cricket pitches (ie the ground they played on) were left ‘uncovered’, or exposed to the elements — like rain.  This gave a significant advantage to the bowler.  So for our purposes here, let’s remove them, momentarily, from the list.

When we do this editing, what happens to this list of the Top Thirty bowlers in history?

Well, Kyle Jamieson leads the pack — followed by Frank (“Typhoon”) Tyson — Johnny Wardle (“Yes, Ben Carswell, he is from Yorkshire”, with the best average for a spin bowler) — Alan Davidson (who died recently, a favourite player of my father, who was born in the Torres Strait and had a few Aussie favourites) — Ken Higgs — Malcolm Marshall & Joel Garner & Curtly Ambrose (“Yes, I had noticed they were so incredibly close to each other on this list”) — Neil Adcock (part of NZ folklore, as the key South African bowler in the Tangiwai Test) — Jim Laker — Freddie Trueman (“Yes, Ben Carswell, he is from Yorkshire as well”) — Pat Cummins (the new captain of Australia) — and Glenn McGrath.

Keep up the good work, Kyle!  

His average will rise slowly in the years ahead.  And, yes, a majority of his wickets have been taken in NZ conditions.  But that fact could be countered a bit by noticing both how far ahead his current average is and how well he bowled in Kanpur last week on a lifeless pitch.  He is a special bowler. 

I’ve been waiting months, literally, to announce and celebrate this special statistical day for him.

It must be hard being a commentator, especially when something historic happens that you are not expecting.  But they were a bit underwhelming…  While I was leaping around like “calves released from the stall” (Malachi 4.2), they were saying things like “a moment he will remember for a long time” (How about making that ‘forever’?) and “a once in a life time event” (How about making that ‘three times in thousands of life times spread over 2438 Test matches across 150 years’?).  It. Is. Astonishing.

Jim Laker, Anil Kumble — and Ajaz Patel.  And just look at some of the names that follow on from Ajaz.  Whoever thought Sir Richard Hadlee would lose this NZ record?  Not me.

4 December 2021.  I must try to remember that date…