Match maths
Bowling Average Calculator
Runs conceded per wicket taken, and what the figure means in each format.
Run outs are not credited to a bowler.
Bowling average
14.67
runs per wicket
Runs conceded
44
Wickets
3
Beyond the calculator
Crickslab works these numbers out ball by ball while the match is on, so nobody is doing arithmetic in the scorebook.
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- Averages and strike rates kept up to date
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How this was worked out
- 1Divide runs conceded by wickets44 / 3 = 14.67
How the number is worked out
The formula
Bowling average = runs conceded / wickets taken- runs conceded
- Runs charged to the bowler, including wides and no balls.
- wickets taken
- Wickets credited to the bowler. Run outs are not, because nobody bowled them out.
Lower is better, which is the opposite of a batting average.
A worked example: a match spell
A bowler finishes with 3 for 44 in a one day match.
- 1Divide runs by wickets44 / 3 = 14.67
A bowling average of 14.67 for that spell. Over a season the same arithmetic applies to the season totals rather than to one innings.
Rules and edge cases
The situations that change the answer, and the ones most calculators get wrong.
Lower is better
A bowling average of 20 is excellent and 40 is poor, which is the reverse of how a batting average reads. It is the number of runs the bowler gives away for each wicket taken.
Run outs are not credited to a bowler
A run out is nobody's wicket in the bowling figures. It appears on the scorecard against the fielder, so it never improves a bowling average even though the bowler was bowling at the time.
No wickets means no average
With no wickets there is nothing to divide by, so the average is undefined. A scorecard prints a dash. A bowler who has conceded 44 without a wicket does not have an average of 44.
Average hides how the wickets came
Twenty wickets at 25 from tight bowling and twenty at 25 from expensive bowling that kept buying wickets are the same average and very different bowlers. Read it alongside economy and strike rate.
What counts as good
Rough guides for a front line bowler.
| Format | Good | Very good | Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi day | 30 | 26 | 22 and below |
| One day | 30 | 26 | 22 and below |
| Twenty20 | 26 | 22 | 19 and below |
Frequently asked questions
Divide the runs conceded by the wickets taken. Lower is better.
For players and coaches
Career figures that keep themselves up to date
Claim a Crickslab player profile and your bowling average, economy and strike rate are computed from every match you play, across every club and competition.
See player profilesLast reviewed 17 August 2026. Playing conditions change, so if your competition uses a different rule, its regulations take precedence over anything here.