Match maths
Bowling Economy Rate Calculator
Runs conceded per over, with part overs converted to balls before anything is divided.
Includes wides and no balls, which come off the bowler. Byes and leg byes do not.
Overs and balls, so 34.4 means 34 overs and 4 balls.
Economy rate
4.63
runs per over
Balls bowled
57
Runs per ball
0.772
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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How this was worked out
- 1Convert overs to balls9.3 overs = 57 balls
- 2Divide runs conceded by overs44 / 9.5000 = 4.63
How the number is worked out
The formula
Economy rate = runs conceded / overs bowled- runs conceded
- Runs off the bat plus wides and no balls. Byes and leg byes are not charged to the bowler.
- overs bowled
- Converted to balls first, so 9.3 overs is 57 balls, or 9.5 overs.
A worked example: a part over spell
A bowler has figures of 9.3 overs, 44 runs, 3 wickets when the innings ends.
The part over is where most economy calculations go wrong.
- 1Convert overs to balls9 overs and 3 balls = (9 x 6) + 3 = 57 balls
- 2Convert to decimal overs57 / 6 = 9.5 overs
- 3Divide runs by overs44 / 9.5 = 4.63
An economy rate of 4.63. Dividing 44 by 9.3 gives 4.73, which flatters nobody and is simply wrong.
Rules and edge cases
The situations that change the answer, and the ones most calculators get wrong.
Wides and no balls are charged to the bowler
They came off the bowler's hand, so they count towards runs conceded and they raise the economy rate. A no ball is worse than it looks, because the delivery has to be bowled again.
Byes and leg byes are not
Those runs came off the pad or past the keeper, not off the bat and not from a bad ball. They count towards the team total but never against the bowler's economy.
A part over is not a decimal
9.3 overs means nine overs and three balls, which is 9.5 overs in decimal. Dividing by 9.3 gives an economy rate that is wrong by about two per cent, always in the bowler's favour.
Economy and strike rate measure different jobs
A bowler can be expensive and still be the most valuable in the side if the wickets keep coming. Economy answers what the spell cost. Bowling strike rate answers how quickly it broke through. Attacking bowlers usually score well on one and badly on the other.
What counts as good
Rough guides. A death overs specialist should be read against a different bar from a new ball bowler.
| Format | Good | Very good | Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi day | 3.00 | 2.60 | 2.30 and below |
| One day | 5.00 | 4.50 | 4.00 and below |
| Twenty20 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 6.50 and below |
Frequently asked questions
Divide the runs conceded by the overs bowled. Convert part overs to balls first, because 9.3 overs is 9.5 in decimal.
For players and coaches
Economy by phase, not just by spell
Crickslab breaks a bowler's figures down by powerplay, middle overs and death, so you can see where a spell is actually costing runs rather than reading one number for the innings.
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.