Centuries Making Up a Large Percentage of the Total (2)

Slow day yesterday and today so far for news, so time for some more stats…

Recently we published this article, (http://www.stokecc.co.uk/2016/12/23/centuries-making-up-a-large-percentage-of-the-total/), that created a lot of interest and web-site ‘hits’ so we’ve gone a bit further like we did after the initial “100+ for 0 then all out” article to make some comparisons with the professional game.

Without needing to ‘Ask Steven’ this time, there is already a link on CricInfo containing a list of the highest percentages of an ODI total contributed by a batsman. Here it is:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283997.html

Nice to see that Viv Richards tops the list and no freak one-off by a lesser player has ever beaten him. His awesome 189 not out in 1984, (next highest score 26 by No.9!) – http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64976.html – has yet to be beaten in more than 30 years and over 3500 subsequent ODIs!

However his proportion of the total, (69.48%), would only have placed him sixth on the Stoke list; behind Don Weller, (twice), Sophie Pout, Sid Lahiri and Ian Wellman.

sid-lahiri

Here is the Stoke list again : SDCC Centuries and Percentage of Total

The highest placed Englishman on the CricInfo list is Robin Smith, (OK he is a Saffa but for the purposes of this he is English!), whose 167 not out from 277 for 5, (in a 55 over match – http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65009.html), still saw him finish on a losing side. England in the 1990s, eh? People should consider a TV documentary and/or a book on that…

The Judge’s effort in 1993 was also England’s record ODI individual score until Alex Hales smashed 171 last August in England’s colossal 444 for 3 in 50 overs against Pakistan. (Hales only contributed 38.51% of the England total that day – he would be way down the Stoke list in 187th!!!)

Fans of the longer format of the game will be pleased to know CricInfo has produced a similar list for Test Matches: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283999.html

The bar was set in the first Test Match ever played in 1877 and has never been beaten!

The highest percentage by an Englishman was 61.11% – Graham Gooch’s unbeaten 154 out of 252ao, (next highest scorers both made 27 – Ramprakash and Pringle – http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63557.html), was an identical percentage to this effort by Phil Easton for the Club in 1970 : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/258390 – exactly 46 years to the day before Hales did his thing!

Too many similarities and starting to go around in circles here(!) so we’ll end by saying that Goochie’s effort was a match-winning one unlike Robin Smith’s!

As ever, if you have any comments or questions on this or any other topic, e-mail stokecc@hotmail.com