bowling analysis

{{Short description|Cricket analysis}}

File:At the Cricket 5 (geograph 4111292).jpg showing two bowlers' bowling analyses.]]

{{CSS image crop|Image=Patel scoreboard.JPG |bSize=500 |cWidth=280 |cHeight=240 |oTop=30 |oLeft=100 |Location=right |Description=Scoreboard at The Oval showing bowling analysis for Samit Patel.}}

In cricket, a bowling analysis (sometimes shortened to just analysis, especially in the phrase innings analysis, and also referred to as bowling figures) usually refers to a notation summarising a bowler's performance in terms of overs bowled, how many of those overs are maidens (i.e. with no runs conceded), total runs conceded and number of wickets taken.{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowling%20analysis |title=Definition: bowling analysis |work=Merriam-Webster |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=29 January 2012}} Bowling analyses are generally given for each innings in cricket scoreboards printed in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, newspapers and so on, but they are also sometimes quoted for other periods of time, such as a single spell of bowling. Typically, the analysis is given in the following format: Overs – Maidens – Runs conceded – Wickets.

In some cases, overs and maidens are omitted from bowling figures, and are recorded showing 'Wickets/Runs'; for example, 7/15 by Glenn McGrath against Namibia shows he took his 7 wickets for 15 runs.{{Cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/cwc2003/hi/newsid_2810000/newsid_2810400/2810453.stm | title = Key battles: Australia v England | date = 1 March 2003 | access-date = 27 August 2013 | work=BBC News}}

Sometimes, in limited overs cricket, the 'maidens' figure is replaced by the number of dot balls bowled.

In Test cricket, the best bowling analysis for a single innings is 10/53 by Jim Laker.{{Cite web | url = http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283203.html | title = Records / Test matches / Bowling records / Best figures in an innings

| publisher = ESPNcricinfo | access-date = 27 August 2013}} The best bowling analysis in an ODI is 8/19 by Chaminda Vaas.{{Cite web | url = http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283204.html | title = Records / One-Day Internationals / Bowling records / Best figures in an innings | publisher = ESPNcricinfo | access-date = 27 August 2013}} The best bowling analysis in a Twenty20 International is 6/7 by Deepak Chahar.{{Cite web | url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283973.html | title = Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Bowling records / Best figures in an innings | publisher = ESPNcricinfo | access-date = 21 June 2015}} In first-class cricket, the best bowling analysis for a single innings is 10/10 by Hedley Verity.{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/209288.html|title=Records {{!}} First-class matches {{!}} Bowling records {{!}} Best figures in an innings {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo|work=Cricinfo|access-date=2017-03-02}}