There are lies, damned lies and batting and bowling averages.
But every cricketer, no matter how much they like to pretend otherwise, is enough of a Statto to want to know how they performed throughout the season.
We now have the Knebworth Park averages for the league season; they are published by team, rather than individual and only include league matches, not warm-ups, friendlies or junior games.
At some point, we will find time to combine the figures from all the teams so those utility men who appeared in several sides can see how they did as a whole for the club.
Also, they are presented in order of runs scored and wickets taken rather than by averages to avoid statistical quirks where someone who did well in their one and only game outshines those who played every week.
It also avoids arbitrary qualifying criteria such as runs scored or overs bowled. For example, even with, say, a five-wicket or 20-over minimum bowling requirement, you might be rather surprised who had the best bowling average in the club!
They have also been calculated using the time-honoured method of pencil, paper and brain power, so are liable to human error, no matter how many times the columns were checked and double-checked. They were also based on figures culled from score books so, again, will reflect any inaccuracies in them. With catches, the odd fielder’s name may not have been properly recorded… damn all those Leathers and Joneses.
The exception is the Fifth team, for which averages have been lifted from the old Pitchero site, where skipper Dave Mantle has dutifully entered the score cards every week. However, even computers make mistakes and, while we have tried to iron out the odd glitch, it might not be perfect.
The Sixth team scorebook seems to be missing and, while there were only two completed games, we can add these when the book turns up!!!
So that’s the boring explanations out of the way, if you want to know how you did please click the link for each team
The 6th team scorebook was last seen at the club after the hitchin game. Pickering can confirm this as he was taking pictures of it.
We had to borrow the back of the Sunday scorebook for the next game because the brand new book had gone missing.
Lovely story.
No story, Pickering will confirm.