Bowling Update – 2014

Four years ago I wrote this and this giving a match-by-match analysis of my bowling performances in 2010 which were, not to put too fine a point on it, shit.

To recap, in 2009 I won the Player of the Year award (the last time it was given to someone other than Zia) but in 2010 I only took 13 wickets in 18 matches and felt like I had no control over the ball or the situation.  I go on at some length in previous articles about the possible reasons for this and subsequently took steps to improve - this led to another post in early 2011 where I talked about what I learnt from Bob Woolmer’s book The Art and Science of Cricket.

Don't worry, I don't have the time or the inclination to reproduce that level of detail again, but fast-forward to 2014 and it is pleasing to see:

*  My bowling average has improved year-on-year

*  I’m taking more wickets and conceding fewer runs per over

Season	Overs	Maidens	Maiden %	Wickets	Average	Strike rate (deliveries per wicket)	Best Figures	Economy (runs/over)
2010	133	18	14%	13	43.15	61.4	3-20	4.22
2011	168	32	19%	21	33.1	48.0	5-27	4.14
2012	161	28	17%	27	19.48	35.8	4-30	3.27
2013	195	43	22%	40	17.4	29.3	6-31	3.58
2014	153	36	24%	31	13.61	29.6	5-34	2.76

Although 2013 was my most prolific for wickets I believe I bowled better in 2014, and as a result have achieved my best ever average and economy rate for a single season.  Also, uniquely for me, I took at least one wicket in every game I played this year, so I can at least claim to have always contributed something.

And yet, I wasn’t even close to being the best bowler this year.  Waqar finished with more wickets in fewer overs (with best figures of 5-6), while Zia only played 11 matches and still finished with 26 wickets at a better average and economy than either of us.  But I don’t compare myself against others (much) – it’s enough for me to see that, at least for now, I’m a lot less shit than I was in 2010.