A Batsman's 'Prime'

[Prince EWS]

Do it over 80 innings IMO.

The Bradman sample. Size.

80-Innings Peaks
Batsmen who averaged over 50 across eighty innings

* Real runs

			Start Peak	End Peak	Runs	Average

DG Bradman (Aus)	30 Nov 1928	14 Aug 1948	6996	99.94
JH Kallis (SA)		19 Apr 2001	2 Jan 2006	4646	74.94
RT Ponting (Aus)	10 Apr 2003	2 Jan 2007	5004	74.69
GS Sobers (WI)		5 Feb 1958	29 Feb 1968	4969	73.07
R Dravid (Ind)		11 Apr 2002	15 Dec 2006	4729	69.54
KC Sangakkara (SL)	26 Mar 2006	26 Oct 2011	5027	68.86
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	29 Nov 2000	27 Nov 2006	4884	66.90
SR Tendulkar (Ind)	26 Dec 1996	19 Apr 2002	4782	66.42
ML Hayden (Aus)		27 Feb 2001	3 Nov 2004	4743	65.88
L Hutton (Eng)		16 Aug 1947	30 Mar 1954	4555	65.07
KF Barrington (Eng)	8 Jun 1961	11 Feb 1966	4462	64.67
BC Lara (WI)		9 Mar 2001	25 Nov 2005	5013	64.27
WR Hammond (Eng)	14 Dec 1928	15 Aug 1936	4416	64.00
AR Border (Aus)		26 Dec 1982	23 Sep 1988	4220	63.94
SR Waugh (Aus)		25 Feb 1993	2 Jan 1998	3963	63.92
JB Hobbs (Eng)		1 Jan 1910	13 Jun 1930	4753	63.37
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)	5 Mar 2000	13 Jul 2006	4553	63.24
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	4 Aug 2004	16 Nov 2009	4716	62.88
S Chanderpaul (WI)	19 Mar 2004	6 Mar 2009	3947	62.65
Younis Khan (Pak)	28 Oct 2004	17 Dec 2011	4509	62.63
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	14 Jun 1924	18 Aug 1934	4425	62.32
Javed Miandad (Pak)	26 Aug 1982	1 Dec 1989	4578	61.04
IVA Richards (WI)	3 Jan 1976	12 Jul 1984	4698	61.01
G Boycott (Eng)		8 Jun 1967	10 Feb 1978	4107	60.40
GS Chappell (Aus)	1 Mar 1974	2 Jan 1981	4181	59.73
SM Gavaskar (Ind)	23 Jan 1975	29 Jan 1980	4528	59.58
ED Weekes (WI)		21 Jan 1948	26 Mar 1958	4446	59.28
A Flower (Zim)		15 Feb 1995	27 Dec 2001	3714	58.03
HH Gibbs (SA)		15 Jan 1999	26 Mar 2004	4311	57.48
MD Crowe (NZ)		30 Nov 1985	25 Nov 1994	4004	57.20
V Sehwag (Ind)		12 Dec 2003	6 Nov 2008	4284	56.37
AC Gilchrist (Aus)	15 Dec 2000	26 Mar 2005	3716	56.30
AB de Villiers (SA)	2 Jan 2007	23 Mar 2012	3770	56.27
CG Greenidge (WI)	3 Jun 1976	26 Jul 1984	3878	56.20
VVS Laxman (Ind)	22 Nov 2007	14 Nov 2011	3480	56.13
RN Harvey (Aus)		6 Feb 1948	26 Oct 1956	4133	55.85
DC Boon (Aus)		26 Dec 1990	24 Dec 1994	3712	55.40
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)	24 Dec 1976	16 Nov 1984	3875	55.36
DB Vengsarkar (Ind)	10 Jun 1982	12 Nov 1988	3653	55.35
TT Samaraweera (SL)	4 Apr 2005	3 Jan 2012	3700	55.22
MC Cowdrey (Eng)	31 May 1962	21 Feb 1969	3784	54.84
DCS Compton (Eng)	31 Jan 1947	12 Aug 1954	3994	54.71
GA Gooch (Eng)		21 Jul 1988	16 Jun 1994	4238	54.33
MEK Hussey (Aus)	3 Nov 2005	3 Jan 2010	3799	54.27
DR Martyn (Aus)		12 Mar 1993	18 Mar 2005	3739	54.19
RB Kanhai (WI)		28 Nov 1958	6 Dec 1968	4274	54.10
MJ Clarke (Aus)		26 Mar 2005	13 Jul 2010	3731	54.07
RB Simpson (Aus)	10 Feb 1961	16 Dec 1977	4028	53.71
AN Cook (Eng)		18 Dec 2007	10 Aug 2011	4016	53.55
FMM Worrell (WI)	11 Feb 1948	6 Jun 1963	3792	53.41
G Kirsten (SA)		27 Feb 1999	10 Mar 2004	3945	53.31
HM Amla (SA)		11 Jan 2007	7 Mar 2012	3882	53.18
GR Viswanath (Ind)	25 Jan 1973	13 Oct 1979	3920	52.97
JL Langer (Aus)		23 Aug 2001	18 Mar 2005	3965	52.87
GC Smith (SA)		26 Jan 2007	23 Mar 2012	3854	52.79
WM Lawry (Aus)		15 Feb 1963	4 Nov 1969	3829	52.45
KP Pietersen (Eng)	8 Sep 2005	26 Feb 2009	4018	52.18
PBH May (Eng)		15 Jan 1954	18 Jun 1959	3718	51.64
ER Dexter (Eng)		6 Jan 1960	1 Jan 1965	3853	51.37
HP Tillakaratne (SL)	9 Aug 1994	3 May 2003	3116	51.08
GP Thorpe (Eng)		22 Jul 1999	3 Jun 2005	3265	51.02
IR Bell (Eng)		14 Dec 2006	17 Jan 2012	3604	50.76
Saleem Malik (Pak)	15 Sep 1988	15 Oct 1998	3499	50.71
ME Trescothick (Eng)	16 May 2002	25 Aug 2005	3634	50.47
KD Walters (Aus)	10 Dec 1965	22 Mar 1974	3633	50.46
AI Kallicharran (WI)	6 Apr 1972	29 Dec 1978	3665	50.21
M Amarnath (Ind)	2 Dec 1977	21 Feb 1987	3564	50.20
CH Lloyd (WI)		31 Jan 1976	9 Aug 1984	3663	50.18

* Standardised runs

			Start Peak	End Peak	St Runs	St Average

DG Bradman (Aus)	30 Nov 1928	14 Aug 1948	6718.6	95.98
GS Sobers (WI)		5 Feb 1958	29 Feb 1968	4704.7	69.19
JH Kallis (SA)		19 Apr 2001	2 Jan 2006	4161.2	67.12
RT Ponting (Aus)	8 Mar 2002	16 Mar 2006	4552.4	66.95
SR Tendulkar (Ind)	26 Dec 1996	19 Apr 2002	4793.5	66.58
R Dravid (Ind)		18 Nov 2000	17 Dec 2004	4312.3	64.36
SR Waugh (Aus)		3 Jun 1993	18 Mar 1998	3990.4	64.36
AR Border (Aus)		26 Dec 1982	23 Sep 1988	4212.1	63.82
SM Gavaskar (Ind)	23 Jan 1975	29 Jan 1980	4836.7	63.64
L Hutton (Eng)		1 Jan 1947	9 Jul 1953	4306.1	63.33
BC Lara (WI)		9 Mar 2001	25 Nov 2005	4925.1	63.14
ML Hayden (Aus)		27 Feb 2001	3 Nov 2004	4481.0	62.24
IVA Richards (WI)	3 Jan 1976	12 Jul 1984	4787.6	62.18
GS Chappell (Aus)	1 Mar 1974	2 Jan 1981	4244.1	60.63
KC Sangakkara (SL)	26 Mar 2006	26 Oct 2011	4411.1	60.43
KF Barrington (Eng)	1 Dec 1961	24 Aug 1967	4289.0	60.41
JB Hobbs (Eng)		1 Jan 1910	13 Jun 1930	4517.7	60.24
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	15 Nov 2000	27 Nov 2006	4329.8	59.31
WR Hammond (Eng)	14 Dec 1928	15 Aug 1936	4072.0	59.01
S Chanderpaul (WI)	19 Mar 2004	6 Mar 2009	3716.4	58.99
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)	12 Mar 1999	12 Nov 2005	4162.9	57.82
ED Weekes (WI)		21 Jan 1948	26 Mar 1958	4330.6	57.74
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	14 Jun 1924	18 Aug 1934	4087.3	57.57
Younis Khan (Pak)	28 Oct 2004	17 Dec 2011	4133.8	57.41
FMM Worrell (WI)	11 Feb 1948	6 Jun 1963	4051.2	57.06
RN Harvey (Aus)		6 Feb 1948	26 Oct 1956	4222.1	57.06
Javed Miandad (Pak)	26 Aug 1982	1 Dec 1989	4273.4	56.98
G Boycott (Eng)		8 Jun 1967	10 Feb 1978	3870.3	56.92
A Flower (Zim)		15 Feb 1995	27 Dec 2001	3625.0	56.64
GR Viswanath (Ind)	25 Jan 1973	13 Oct 1979	4100.5	55.41
DB Vengsarkar (Ind)	10 Jun 1982	12 Nov 1988	3638.8	55.13
PBH May (Eng)		15 Jan 1954	18 Jun 1959	3956.4	54.95
GA Gooch (Eng)		16 Dec 1987	22 Jul 1993	4276.1	54.82
CG Greenidge (WI)	3 Jun 1976	26 Jul 1984	3776.2	54.73
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	4 Aug 2004	16 Nov 2009	4022.3	53.63
DCS Compton (Eng)	31 Jan 1947	12 Aug 1954	3905.9	53.50
DC Boon (Aus)		26 Dec 1990	24 Dec 1994	3571.9	53.31
RB Kanhai (WI)		26 Mar 1959	6 Mar 1971	4148.1	53.18
MD Crowe (NZ)		16 Nov 1984	7 Nov 1992	3775.5	53.18
V Sehwag (Ind)		12 Dec 2003	6 Nov 2008	4041.0	53.17
AC Gilchrist (Aus)	15 Dec 2000	26 Mar 2005	3508.3	53.16
HH Gibbs (SA)		15 Jan 1999	26 Mar 2004	3983.4	53.11
RB Simpson (Aus)	10 Feb 1961	16 Dec 1977	3971.5	52.95
DR Martyn (Aus)		12 Mar 1993	18 Mar 2005	3653.2	52.94
VVS Laxman (Ind)	15 Dec 2006	6 Jul 2011	3242.2	52.29
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)	24 Dec 1976	16 Nov 1984	3639.9	52.00
C Hill (Aus)		13 Dec 1897	9 Feb 1912	4011.5	51.43
M Amarnath (Ind)	2 Dec 1977	21 Feb 1987	3648.2	51.38
WM Lawry (Aus)		15 Feb 1963	4 Nov 1969	3726.5	51.05
AI Kallicharran (WI)	6 Apr 1972	29 Dec 1978	3722.9	51.00
CH Lloyd (WI)		23 Jan 1975	29 Oct 1983	3795.0	50.60
MJ Clarke (Aus)		26 Mar 2005	13 Jul 2010	3477.8	50.40
MA Atherton (Eng)	3 Jun 1993	5 Jun 1997	3820.3	50.27
MC Cowdrey (Eng)	18 Jun 1959	11 Feb 1966	3467.8	50.26

 

[Prince EWS]

Could you please explain the idea of standardisation to me EWS? I don't understand it fully

I have a whole thread on it. Don't want to derail this one too much (sorry for confusing you btw), but basically it involves normalising the opposition and era standards. Scoring 50 against Australia in 1900 was worth a lot more in real terms than scoring 50 against Bangladesh in 2004, and standardising attempts to address those sort of inconsistencies.

 

[uvelocity]

would be more crazy stats if you just took second innings over that period no doubt

I think I got 1st and 2nd innings confused from foggy memory,

Steve Waugh in 1st & 3rd innings in the same time period;

Inn 25 NO 10 Runs 1625 Avg 108.33

 

[Jager]

I have a whole thread on it. Don't want to derail this one too much (sorry for confusing you btw), but basically it involves normalising the opposition and era standards. Scoring 50 against Australia in 1900 was worth a lot more in real terms than scoring 50 against Bangladesh in 2004, and standardising attempts to address those sort of inconsistencies.

No worries, I will find it. I was just wondering if there was a number that all the averages were based around. It's interesting that so many batsmen of the modern era are up there :\

 

[Lostman]

Think this should be done as a % of career matches , might be impossible to do though.
Don't think looking at 20 innings for careers with 150+ innings is of much use.

 

[Jager]

Think this should be done as a % of career matches , might be impossible to do though.
Don't think looking at 20 innings for careers with 150+ innings is of much use.

Which is what I was thinking. I'd probably say at this moment that the best way of taking a prime average is to look at the batsman's highest career average after playing half of his career matches. What do you think?

 

[Debris]

To be fair, one could definitely argue that 12 not outs in 40 innings would inflate the old average a bit, not to mention reduce the sample size in a way given average is a runs/dismissals calculation at a basic level. 40 dismissals may be a better measure than 40 innings, but that'd require some serious code adjustments.

I don't quite understand why you are dismissing not outs. There is as much justification to say they reduce the average as increase it ie. lack of opportunity to make runs once you are already set.

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't quite understand why you are dismissing not outs. There is as much justification to say they reduce the average as increase it ie. lack of opportunity to make runs once you are already set.

"One could argue" and "I would argue" are two different things.

I don't think they inflate the average like many do (if anything I think they deflate it at times) but in this situation Waugh averaged what he did over 28 dismissals while the others did so over closer to 40, which is definitely a factor giving we were trying to find peaks of identical length. If a batsman had scored 10* 39 times and then got a duck, averaging 390, we'd not laud it as a great peak for it'd only really be a sample size of one rather than forty.

I'm not making the argument that not outs inflate the average as such; I'm making the argument that not outs decrease the true value of the sample and create inequities.

 

[Debris]

"One could argue" and "I would argue" are two different things.

I don't think they inflate the average like many do (if anything I think they deflate it at times) but in this situation Waugh averaged what he did over 28 dismissals while the others did so over closer to 40, which is definitely a factor giving we were trying to find peaks of identical length. If a batsman had scored 10* 39 times and then got a duck, averaging 390, we'd not laud it as a great peak for it'd only really be a sample size of one rather than forty.

I'm not making the argument that not outs inflate the average as such; I'm making the argument that not outs decrease the true value of the sample and create inequities.

I get your point if the not out innings are included. There are not too many batmen who have an extended period of great innings with not outs followed by a complete collapse which is what you would need to argue against the dissmals criteria.

I would actually find someone being able to get 10* 39 times in a row really impressive, though. That would be one of the greatest batting statistics of all time.

 

[smash84]

this thread makes for a good read....good analyses ppl

 

[smash84]

Ok, i take back what i said about Ponting having the best post-bradman peak ... its clearly Sobers imo

52 Matches 88 Innings 5468 Runs Average: 72.90, 19 Hunderds, 20 Fifties

Far more impressive imo than Ponting's run, because this run of 50 odd test matches came over a period of 11 YEARS!!!

From 1957 to 1968, Sobers averaged 73... simply mind boggling

wow.....Sobers.......a deserving candidate for number 1 on CWtop 50

 

[Jager]

I'm going to start compiling a list of highest averages after the halfway point if people are interested in seeing it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Must be so annoying for people seeing Alastair Cook in every list as he isn't great to watch but accumulates runs very well.

 

[Spark]

Reckon 80 innings is too big a peak tbh. 50 would be better.

 

[Prince EWS]

Reckon 80 innings is too big a peak tbh. 50 would be better.

Well I already did 40. I'll do 50 as well if you like. I liked the 80 suggestion merely because it was the exact length of Bradman's career, but I do tend to agree.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Well I already did 40. I'll do 50 as well if you like. I liked the 80 suggestion merely because it was the exact length of Bradman's career, but I do tend to agree.

How many innings would Bradman have had to be limited to, for you to consider his career an insufficient sample size?

 

[Prince EWS]

Reckon 80 innings is too big a peak tbh. 50 would be better.

50 Innings Peaks

* Real runs

			Start Peak	End Peak	Runs	Average

DG Bradman (Aus)	13 Jun 1930	13 Dec 1946	5038	109.52
JH Kallis (SA)		7 Sep 2001	4 Aug 2004	2999	81.05
SR Waugh (Aus)		3 Jun 1993	25 Jan 1997	2750	80.88
KC Sangakkara (SL)	27 Jul 2006	26 Jul 2010	3457	78.57
RT Ponting (Aus)	18 Nov 2004	14 Dec 2006	3107	77.68
A Flower (Zim)		26 Feb 1998	15 Nov 2001	2807	75.86
WR Hammond (Eng)	14 Dec 1928	31 Mar 1933	3227	75.05
GS Sobers (WI)		22 Aug 1957	20 Jun 1963	3291	74.80
R Dravid (Ind)		22 Aug 2002	13 Jan 2006	3138	74.71
ML Hayden (Aus)		22 Nov 2001	16 Mar 2004	3245	73.75
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	11 May 2006	16 Nov 2009	3451	73.43
IVA Richards (WI)	3 Jan 1976	27 Mar 1981	3483	72.56
L Hutton (Eng)		27 Dec 1948	25 Jun 1953	2963	72.27
KF Barrington (Eng)	22 Aug 1963	8 Feb 1968	3144	71.45
BC Lara (WI)		19 Apr 2001	4 Jun 2004	3392	70.67
TT Samaraweera (SL)	22 Mar 2008	26 Dec 2011	2731	70.03
SR Tendulkar (Ind)	6 Mar 1997	25 Nov 2000	3081	70.02
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	20 Aug 2003	27 Nov 2006	3207	69.72
SM Gavaskar (Ind)	11 Feb 1977	15 Jan 1980	3216	68.43
Younis Khan (Pak)	16 Mar 2005	4 Jul 2009	3067	68.16
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)	6 Mar 2002	13 Jul 2006	2918	67.86
S Chanderpaul (WI)	27 Nov 2006	12 May 2011	2495	67.43
JB Hobbs (Eng)		26 Feb 1910	16 Jan 1925	3100	67.39
ED Weekes (WI)		11 Feb 1948	26 Apr 1955	3149	67.00
MEK Hussey (Aus)	17 Nov 2005	28 Nov 2008	2794	66.52
AB de Villiers (SA)	26 Dec 2007	16 Dec 2010	2656	66.40
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	12 Jun 1926	30 Dec 1932	2854	66.37
G Boycott (Eng)		27 Nov 1970	10 Feb 1978	2781	66.21
AR Border (Aus)		27 Jun 1985	7 Oct 1988	2778	66.14
CL Walcott (WI)		10 Nov 1948	30 May 1957	3039	66.07
DB Vengsarkar (Ind)	24 Nov 1983	12 Nov 1988	2485	65.39
DCS Compton (Eng)	24 Jun 1939	25 Jun 1949	2809	65.33
GS Chappell (Aus)	16 Feb 1973	1 Jan 1977	2585	64.63
Javed Miandad (Pak)	9 Oct 1976	6 Mar 1980	2419	63.66
HH Gibbs (SA)		7 Sep 2001	18 Mar 2004	2976	63.32
V Sehwag (Ind)		24 Jan 2008	4 Nov 2010	3035	63.23
AD Nourse (SA)		17 Aug 1935	7 Jun 1951	2776	63.09
MD Crowe (NZ)		30 Nov 1985	31 Jan 1991	2648	63.05
GA Gooch (Eng)		23 Mar 1990	3 Jun 1993	2984	62.17
AC Gilchrist (Aus)	31 Mar 2000	9 Oct 2003	2424	62.15
RB Simpson (Aus)	4 Jun 1964	16 Dec 1977	2908	61.87
AN Cook (Eng)		13 Feb 2009	3 Jun 2011	2767	61.49
VVS Laxman (Ind)	2 Jan 2000	12 Dec 2003	2580	61.43
PA de Silva (SL)	19 Apr 1997	7 Mar 2001	2631	61.19
MW Gatting (Eng)	28 Nov 1984	7 Dec 1987	2506	61.12
MJ Clarke (Aus)		9 Apr 2006	7 Aug 2009	2558	60.90
GC Smith (SA)		2 Jan 2008	16 Dec 2010	2794	60.74
MC Cowdrey (Eng)	16 Aug 1962	2 Jun 1966	2427	60.68
DL Amiss (Eng)		24 Mar 1973	1 Jan 1977	2664	60.55
PBH May (Eng)		23 Jun 1955	18 Jun 1959	2646	60.14
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)	16 Oct 1978	5 Oct 1983	2646	60.14
RN Harvey (Aus)		23 Jan 1948	15 Aug 1953	2761	60.02
G Gambhir (Ind)		20 Nov 2004	24 Jan 2010	2756	59.91
Saleem Malik (Pak)	7 Oct 1988	19 Jan 1995	2501	59.55
IM Chappell (Aus)	10 Aug 1972	26 Dec 1975	2679	59.53
HM Amla (SA)		10 Jan 2008	16 Dec 2010	2676	59.47
WM Lawry (Aus)		5 May 1965	12 Dec 1969	2670	59.33
DC Boon (Aus)		26 Dec 1990	1 Jul 1993	2489	59.26
CG Greenidge (WI)	30 Jan 1982	21 Feb 1986	2357	58.93
GP Thorpe (Eng)		7 Mar 2001	12 Aug 2004	2351	58.78
RA Smith (Eng)		22 Jun 1989	4 Jun 1992	2215	58.29
ER Dexter (Eng)		6 Jan 1960	29 Dec 1962	2617	58.16
CH Lloyd (WI)		10 Jul 1980	30 Dec 1984	2549	57.93
IR Bell (Eng)		15 May 2008	18 Aug 2011	2481	57.70
SM Katich (Aus)		30 May 2008	21 Jul 2010	2697	57.38
TW Graveney (Eng)	4 Jul 1957	29 Feb 1968	2626	57.09
EH Hendren (Eng)	28 Jun 1924	1 Jan 1931	2390	56.90
MA Taylor (Aus)		8 Jun 1989	25 Jan 1992	2609	56.72
RB Kanhai (WI)		31 Dec 1958	5 May 1965	2834	56.68
KWR Fletcher (Eng)	12 Jan 1973	17 Dec 1976	2371	56.45
KD Walters (Aus)	10 Dec 1965	21 Jan 1971	2536	56.36
AG Prince (SA)		15 Apr 2006	16 Dec 2009	2196	56.31
G Kirsten (SA)		6 Apr 2001	26 Mar 2004	2506	55.69
B Mitchell (SA)		4 Mar 1932	5 Mar 1949	2330	55.48
RB Richardson (WI)	30 Jun 1988	18 Apr 1992	2541	55.24
JL Langer (Aus)		2 Jan 2000	10 Apr 2003	2521	54.80
M Amarnath (Ind)	3 Jan 1983	27 Dec 1986	2465	54.78
FMM Worrell (WI)	3 Mar 1948	4 Jul 1957	2510	54.57
DM Jones (Aus)		15 Oct 1986	19 Jan 1990	2289	54.50
GR Viswanath (Ind)	10 Nov 1976	26 Oct 1979	2560	54.47
MP Vaughan (Eng)	11 Dec 2001	10 Dec 2003	2502	54.39
Hanif Mohammad (Pak)	13 Mar 1958	27 Jul 1967	2393	54.39
SJ McCabe (Aus)		16 Aug 1930	10 Jun 1938	2501	54.37
GM Turner (NZ)		15 Oct 1969	26 Nov 1976	2438	54.18
AL Hassett (Aus)	1 Jan 1947	25 Jun 1953	2540	54.04
DR Martyn (Aus)		24 Mar 2000	16 Mar 2004	2205	53.78
ME Trescothick (Eng)	4 Sep 2003	4 Aug 2005	2420	53.78
KP Pietersen (Eng)	8 Sep 2005	1 Dec 2007	2632	53.71
DJ Cullinan (SA)	18 Jun 1998	29 Mar 2001	2305	53.60
Mudassar Nazar (Pak)	12 Aug 1982	14 Mar 1986	2342	53.23
JC Adams (WI)		18 Apr 1992	27 Feb 1998	2075	53.21
Imran Khan (Pak)	23 Dec 1982	15 Nov 1990	1963	53.05
ME Waugh (Aus)		3 Jun 1993	25 Jan 1996	2546	53.04
AR Morris (Aus)		1 Jan 1947	9 Jan 1953	2479	52.74
MS Atapattu (SL)	14 Aug 2001	9 Jul 2004	2266	52.70
Shoaib Mohammad (Pak)	2 Jul 1987	15 Sep 1995	2303	52.34
TM Dilshan (SL)		12 Sep 2005	16 Nov 2009	2350	52.22
HP Tillakaratne (SL)	19 Apr 1997	3 May 2003	1875	52.08
ST Jayasuriya (SL)	21 Nov 2001	28 Oct 2004	2492	51.92
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	20 Aug 2003	3 Feb 2012	2066	51.65
HA Gomes (WI)		12 Jan 1979	7 Dec 1984	2062	51.55
AI Kallicharran (WI)	6 Apr 1972	24 Mar 1976	2370	51.52
DI Gower (Eng)		13 Jan 1985	16 Jun 1988	2416	51.40
IR Redpath (Aus)	22 Jan 1970	25 Jan 1975	2202	51.21
DL Haynes (WI)		4 Aug 1988	8 Aug 1991	2198	51.12
JH Edrich (Eng)		8 Jul 1965	21 Aug 1969	2349	51.07
M Azharuddin (Ind)	14 Sep 1985	23 Aug 1990	2445	50.94
AJ Strauss (Eng)	13 Mar 2008	29 Jul 2010	2391	50.87
Majid Khan (Pak)	21 Feb 1969	1 Apr 1977	2435	50.73
SC Ganguly (Ind)	20 Jun 1996	29 Oct 1999	2281	50.69
VL Manjrekar (Ind)	11 Mar 1953	16 Feb 1962	2178	50.65
RC Fredericks (WI)	1 Apr 1971	26 Dec 1975	2329	50.63
AJ Stewart (Eng)	19 Aug 1993	24 Jan 1997	2377	50.57
NC O'Neill (Aus)	5 Dec 1958	10 Jan 1964	2224	50.55
MA Atherton (Eng)	22 Jul 1993	30 Nov 1995	2467	50.35
NS Sidhu (Ind)		9 Dec 1989	25 Mar 1998	2516	50.32
Saeed Anwar (Pak)	15 Sep 1995	18 Nov 1999	2408	50.17
SP Fleming (NZ)		19 Dec 2002	7 Dec 2006	2351	50.02

* Standardised runs

			Start Peak	End Peak	St Runs	St Average

DG Bradman (Aus)	13 Jun 1930	13 Dec 1946	5092	110.70
SR Waugh (Aus)		3 Jun 1993	25 Jan 1997	2713	79.79
IVA Richards (WI)	3 Jan 1976	27 Mar 1981	3753	78.18
SM Gavaskar (Ind)	11 Feb 1977	15 Jan 1980	3547	75.46
A Flower (Zim)		26 Feb 1998	15 Nov 2001	2719	73.48
JH Kallis (SA)		7 Sep 2001	4 Aug 2004	2689	72.67
CL Walcott (WI)		30 Nov 1951	9 Mar 1960	3221	71.58
L Hutton (Eng)		8 Jun 1950	30 Mar 1954	2847	71.18
RT Ponting (Aus)	16 Aug 2001	8 Mar 2004	3055	71.04
BC Lara (WI)		6 Apr 2001	28 May 2004	3380	70.43
SR Tendulkar (Ind)	14 Mar 1997	27 Feb 2001	3167	70.37
R Dravid (Ind)		22 Aug 2002	13 Jan 2006	2927	69.68
GS Sobers (WI)		2 Jun 1966	1 Apr 1971	2832	69.07
ML Hayden (Aus)		22 Nov 2001	16 Mar 2004	3019	68.61
KF Barrington (Eng)	22 Aug 1963	8 Feb 1968	3014	68.50
WR Hammond (Eng)	14 Dec 1928	31 Mar 1933	2922	67.95
KC Sangakkara (SL)	27 Jul 2006	26 Jul 2010	2961	67.29
JB Hobbs (Eng)		26 Feb 1910	16 Jan 1925	3076	66.87
AR Border (Aus)		26 Dec 1982	2 Jan 1986	2731	66.60
S Chanderpaul (WI)	27 Nov 2006	12 May 2011	2447	66.12
GS Chappell (Aus)	28 Aug 1975	28 Aug 1980	2768	65.91
PBH May (Eng)		9 Jun 1955	14 Mar 1959	2892	65.72
ED Weekes (WI)		15 Feb 1952	26 Mar 1958	2923	64.95
Javed Miandad (Pak)	9 Oct 1976	6 Mar 1980	2434	64.05
AD Nourse (SA)		17 Aug 1935	7 Jun 1951	2802	63.67
RN Harvey (Aus)		24 Dec 1949	31 Dec 1954	2926	63.60
DCS Compton (Eng)	14 Aug 1937	1 Jan 1949	2669	63.55
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	20 Aug 2003	27 Nov 2006	2914	63.35
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	11 May 2006	16 Nov 2009	2951	62.79
Younis Khan (Pak)	16 Mar 2005	4 Jul 2009	2816	62.58
G Boycott (Eng)		27 Nov 1970	10 Feb 1978	2618	62.33
DB Vengsarkar (Ind)	29 Oct 1983	11 Dec 1987	2424	62.16
VVS Laxman (Ind)	2 Jan 2000	12 Dec 2003	2605	62.02
TT Samaraweera (SL)	23 Jul 2008	3 Jan 2012	2411	61.81
GA Gooch (Eng)		5 Jul 1990	1 Jul 1993	3008	61.38
PA de Silva (SL)	19 Apr 1997	7 Mar 2001	2632	61.21
FMM Worrell (WI)	20 Jul 1950	6 Jan 1960	2794	60.74
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)	12 Mar 1999	2 Jan 2003	2849	60.62
AB de Villiers (SA)	26 Dec 2007	16 Dec 2010	2417	60.43
H Sutcliffe (Eng)	12 Jun 1926	30 Dec 1932	2595	60.36
RB Simpson (Aus)	4 Jun 1964	16 Dec 1977	2812	59.83
MD Crowe (NZ)		30 Nov 1985	31 Jan 1991	2499	59.50
RA Smith (Eng)		22 Jun 1989	4 Jun 1992	2241	58.96
GR Viswanath (Ind)	10 Nov 1976	26 Oct 1979	2755	58.61
AC Gilchrist (Aus)	31 Mar 2000	9 Oct 2003	2285	58.60
KD Walters (Aus)	10 Dec 1965	21 Jan 1971	2615	58.12
WM Lawry (Aus)		5 May 1965	12 Dec 1969	2605	57.88
V Sehwag (Ind)		24 Jan 2008	4 Nov 2010	2776	57.83
C Hill (Aus)		13 Dec 1897	3 Jul 1905	2757	57.44
HH Gibbs (SA)		7 Sep 2001	18 Mar 2004	2694	57.33
MEK Hussey (Aus)	17 Nov 2005	28 Nov 2008	2401	57.18
Saleem Malik (Pak)	7 Oct 1988	19 Jan 1995	2395	57.03
MJ Clarke (Aus)		9 Apr 2006	7 Aug 2009	2395	57.01
DC Boon (Aus)		26 Dec 1990	1 Jul 1993	2355	56.07
M Amarnath (Ind)	10 Dec 1982	3 Jul 1986	2467	56.06
TW Graveney (Eng)	4 Jul 1957	29 Feb 1968	2570	55.87
GP Thorpe (Eng)		7 Mar 2001	12 Aug 2004	2231	55.76
HW Taylor (SA)		13 Dec 1913	16 Jan 1931	2616	55.65
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)	16 Oct 1978	5 Oct 1983	2449	55.65
MC Cowdrey (Eng)	16 Aug 1962	2 Jun 1966	2217	55.42
VT Trumper (Aus)	8 Nov 1902	15 Dec 1911	2434	55.32
MW Gatting (Eng)	28 Nov 1984	7 Dec 1987	2261	55.15
DL Amiss (Eng)		24 Mar 1973	1 Jan 1977	2425	55.11
VS Hazare (Ind)		22 Jun 1946	11 Mar 1953	2414	54.87
AN Cook (Eng)		13 Feb 2009	3 Jun 2011	2466	54.81
IM Chappell (Aus)	10 Aug 1972	26 Dec 1975	2464	54.75
JC Adams (WI)		18 Apr 1992	27 Feb 1998	2134	54.71
SJ McCabe (Aus)		16 Aug 1930	10 Jun 1938	2507	54.50
CH Lloyd (WI)		23 Mar 1973	17 Jun 1976	2504	54.44
MA Atherton (Eng)	22 Jul 1993	30 Nov 1995	2646	54.01
RB Kanhai (WI)		27 Jan 1961	28 Mar 1968	2645	53.97
ER Dexter (Eng)		6 Jan 1960	29 Dec 1962	2418	53.72
MP Vaughan (Eng)	9 Dec 1999	24 Jul 2003	2523	53.68
DR Martyn (Aus)		24 Mar 2000	16 Mar 2004	2189	53.40
CG Greenidge (WI)	22 Feb 1980	26 Jul 1984	2240	53.33
AJ Stewart (Eng)	26 Dec 1995	23 Jul 1998	2443	53.11
SM Katich (Aus)		30 May 2008	21 Jul 2010	2496	53.10
HM Amla (SA)		10 Jan 2008	16 Dec 2010	2378	52.84
GC Smith (SA)		2 Jan 2008	16 Dec 2010	2430	52.82
NC O'Neill (Aus)	5 Dec 1958	10 Jan 1964	2321	52.74
HP Tillakaratne (SL)	2 Jan 1992	7 Mar 1997	2162	52.72
JL Langer (Aus)		2 Jan 2000	10 Apr 2003	2425	52.72
DI Gower (Eng)		28 Jul 1983	11 Apr 1986	2424	52.70
DJ McGlew (SA)		6 Mar 1953	2 Feb 1962	2366	52.59
Hanif Mohammad (Pak)	13 Mar 1958	27 Jul 1967	2313	52.57
AL Hassett (Aus)	1 Jan 1948	15 Aug 1953	2470	52.56
DJ Cullinan (SA)	4 Jun 1998	29 Mar 2001	2258	52.50
B Mitchell (SA)		4 Mar 1932	5 Mar 1949	2202	52.42
GA Hick (Eng)		19 Feb 1993	26 Dec 1995	2353	52.30
AI Kallicharran (WI)	9 Mar 1973	3 Jun 1976	2397	52.11
MA Taylor (Aus)		8 Jun 1989	25 Jan 1992	2397	52.10
GM Turner (NZ)		15 Oct 1969	26 Nov 1976	2342	52.05
G Gambhir (Ind)		20 Nov 2004	24 Jan 2010	2386	51.87
ME Waugh (Aus)		3 Jun 1993	25 Jan 1996	2488	51.84
VL Manjrekar (Ind)	11 Mar 1953	16 Feb 1962	2223	51.69
KWR Fletcher (Eng)	12 Jan 1973	17 Dec 1976	2168	51.61
IR Redpath (Aus)	22 Jan 1970	25 Jan 1975	2195	51.05
Saeed Anwar (Pak)	15 Sep 1995	18 Nov 1999	2445	50.94
CC McDonald (Aus)	9 Jan 1953	13 Feb 1959	2392	50.90
RC Fredericks (WI)	2 Feb 1974	4 Mar 1977	2339	50.85
Imran Khan (Pak)	23 Dec 1982	15 Nov 1990	1873	50.62
RB Richardson (WI)	24 Dec 1988	2 Jan 1993	2375	50.53
G Kirsten (SA)		26 Dec 2000	24 Oct 2003	2375	50.53
SC Ganguly (Ind)	20 Jun 1996	29 Oct 1999	2272	50.50
IR Bell (Eng)		15 May 2008	18 Aug 2011	2169	50.44
JH Edrich (Eng)		4 Mar 1966	25 Feb 1971	2318	50.39
KP Pietersen (Eng)	21 Jul 2005	15 Jun 2007	2417	50.36
WM Woodfull (Aus)	10 Jul 1926	20 Jul 1934	2308	50.18
AG Prince (SA)		15 Apr 2006	16 Dec 2009	1951	50.03

 

[Days of Grace]

Like PEWS, I have also done some standardised average work on test batsmen (and bowlers, too).

I consider a batsmen's peak period to be 30 tests, but 50 innings is also a good number.

Top 10 30-test peaks that I have calculated so far in standardised averages, with their career standardised average in brackets:


1. Bradman 106.02 1930-1938 (92.52)
2. Hutton 79.98 1949-1954 (54.78)
3. Waugh 76.18 1993-1996 (47.23)
4. Richards 75.86 1976-1981 (48.92)
5. Flower 75.02 1998-2001 (53.55)
6. Sobers 68.56 1957-1963 (54.72)
7. Lara 68.50 2001-2004 (53.83)
8. Hobbs 68.01 1910-1925 (56.24)
9. Border 67.67 1983-1986 (49.79)
10. Gavaskar 67.62 1977-1980 (49.27)

 

[Howe_zat]

Fun fact - during Kallis' 50-innings peak of 2001-2004 where he averaged 81, he only scored the 6th most runs in the world. One of the people who outscored him during this period was Vaughan, who only averaged 49 to do so.

 

[Jager]

Using Day's examples

Half-career peaks:
Bradman 102.98 (47)
Hutton 61.71 (70)
Waugh 51.87 (139)
Richards 56.26 (65)
Flower 56.60 (56)
Sobers 63.77 (65)
Lara 54.09 (117)
Hobbs 61.28 (50)
Border 53.79 (96)
Gavaskar 56.74 (62)