When it comes to cricket we are all statisticians. Indeed, a daily paper has only to use the heading ‘The Averages’ for every (male) reader to understand that he will find below the batting and bowling averages of first-class cricketers. Most schoolboys take a keen interest in these figures and many soon begin to realize that they are not an altogether satisfactory means of comparing the prowess of individual players. It is noted, for instance, that an opening batsman has, on the whole, more dangerous bowling to cope with than one who goes in fifth or sixth wicket down; and that a bowler who secures cheap wickets among ‘tail-enders’ is flattered as compared with an opening bowler who has very different opposition.

The sales of Wisden bear ample evidence of the fascination of cricket records. Sir William Elderton (1945) and George H. Wood (1945) have published enlightening analyses of batsmen's performances, which are but samples of the delights to be found in browsing among these records. Not only does such work throw new light on the published figures, but it often leads to clearer ideas on statistical analysis and interpretation in general. Understanding of the effects of statistical analysis is much facilitated by the relatively clear-cut nature of the data, which, despite ambiguities and unrecorded factors such as pitch, weather and tactics, are less subject to confusing factors than most statistical data.