What Is a Cricket Economy Rate?
The economy rate is one of the most important statistics for measuring how effective a bowler is at restricting runs. It expresses the average number of runs a bowler concedes per over. A lower economy rate means the bowler is harder to score against, which is especially valuable in limited-overs formats like ODIs and T20s where containing runs can win matches.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the total runs conceded by the bowler and the number of overs bowled. Note that in cricket, partial overs are shown as decimals where each ball is one-tenth of an over written down, but mathematically an over has six balls. For an exact figure on incomplete overs you can convert balls to a fraction (e.g. 3 balls = 0.5 of an over). The calculator then divides runs by overs to give the economy rate, plus a handy runs-per-ball figure.
The Formula Explained
The economy rate is simply:
$$\text{Economy} = \frac{\text{Runs Conceded}}{\text{Overs Bowled}}$$
Because one over equals six legal deliveries, runs per ball is the economy rate divided by six. A bowler with an economy rate of 6.00 is conceding one run per ball on average.
Worked Example
Suppose a bowler concedes 48 runs in 10 overs. The economy rate is $$48 \div 10 = 4.80 \text{ runs per over}.$$ Their runs per ball is $$48 \div (10 \times 6) = 48 \div 60 = 0.80.$$ That is an excellent, miserly spell in any format.
FAQ
What is a good economy rate? In T20 cricket, under 7.0 is considered good; in ODIs, under 5.0 is strong; in Test cricket bowlers often run well below 3.0.
How do I handle partial overs? Convert the balls to a true fraction of six. For example, 9.4 overs means 9 overs and 4 balls, which is \(9 + 4/6 = 9.667\) overs. Enter 9.667 for an accurate result.
Does economy rate include extras? Yes. Runs conceded normally includes wides and no-balls charged to the bowler, so use the total runs given away.
