MasterstrokeNumbers and stats
Batting average
Runs scored divided by times dismissed, so not-out innings raise it. The core Test statistic, and a misleading one in T20.
A batting average is a batter's total runs divided by the number of times they have been dismissed.
Not-out innings count towards the runs but not the dismissals, which is why a lower-order batter who is often left stranded can carry a flattering average, and why a finisher in T20 cricket may average 40 without ever making a fifty. In Test cricket the average is the gold standard: 40 is a good top-order player, 50 is a great one, and Don Bradman's 99.94 is the most famous number in the sport. In one-day cricket the average is read alongside the strike rate, and in T20 the strike rate usually matters more.
For a manager, the average is a measure of reliability rather than impact. A Test opener averaging 45 will fail sometimes, but across a series will give you the platform more often than not. Averages also shift with conditions and opposition: an average built at home on flat pitches is worth less than the same number earned everywhere.
In Masterstroke: the player card shows career numbers per format, and the ratings that drive them move with training, form and age.