Strike rate

Strike rate means two different things: a batter's runs per hundred balls, and a bowler's balls per wicket.

A batter who scores 45 from 30 balls has a strike rate of 150. In T20 cricket it is the most important batting number there is, because balls are scarce: a 150 strike rate at the death is worth more than a 50-run innings at 100. In Tests it is almost irrelevant, and average takes over. ODI cricket sits between the two, and the best players in that format are judged on both at once.

A bowler's strike rate is the number of balls bowled per wicket taken, so lower is better. A Test bowler striking every 50 balls is elite. It measures wicket-taking threat, as distinct from economy, which measures cost, and the two often pull against each other: a bowler who attacks the stumps takes wickets and leaks runs; one who bowls dry does the reverse. Which you want depends on the phase and the match situation.

In Masterstroke: the player card shows career strike rates per format, so you can see which of your batters can actually go from ball one and which need ten balls to get in.