Right-handers have had it better in Tests

Watch a bit of cricket on television and you might hear veteran commentators talk about how left-handed batsmen score more than right-handers. Southpaws also tend to dominate lists of the highest innings run-scorers in Test cricket; think of big names like Brian Lara, Mathew Hayden and Gary Sobers.

But in 2011, right-handed batsmen seem to have done better (all figures below are for the year up to 7 December).


The highest score this year was made by a left-hander, Alastair Cook, for England against India in the summer. And his average for the year is second among the top 10 run-getters of either persuasion. But by almost every other measure, the right-handers have won it. Dwayne Bravo’s monumental 13 sixes tops the list by far; he is the only batsman in double figures on this mark.


One batsman who has definitely had a stellar year is Rahul Dravid. The Indian batsman is the first (and, as of now, the only) to cross 1,000 runs this year and he can boast of an average close to 60. He has notched up five centuries and was the one bright light in India’s dismal tour of England. He also has, perhaps surprisingly, the most number of fours this year, although one must bear in mind that the next highest batsman, Ian Bell, has struck just two less while facing nearly 900 fewer deliveries.

It is almost a pity for Bell that England have not played more Test matches this year. England will not be among the seven nations to play Tests during the rest of the month, so Bell will have to settle for his 950 runs for the year. He can be mighty pleased with his performance, however. He notched up his personal best score, 235, in the fourth Test versus India and his year’s average is over 100, the best of any of the 20 batsmen featured. He has also had seemingly no trouble in scoring quickly, as he has one of the best strike rates among his peers.

In the series against India, Bell was only bested by compatriot Kevin Pietersen, both in terms of runs scored and by Batting Momentum on the Castrol Index. Pietersen did not have as good a time of it earlier in the year, but more than made up for that against India.

Both Bell and Dravid have excellent conversion rates, from fifties to centuries, both having hit five, and they are joined in this by Aussie captain, Michael Clarke, who has three. By contrast, Tharanga Paranavitana, who despite reaching 50 on five occasions, was never able to reach triple figures. He is one of two left-handed batsmen in the list who have not scored a century this year, the other being Gautam Gambhir.

The right-handers VVS Laxman, Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali have done little better; each has registered a century, but they have six half-centuries each, leaving them with a poor conversion rate. Misbah appears to be a contradiction in himself. Of the 20 batsmen he has the worst strike rate (even lower than Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is notorious for his slowness), but he has also hit eight sixes, second only to Bravo.

One may have noticed a complete lack of South African names. Despite giving us two thrilling matches against Australia recently, they have played just three Tests all year. They will play two with Sri Lanka before the year is out, but it is hard to see any of them crack the top 10. And with several other countries playing this month, expect to see the names move up and down on the two tables. Dravid looks pretty secure, but you never know. Who do you think will end 2011 on top?