Stats: Retirees and the series.

Retirees

Shane Warne will finish his career with the unwanted record of most test runs without a century (3154) Unless he is sent in early he will finish his career with batting stats of Matches: 145 Innings: 199 Not Outs: 17 Runs: 3154 High Score: 99 Average: 17.32 paulyt Average*: 15.84 Balls Faced: 5470 Strike Rate: 57.65 Centuries: 0 50's: 12 Ducks: 34 Fours: 353 Sixes: 37
Bowling Stats: Overs: 6784.1 Maidens: 1761 Runs: 17995 Wickets: 708 BB/I: 8/71 BB/M: 12/128 Average: 25.41 Economy Rate: 2.65 Strike Rate: 57.4 5/I: 37 10/M: 10

Glenn McGrath also has an unwanted record, most ducks by an Australian (35). His career stats (again assuming he doesn't come out early) Matches: 124 Innings: 138 Not Outs: 51 Runs: 641 High Score: 61 Average: 7.36 paulyt Average: 4.64 Balls Faced: 1570 Strike Rate: 40.82 100's: 0 50's: 1 Ducks: 35 4's: 51 6's: 1

Bowling - Overs: 4874.4 Maidens: 1470 Runs: 12186 Wickets: 563 BB/M: 8/24 BB/I: 10/27 Average: 21.64 Economy Rate: 2.49 Strike Rate: 51.9 5/I: 29 10/M: 3

Justin Langer: Matches: 105 Innings: 182 Not Outs: 12 Runs: 7696 High Score: 250 Average: 45.27 paulyt Average: 42.28 Balls Faced: 14192 Strike Rate: 54.22 100's: 50's: 30 Ducks: 11
4's: 912 6's: 40

Series Stats
Highest Batting Averages:

1. Hussey - 91.60 (458 runs 7 innings 2 not outs)
2. Ponting - 82.28 (576 runs 8 innings 1 not out)
3. M. Clarke - 77.80 (389 runs 7 innings 2 not outs)
4. Symonds - 58.00 (232 runs 4 innings 0 not outs)
5. Pietersen - 54.44 (490 runs 10 innings 1 not out)

Most Runs

1. Ponting - 576 (8 innings)
2. Pietersen - 490 (10 innings)
3. Hussey -458 (7 innings)
4. Collingwood -433 (10 innings)
5. Hayden - 413 (9 innings)

Highest Scores

1. Collingwood - 206
2. Ponting - 196
3. Pietersen - 158
4. Symonds - 156
5. Hayden - 153

Highest Strike Rates

1. Gilchrist - 101.77
2. S. Clark - 85.00
3. Warne - 71.27
4. Langer - 70.79
5. Symonds - 66.09

Back later with bowling stats
*paulyt Average = Runs divided by total innings. Normal average is runs divided by times out.

Warne Retires.

I was shocked to hear that Warne has retired. He has said a few times in the past he would only play if he was enjoying the game. The way he appealed and celebrated when Australia won the 3rd test looked to me like a man enjoying his cricket. He is going to honour his final 2 years of his Hampshire contract. I saw no reason for him to retire as he was still bowling magnificently. Australia will miss him dearly. I feel privileged that I can say I grew up watching Shane Warne.

Links
Warne confirms it's over - Fox Sports

More valuable than The Don? You bet - Fox Sports

Steve Waugh: Fizz is unique. - Fox Sports

Warne confirms retirement - ABC Sport

Shane Warne ends his test Career - BBC

Cricket stars hail legend Warne - BBC

What people have been saying:

Steve Waugh - It's very hard to judge across eras but Warne would sit pretty comfortably as the second best player ever. He has been responsible for winning more Test matches than anyone else I have seen or played with.

Merv Hughes - Whatever you say about Shane Warne it isn't enough. His performances have not only shaped cricket in Australia but worldwide. Most people go through a purple patch and Shane Warne has had a purple patch for 15 or 16 years

Richie Benaud - Shane Warne is without doubt the finest legspinner the world has ever seen. You would certainly have Warne right up there as one of the greatest Australians to ever step on the field.

Ian Chappell - I think it's perfect timing for a champion player. If you make a mistake it's best to get out a little early than a little late.

Allan Border - Bradman - it's hard to make comparison with that guy's record, but on the next level of cricketers, Warne is right there. He's been a breath of fresh air, what he's brought to the game is immeasurable.

Geoff Lawson - I thought he might still have another three, four years left in the game and in fact I've lost a lot of money because I backed him to take 1000 Test wickets and it's not going to happen now.

Mark Taylor - Not only is he a great bowler but he's also a great thinker. He got a lot of people out with wonderful deliveries but also out-thought a lot.

James Sutherland - There are a generation of Australians who were privileged enough to see Bradman. We are the generation that will always say we were privileged to see Warne.

Adam Gilchrist - As a wicket-keeper there's no better spot to be than standing behind the stumps to Shane Warne

Videos
Shane Warne speaks about his famous wickets, along with their clippings, includes the famous gatting dismissal.

1994 Boxing Day Test - Hat Trick

Warne's 600th Wicket



Pictures

The Ashes. What people are saying.

Cricinfo reports that Duncan Fletcher has said that the English players still respect him.

Also on Cricinfo - Ricky Ponting jumps to the defence of Flintoff and Fletcher saying the criticism of them is "harsh"

FoxSports reckons England should be embarassed with how they handled Monty Panesar

The BBC's "Robbo" takes a look at how England lost the "Thrashes"

The Sydney Morning Herald tells of Terry Jenner (Warne's Bowling Coach) predicting Ian Bell to be Warne's 700th wicket.

Some common and not so common statistics.

Our friends over at TheAshesBlog have done a great statistical analysis of the Aussie and English teams. I was going to do something similar but have no need to now. Here is an example -

Australia’s team batting average is far better than that of England. In the Aussie lineup there are 3 players who average over 50, whilst England has just the one in young Alastair Cook. Even in the tail the Australians look far stronger, with Brett Lee at number 9 averaging over 21. In the bowling lineup....

Click here to read the whole article.


Career and series averages and statistics.

Averages
When Michael Clarke reached 101 not out today his career Test Average rose to exactly 40. When he was finally dismissed for 139 it dropped back down to 39.48. He is averaging 90 for the series.

Ricky Ponting's career average has now risen to just over 60 and unlike most players whose average drops as they get older his is rising and rising. In fact Ponting is averaging around the 71 mark since 2002. His career average now stands at 60.06.

Amazingly, after 21 innings with only 4 not outs, Mike Hussey's average is still in the high 70s (77.41)

Glenn McGrath was the only Australian batsmen with an average in the single digits (7.52) In fact, Mcgrath has the lowest average out of any player in both teams, just behind Matthew Hoggard who averages 7.67

Series Averages
Ricky Ponting's average for the series is 199.
Langer - 93
Clarke - 90
Hussey - 88.50

Ducks
Michael Clarke & Mike Hussey are the only 2 players in the Australian team to have never been out for a duck in test cricket. Ricky Ponting only has 8 ducks in his 178 innings, Damien Martyn only has 7 in his 108 innings.

Fours & Sixes
Ponting has hit 1039 4s in his career off 15586 balls or 1 four every 15 balls.
Gilchrsit - 632 off 6362 (1 every 10.06 balls) 93 sixes ( 1 every 68.4 balls)
Clarke - 155 off 2378 (15.34)
Hayden - 905 off 12308 (13.6)

2nd Test - Day 4

Update
12:40pm: Australia 5/364 (113 overs)
Gilchrist 50* (70 balls 5x4 0x6)
Clarke 45* (84 balls 5x4 0x6)
Partnership: 79

Update
WICKET!
Gilchrist c Bell b Giles 64 (79 balls 8x4 0x6) - Mishit, would have been a huge hit had it hit the middle of the bat. A good innings by Gilchrist comes to a premature end.

Update
1:26pm: 6/415 (122.3 overs)
Clarke 67* (111 balls 6x4 0x6)
Warne 11* (24 balls 2x4 0x6)

Update
2:12pm: Just back from lunch. Score is unchanged

Update
2:20pm: 6/424 (126 overs)
Clarke 73* (116balls 7x4 0x6)
Warne 13* (30 balls 2x4 0x6)

Update
2:30pm: 50 partnership between Clarke and Warne

Update
2:52pm: Warne needs just 2 more runs to have 3000 test runs.

Update
3:17pm: 6/455 (141 overs)
Clarke 90* (170 balls 9x4 0x6)
Warne 27* (76 balls 3x4 0x6)

Update
3:20pm 6/462 (142 overs)
CLARKE 99 NOT OUT

Update
3:27pm
CLARKE CENTURY - (183 balls 9x4 0x6)

Update
3:42pm 6/476 (146 overs)
Clarke 102* (188 balls 9x4 0x6)
Warne 36* (88 balls 3x4 0x6)
Partnership: 93 runs off 32.4 overs, Warne 36, Clarke 53

Update
4:11pm WICKET
Warne: Out! lbw Hoggard 43 (108 balls 4x4 0x6)
F.O.W: 7/502
Partnership: 118
Clarke: 121*
And that will be Tea Australia are 7/502

Update
4:43pm WICKET!
Clarke Out! c Clarke b Hoggard 124 (224 balls 9x4 0x6)
F.O.W: 8/505
Partnership: 3
Hoggard: 6/107 38.1 overs

Update
4:53pm WICKET
Clark Out b Hoggard 0 (7 balls 0x4 0x6) QUACK QUACK
F.O.W: 9/507
Partnership: 2

Update
5:18pm Australia all out for 513

Update
Stumps England 1/59

2nd test - Day 3

Ricky Ponting has hit an Australian record 33rd test century on Day 3 of the 2nd Test. Ponting's hundred came off 183 balls and took him past Steve Waugh for the most test centuries by an Australian.

Ponting and Hussey led an Australian fightback after Hayden and Langer both fell victim to some good bowling by Hoggard. Ponting was dropped on 35 by Giles and has made England pay.

Ponting and Hussy's partnership is currently worth 148 off 49.3 overs.

Australia are 3/222 off 72 overs.

Update - Hussey almost run out! Throw was a bit too high but it's very, very close. Great decision by the third umpire there. You couldn't give that out. Silly Geraint and his white gloves, you couldn't see the bails.
Australia 3/228

Update
3/343 off 80 overs.
Ponting 134* (238 balls - 11 x4 0 x6)
Hussey 74* (178 balls - 6 x4 1 x6)

Update
Ponting out - c Jones b Hoggard 142 (245 balls 12x4 0x6)
4/257

Update
Hussey out - b Hoggard 91 (212 balls 7x4 1x6)
5/286

End of the Day
Australia 5/312
Clarke 30* (44 balls 4x4 0x6)
Gilchrist 13* (17 balls 1x4 0x6)