How to Calculate a Batting Average: Runs, Dismissals and Not-Outs

A batter’s average is total runs scored divided by the number of times dismissed. It is not runs divided by matches, and it is not normally runs divided by innings. That standard definition makes the figure runs per wicket lost by the batter.Minor League Cricket explains the metric in the same terms.

The batting-average formula

Batting average = total runs ÷ times dismissed

If a statistics table gives innings and not-outs rather than dismissals, calculate the denominator first:

Times dismissed = innings − not-outs

Combining the two gives:

Batting average = runs ÷ (innings − not-outs)

A not-out innings contributes all of its runs to the numerator but does not add a dismissal to the denominator.

A simple worked example

Suppose a batter has this record:

Item	Number
Innings	12
Not-outs	2
Runs	450
Dismissals	12 − 2 = 10
Batting average	450 ÷ 10 = 45.00

The common error is to calculate 450 ÷ 12 = 37.50. That is runs per innings, not the conventional cricket batting average.

A real Test-career example: Geoffrey Boycott

ESPNcricinfo’s Test record for Geoffrey Boycott lists 193 innings, 23 not-outs and 8,114 runs, with a published average of 47.72.

The calculation is:

1. Dismissals: 193 − 23 = 170
2. Average: 8,114 ÷ 170 = 47.7294…
3. Published record: 47.72

That final line is worth noticing: the cited record table displays 47.72 rather than conventionally rounding the raw result to 47.73. When reproducing a historical career figure, retain the recognized database’s published value and show the underlying innings, not-outs and runs so readers can audit it. Our full Boycott career-statistics breakdown keeps those inputs alongside the average.

What to count from a scorecard

Use these rules when calculating the figure manually:

• Runs: Add only runs credited to the batter across the innings in your chosen period.
• Innings: Count occasions on which the player actually batted, not matches played.
• Not-outs: Count innings marked not out, usually with an asterisk in a scorecard or statistics table.
• Dismissals: Subtract not-outs from innings.
• Extras: Do not add byes, leg-byes, wides, no-ball extras or penalty runs to the batter’s total. Under MCC Law 18.10, runs struck with the bat are generally credited to the striker, while runs not struck with the bat are recorded under the appropriate category of extras.

If the batter has never been dismissed, the denominator is zero, so an average cannot yet be calculated. Do not report the total runs as the average.

Keep the metric and the sample separate

Calculate Test, ODI, T20I and domestic averages independently unless the task explicitly asks for an all-format figure. Mixing formats changes the sample and produces a number that is not the player’s Test average.

The arithmetic also does not tell you whether an average is good. Sample size, batting position, opposition, conditions and era affect interpretation. Once the calculation is clear, use our guide to what counts as a good Test batting average for context.

Finally, do not confuse an individual batting average with a team batting average. A player’s denominator is that player’s dismissals; a team measure is generally framed around team runs per wicket lost. The distinction matters when reading our Test batting averages by team.