Cricket and Math...

It's all a bit flat out there at the moment, England-wise. Strauss's side are playing with all the intensity of an Iain Duncan Smith speech. Decent line outside off from Flintoff to Ponting, although Punter does pick up three with a back-foot steer. Glorious from Katich, who laces Flintoff through wide mid-off for four.

"Australia may be going well but the England innings had greater mathematical allure, as measured by the relationship between the mean average of runs scored off the bat per batsman (36.09) and the median average (35). This is the closest the median and mean have come since a Test in Lahore in 1962 when there was only a 0.81 difference; had Monty Panesar obliged and been out for minus eight, we would have had the thrill in Cardiff of an absolutely identical mean and median and the Ashes would really have started with a bang."

Posted By: tudders, Jul 9, 16:51:19