112 years later! Robinson enters rarest Test bowling club with sub-19 average

NEW DELHI: Ollie Robinson has entered one of Test cricket’s most exclusive statistical clubs, becoming the first bowler in more than a century to boast a bowling average below 19 after playing at least 20 matches.Robinson’s two wickets in the first innings of the ongoing third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston took his career tally to 104 wickets from 24 Tests, with his average dropping to 18.86. The England seamer is now the first bowler since Sydney Barnes in 1914 to achieve a sub-19 average while meeting the 20-Test cut-off.Barnes finished his Test career with 189 wickets from 27 matches at an extraordinary average of 16.43. His career ended in 1914, meaning Robinson’s achievement comes 112 years after the last bowler to meet the benchmark.The rarity of Robinson’s numbers becomes clearer when the cut-off is applied.