Editing Bowling average (section)

==Records==
{{Best Test career bowling averages}}
[[File:AN Hornby c1895.jpg|thumb|[[A. N. Hornby]] is one of three players to have a bowling average of zero in Test cricket.]]
Due to the varying qualifying restrictions placed on the records by different statisticians, the record for the lowest career bowling average can be different from publication to publication. 

===Test cricket===

In [[Test cricket]], [[George Lohmann]] is listed as having the superior average by each of the ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', [[ESPNcricinfo]] and CricketArchive. Though all three use different restrictions, Lohmann's average of 10.75 is considered the best.<ref name="CATest"/><ref name="WTest"/><ref name="CITest"/> If no qualification criteria were applied at all, three players—[[Wilf Barber]], [[A. N. Hornby]] and [[Bruce Murray (cricketer)|Bruce Murray]]—would tie for the best average, all having claimed just one wicket in Test matches, without conceding any runs, thus averaging zero.<ref name="CITestn">{{cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283903.html|title=Records / Test matches / Bowling records / Best career bowling average (without qualification) |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref>

ESPNcricinfo list [[Betty Wilson]] as having the best [[Women's Test cricket]] average with 11.80,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283916.html |title=Records / Women's Test matches / Bowling records / Best career bowling average |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref> while CricketArchive accept [[Mary Spear]]'s average of 5.78.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/Womens_Test/Overall/Bowling/Lowest_Career_Bowling_Average.html |title=Women's Test Lowest Career Bowling Average |website=CricketArchive |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref> 

===One Day Internationals===

In [[One Day International]]s, the varying criteria set by ESPNcricinfo and CricketArchive result in same player being listed as holding the record. ESPNcricinfo has the stricter restriction, requiring 1,000 deliveries, where [[Sandeep Lamichhane]] is the record-holder, having claimed his wickets at an average of 18.59. CricketArchive has more relaxed requirement of 400 deliveries, where [[Ali Khan (American cricketer)|Ali Khan]] holds the record with an average of 16.42.<ref name="CIODI"/><ref name="CAODI">{{cite web |title=ODI Lowest Career Bowling Average |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/ODI/Overall/Bowling/Lowest_Career_Bowling_Average.html |access-date=6 January 2013 |website=CricketArchive}}</ref> 

In [[women's One Day International cricket]], [[Caroline Barrs]] tops the CricketArchive list with an average of 9.52,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/Womens_ODI/Overall/Bowling/Lowest_Career_Bowling_Average.html |title=Women's ODI Lowest Career Bowling Average |website=CricketArchive |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref> but by ESPNcricinfo's stricter guidelines, the record is instead held by [[Gill Smith]]'s 12.53.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283915.html |title=Records / Women's One-Day Internationals / Bowling records / Best career bowling average |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref>

===T20 Internationals===

The record is again split for the two websites for [[Twenty20 International]] cricket. In this situation ESPNcricinfo has the boundary of 500 balls to have been bowled, through which [[Alpesh Ramjani]] holds the record with an average of 9.29. But the 200 deliveries required by CricketArchive results in [[Andre Botha (cricketer)|Andre Botha]] being listed as the superior, averaging 8.76.<ref name="CIT20I"/><ref name="CAT20I">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/International_Twenty20/Overall/Bowling/Lowest_Career_Bowling_Average.html |title=International Twenty20 Lowest Career Bowling Average |website=CricketArchive |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref>

===First Class cricket===

Domestically, the records for [[first-class cricket]] are dominated by players from the nineteenth century, who make up sixteen of the top twenty by ESPNcricinfo's criteria of 5,000 deliveries. [[William Lillywhite]], who was active from 1825 to 1853 has the lowest average, claiming his 1,576 wickets at an average of just 1.54. The leading players from the twentieth century are [[Stephen Draai]] and [[Vincent Barnes]] with averages of just under twelve,<ref name="fc">{{cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283259.html |title=Records / First-class matches / Bowling records / Best career bowling average |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref> both of whom claimed the majority of their wickets in the South African [[Howa Bowl]] tournament during the apartheid era.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/137/137772/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Stephen Draai (48) |website=CricketArchive |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/12/12921/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Vince Barnes (68) |website=CricketArchive |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref>