15 Dec 2025 · 2 min
Andy Zaltzman reviews England's 4.4% historical chance of winning three Tests, then asks: since 2000, what's the average run difference between first and second innings across all men's Test cricket teams worldwide?
Questions this episode answers
4.4% (about one in 23).
Approximately 1.1% (about one in 90).
Chapters
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Hello, I am Andy Zaltzman, Test Match Special Statistician and this is today's TMS Daily Ashes Quiz. Every weekday during the current Ashes series I will give you a question question to take a guess at. See how close you can get to the statistically correct answer. This is exclusive on BBC Sounds and we have a scoring system so you can tot up the quality of your answers over the course of the series. Let's start with the answer to Friday's question, which was about England's chances of winning the final three tests at the Adelaide Oval at the MCG and the scg based on their previous win percentage in Ash's tests at those three grounds, the correct answer was 4.4%, which I'll be honest, was higher than I was expecting and it's definitely not zero. So let's cling to that. In Ash's test at the Adelaide oval, they've won nine out of 33, then 19 out of 50. In Ash's test at the MCG and 22 out of 52 wins at the SCG. So multiply those all together, you get 4.4%, which is about a one in 23 shot, which to be honest, I'll take. Under our scoring system, if you said anywhere in the 4% range you've hit a 6. If you're 3 or 5% I'll give you 4, 6 or 7% you can have 2. If you said 2, 8, 9 or 10% you can have one. And if you said 0% or 15% or over, well a you're either a cynic or B you're a hopeless optimist and C you're out. Otherwise it's a dot ball. Luckily, I don't think the disappointing run of five consecutive Adelaide Oval defeats from 1895 to 1908 is going to be weighing too much on England's minds this week. Their more recent record is slightly less hopeful. Since 1990 they've won two out of nine at all three of those grounds, but that gives a 1.1% of winning all three matches around about a one in 90 chance. But well after how the series has gone so far, I think I'd take that as well Today's Question now the Adelaide Oval has the biggest drop between the average scores in teams first innings and their second innings of any Test ground that's hosted five or more Tests since the year 2000. But my question for you is in terms of runs per 10 wickets, so basically the average team score, what is the average difference between teams collective first innings and their collective second innings in all men's Test cricket everywhere around the world since the year 2000. So the average difference between the team's first inning score and their second inning score in all men's Test cricket at all grounds around the world since the year 2000. I will have the answer for you tomorrow. Plus another question exclusively about the Adelaide Oval. Do join us for ball by ball coverage of the third Test and the fourth and fifth Test. Indeed with Test match special on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds. To listen live on Sounds whenever you want, just scroll through the live radio dial at the top of BBC Sounds and tap on 5 Sports Extra. Or ask your smart speaker nicely to play 5 Sports Extra.
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