Cricket Data Analysis Report
1. Data Acquisition and Sources
To conduct a comprehensive analysis of cricket grounds and bowlers, relevant
data was gathered from the following sources:
Official Cricket Databases: Information on matches, player
statistics, and venue characteristics was sourced from platforms such as
ESPN Cricinfo and ICC.
Public Datasets: Open cricket datasets available on Kaggle were
utilized for historical match and performance data.
Manual Data Entry: Supplementary data on pitch conditions,
weather reports, and bowler-specific performances were manually
compiled.
The acquired datasets included details on match types (ODIs, Tests, and T20s),
venue descriptions, bowler profiles, and game outcomes.
2. Analysis of Grounds and Bowlers
Grounds Analysis
Pitch Conditions: Classified grounds based on soil type and moisture
levels (spinning-friendly, batting-friendly, pace-assisting pitches).
Venue Performance Trends: Identified grounds where high scores
are common versus those favoring bowlers.
Weather Influence: Assessed seasonal weather patterns and their
influence on match outcomes.
Bowler Performance Analysis
Categorized bowlers by type (pace, spin, all-rounders).
Evaluated economy rates, wicket-taking abilities, and match-winning
spells.
Correlated performance trends with ground characteristics and opposition
strength.
3. Data Preprocessing Steps
Data preprocessing was essential to ensure the quality and usability of the
dataset:
Data Cleaning:
o Removed incomplete and duplicate records.
o Addressed inconsistencies in player and ground names.
Handling Missing Data:
o Imputed missing weather data using regional historical weather
records.
o Applied statistical methods to estimate missing player performance
values.
Data Normalization:
o Standardized numerical attributes such as run rates and strike rates.
Encoding:
o Converted categorical data such as match type and bowler category
using one-hot encoding.
4. Findings and Visualizations
Key Findings:
Certain grounds, like the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, consistently favored
batsmen due to small boundary dimensions.
Bowlers, especially spinners, were more successful at venues like the
Chepauk Stadium.
Pace bowlers demonstrated better performances in overcast and humid
conditions.
Visualizations:
1. Heatmap of Bowler Economy Rates Across Grounds:
o Showcased variations in bowler performances.
2. Ground-Wise Average Run Rates:
o Visualized batting-friendly versus bowler-friendly venues.
3. Time Series Plots:
o Displayed performance trends over the last decade.
4. Correlation Plot:
o Highlighted relationships between pitch conditions and bowler
success rates.
5. Feature Engineering Techniques Used
Weather Features: Extracted temperature, humidity, and wind speed
features from weather data.
Performance Aggregation: Created rolling averages for economy
rates and strike rates over recent matches.
Venue-Specific Factors: Engineered features to represent pitch
characteristics and historical scores.
Contextual Features: Incorporated opposition strength and match
type as additional factors.
6. Modeling Approach and Evaluation Metrics
Model Selection:
Random Forest Regressor: For predicting bowler economy rates.
Logistic Regression: For classifying whether a match will be bowler-
dominated or batsman-dominated.
Gradient Boosting Models: For performance prediction.
Evaluation Metrics:
Mean Absolute Error (MAE): To evaluate regression models.
Accuracy and F1 Score: For classification models.
Cross-Validation: Performed to ensure generalization.
7. Insights and Conclusions Drawn from the Analysis
Spinners tend to thrive in dry, turning pitches, while pace bowlers excel
in conditions with higher moisture levels.
Grounds with smaller boundaries and flat pitches lead to higher scoring
games.
Certain bowlers consistently perform better against top-ranked teams,
suggesting strategic deployment opportunities.
Incorporating weather and pitch conditions significantly improves
predictive accuracy for match outcomes.
Business Applications:
Team Selection: Data-driven insights can aid in selecting appropriate
bowlers based on venue characteristics.
Strategic Planning: Optimizing match strategies using historical
performance patterns.
Fan Engagement: Providing richer insights for cricket enthusiasts
through predictive analytics.
This report underscores the value of data-driven insights in cricket, helping
stakeholders make informed decisions on player selection, match strategies, and
audience engagement.
