In cricket, a players bowling average is the number of runs they have conceded per wicket taken. The lower the bowling average is, the better the bowler is performing. It is one of a number of statistics used to compare bowlers, commonly used alongside the economy rate and the strike rate to judge the overall performance of a bowler. When a bowler has taken only a small number of wickets, their bowling average can be artificially high or low, and unstable, with further wickets taken or runs conceded resulting in large changes to their bowling average. Due to this, qualification restrictions are generally applied when determining which players have the best bowling averages.

On the other hand, in bowling, a bowlers average score can be determined by dividing the total number of pins they have knocked down by the number of games they have played or by averaging the scores of all their previously-completed games. The average score for an amateur bowler is between 100 and 140, while for more advanced bowlers or amateurs who are above average, a score between 140 and 180 is expected. In league play, the average score is around 175 points, though some players can reach as high as 200 points. Practically every professional bowling score is in the 200s, with the average range falling between 230 and 250.

To calculate a cricket bowlers average, the number of runs conceded by a bowler is divided by the number of wickets they have taken. The number of runs conceded by a bowler is determined as the total number of runs that the opposing side has scored while the bowler was bowling, excluding any byes, leg byes, or penalty runs. The bowler receives credit for any wickets taken during their bowling that are either bowled, caught, hit wicket, leg before wicket, or stumped.

To calculate a bowling average in bowling, the total number of pins knocked down is divided by the number of games played. The average is calculated each week or session, and bowling averages are accumulative for the duration of a league.