Consistency in sport: with particular reference to cricket

Sportsmen strive for consistency in the belief this will improve performance. On the contrary, this paper shows that highly variable scores or results will often produce more wins than consistent ones, and that in some sports a more variable performance will produce a higher average score. However it is also shown that inconsistent results will often arise from consistent behaviour. While initially examples from golf and athletics are used, the measurement of consistency in cricket is explored in more depth, with some suggested additional measures of performance evaluated for some players.