Best Bowling Economy in ODI

Best Bowling Economy in ODI is the definitive benchmark of a bowler’s ability to stifle scoring, representing the average number of runs conceded per over (6 balls). Among bowlers with at least 50 matches and 1,000 deliveries, this prestigious record is held by the West Indian legend, Joel Garner.
Known as "Big Bird," Garner maintained an extraordinary career economy rate of 3.09, utilizing his immense height to deliver impenetrable lines and lengths. He is followed by icons such as Richard Hadlee and Shaun Pollock. As of 2026, in an era dominated by high-scoring matches and batter-friendly rules, maintaining an economy rate below 4.6—as seen with modern masters like Jasprit Bumrah—is considered an elite achievement. This statistic represents more than just run-saving; it signifies tactical dominance, where a bowler’s consistency creates the mounting psychological pressure that inevitably forces batters into risky shots and fatal errors.

RANK 1

Gill Smith

Econ

2.02

Wkts

RANK 2

Karen Brown

Econ

2.09

Wkts

RANK 3

Carole Hodges

Econ

2.37

Wkts

Rank	Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Balls	Runs	Wkts	AVG	Econ	SR	Bbi	Bbm	4w	5w
1	Gill Smith	31	30	253.3	1521	514	41	12.53	2.02	37	5/15	5/15	0	2
2	Karen Brown	43	42	414	2484	869	52	16.71	2.09	47.7	4/4	4/4	2	0
3	Carole Hodges	47	41	367.5	2207	874	58	15.06	2.37	38	4/3	4/3	4	0
4	Karen Gunn	45	44	458.5	2753	1113	53	21	2.42	51.9	5/22	5/22	1	1
5	Lyn Larsen	49	40	311.4	1870	763	24	31.79	2.44	77.9	3/19	3/19	0	0
6	Lyn Fullston	41	39	394.2	2366	968	73	13.26	2.45	32.4	5/27	5/27	4	2
7	Karen Smithies	69	56	446.5	2681	1194	64	18.65	2.67	41.8	3/6	3/6	0	0
8	Janet Tedstone	38	37	371.1	2227	1031	46	22.41	2.77	48.4	4/17	4/17	2	0
9	Emily Drumm	101	42	257	1542	778	37	21.02	3.02	41.6	4/31	4/31	1	0
10	Joel Garner	98	98	888.2	5330	2752	146	18.84	3.09	36.5	5/31	5/31	2	3
11	Gillian McConway	23	21	183	1098	590	15	39.33	3.22	73.2	3/12	3/12	0	0
12	Sir Richard Hadlee	115	112	1030.2	6182	3407	158	21.56	3.3	39.1	5/25	5/25	1	5
13	Michael Holding	102	102	912.1	5473	3034	142	21.36	3.32	38.5	5/26	5/26	5	1
14	Gouher Sultana	50	49	384.4	2308	1280	66	19.39	3.32	34.9	4/4	4/4	3	0
15	Debbie Hockley	118	52	253.4	1522	853	20	42.65	3.36	76.1	3/49	3/49	0	0
16	Jhulan Goswami	204	203	1667.3	10005	5622	255	22.04	3.37	39.2	6/31	6/31	7	2
17	Simon Davis	39	39	336	2016	1133	44	25.75	3.37	45.8	3/10	3/10	0	0
18	Nicky Shaw	70	62	399	2394	1353	46	29.41	3.39	52	4/34	4/34	1	0
19	Tony Dodemaide	24	24	221.1	1327	753	36	20.91	3.4	36.8	5/21	5/21	1	1
20	Chris Old	32	31	292.3	1755	999	45	22.2	3.41	39	4/8	4/8	2	0
21	Bernard Scholtz NAM	68	67	588.5	3533	2017	101	19.97	3.42	34.9	5/22	5/22	4	2
22	Shanel Daley	70	68	496.1	2977	1701	73	23.3	3.42	40.7	4/29	4/29	2	0
23	Rumeli Dhar	78	77	502.3	3015	1725	63	27.38	3.43	47.8	4/19	4/19	2	0
24	Marcia Letsoalo	68	66	435.5	2615	1502	44	34.13	3.44	59.4	3/13	3/13	0	0
25	Derek Underwood	26	24	213	1278	734	32	22.93	3.44	39.9	4/44	4/44	1	0
26	Dane van Niekerk	107	103	763	4578	2642	138	19.14	3.46	33.1	5/17	5/17	6	2
27	Curtly Ambrose	176	175	1558.5	9353	5429	225	24.12	3.48	41.5	5/17	5/17	6	4
28	Khadija Tul Kubra	30	30	235.1	1411	820	42	19.52	3.48	33.5	6/20	6/20	2	1
29	Shubhangi Kulkarni	27	27	191.4	1150	669	38	17.6	3.49	30.2	4/27	4/27	2	0
30	Anna Peterson	32	24	137.4	826	482	27	17.85	3.5	30.5	4/25	4/25	2	0
31	Malcolm Marshall	136	134	1195.5	7175	4233	157	26.96	3.53	45.7	4/18	4/18	6	0
32	Stafanie Taylor WI-W	151	133	949.4	5698	3359	153	21.95	3.53	37.2	4/17	4/17	5	0
33	Shemaine Campbelle WI-W	105	38	212.5	1277	753	21	35.85	3.53	60.8	2/13	2/13	0	0
34	Angus Fraser	42	42	398.4	2392	1412	47	30.04	3.54	50.8	4/22	4/22	1	0
35	Mike Whitney	38	38	351	2106	1249	46	27.15	3.55	45.7	4/34	4/34	2	0
36	Katherine Brunt	141	139	1141.1	6847	4081	170	24	3.57	40.2	5/18	5/18	3	5
37	Ewen Chatfield	114	112	1010.5	6065	3618	140	25.84	3.57	43.3	5/34	5/34	3	1
38	Anisa Mohammed	141	134	1042	6252	3735	180	20.75	3.58	34.7	7/14	7/14	7	6
39	Shelley Nitschke	80	78	605.2	3632	2170	98	22.14	3.58	37	7/24	7/24	2	1
40	Holly Colvin	72	68	596.1	3577	2137	98	21.8	3.58	36.5	4/17	4/17	3	0
41	Salma Khatun	46	44	329	1974	1180	52	22.69	3.58	37.9	3/6	3/6	0	0
42	Morna Nielsen	52	50	392	2352	1418	53	26.75	3.61	44.3	5/21	5/21	0	2
43	Rajeshwari Gayakwad	64	64	566.3	3399	2059	99	20.79	3.63	34.3	5/15	5/15	5	1
44	Shakera Selman	100	95	609.3	3657	2223	82	27.1	3.64	44.5	5/15	5/15	1	1
45	Geoff Lawson	79	79	709.5	4259	2592	88	29.45	3.65	48.3	4/26	4/26	1	0
46	Terry Alderman	65	65	561.5	3371	2056	88	23.36	3.65	38.3	5/17	5/17	1	2
47	Lisa Sthalekar	125	123	994	5964	3646	146	24.97	3.66	40.8	5/35	5/35	1	1
48	Shaun Pollock	303	297	2618.4	15712	9631	393	24.5	3.67	39.9	6/35	6/35	12	5
49	Anam Amin	34	33	269.4	1618	994	48	20.7	3.68	33.7	5/35	5/35	3	1
50	Nahida Akter BAN-W	34	32	241.5	1451	892	41	21.75	3.68	35.3	5/21	5/21	0	1
51	Sian Ruck	27	26	213.1	1279	786	24	32.75	3.68	53.2	4/31	4/31	1	0
52	Julie Hunter	24	24	162.1	973	597	24	24.87	3.68	40.5	3/31	3/31	0	0
53	Rumana Ahmed	50	49	344.4	2068	1273	50	25.46	3.69	41.3	4/20	4/20	1	0
54	Eimear Richardson	34	29	213.1	1279	788	26	30.3	3.69	49.1	5/13	5/13	0	1
55	Shabnim Ismail	127	126	1028.2	6170	3812	191	19.95	3.7	32.3	6/10	6/10	6	2
56	Sana Mir	120	118	990.2	5942	3665	151	24.27	3.7	39.3	5/32	5/32	7	1
57	Vic Marks	34	32	306.2	1838	1135	44	25.79	3.7	41.7	5/20	5/20	0	2
58	Kapil Dev	225	221	1867	11202	6945	253	27.45	3.71	44.2	5/43	5/43	3	1
59	Sophie Ecclestone ENG-W	58	58	529.2	3176	1969	92	21.4	3.71	34.5	6/36	6/36	2	1
60	John Lever	22	22	192	1152	713	24	29.7	3.71	48	4/29	4/29	1	0
61	Georgia Elwiss	36	29	182.5	1097	679	26	26.11	3.71	42.1	3/17	3/17	0	0
62	Maduri Samuddika	23	20	151	906	562	17	33.05	3.72	53.2	2/10	2/10	0	0
63	Alicia Smith	37	36	283.1	1699	1059	50	21.18	3.73	33.9	5/7	5/7	1	1
64	Sadia Yousuf	59	59	473	2838	1777	78	22.78	3.75	36.3	5/35	5/35	2	1
65	Tremayne Smartt	57	56	353.3	2121	1331	37	35.97	3.76	57.3	5/24	5/24	0	1
66	Ekta Bisht	63	63	566.3	3399	2140	98	21.83	3.77	34.6	5/8	5/8	1	2
67	Phil Edmonds	29	27	255.4	1534	965	26	37.11	3.77	59	3/39	3/39	0	0
68	Graham Dilley	36	36	340.3	2043	1291	48	26.89	3.79	42.5	4/23	4/23	3	0
69	Kristen Beams	30	30	248.2	1490	943	42	22.45	3.79	35.4	4/15	4/15	2	0
70	Marizanne Kapp SA-W	131	125	968	5808	3694	147	25.12	3.81	39.5	5/45	5/45	4	1
71	Courtney Walsh	205	204	1803.4	10822	6918	227	30.47	3.83	47.6	5/1	5/1	6	1
72	Peter Willey	26	22	171.5	1031	659	13	50.69	3.83	79.3	3/33	3/33	0	0
73	Chamari Polgampola	75	57	293	1758	1126	34	33.11	3.84	51.7	4/26	4/26	1	0
74	Geoff Miller	25	24	211.2	1268	813	25	32.52	3.84	50.7	3/27	3/27	0	0
75	Pamela Lavine	24	24	139.2	836	536	19	28.21	3.84	44	4/17	4/17	1	0
76	Isobel Joyce	79	75	519.4	3118	2010	66	30.45	3.86	47.2	4/20	4/20	3	0
77	Shaquana Quintyne	40	36	221.4	1330	857	35	24.48	3.86	38	4/14	4/14	1	0
78	Priyanka Roy	27	22	111	666	429	19	22.57	3.86	35	4/14	4/14	1	0
79	Glenn McGrath	250	248	2161.4	12970	8391	381	22.02	3.88	34	7/15	7/15	9	7
80	Jenny Gunn	144	136	984.2	5906	3822	136	28.1	3.88	43.4	5/22	5/22	4	2
81	John Traicos	27	26	254	1524	987	19	51.94	3.88	80.2	3/35	3/35	0	0
82	Subrina Munroe	23	23	146	876	567	11	51.54	3.88	79.6	3/15	3/15	0	0
83	Wasim Akram	356	351	3031	18186	11812	502	23.52	3.89	36.2	5/15	5/15	17	6
84	Imran Khan	175	153	1243.3	7461	4844	182	26.61	3.89	40.9	6/14	6/14	3	1
85	Laura Marsh	103	102	888	5328	3463	129	26.84	3.89	41.3	5/15	5/15	3	1
86	Raisibe Ntozakhe	21	20	147	882	575	16	35.93	3.91	55.1	3/16	3/16	0	0
87	Danielle Hazell	53	52	435.3	2613	1709	59	28.96	3.92	44.2	4/32	4/32	1	0
88	Amir Hamza	31	31	258.4	1552	1016	40	25.4	3.92	38.8	4/17	4/17	1	0
89	Muttiah Muralitharan	350	341	3135.1	18811	12326	534	23.08	3.93	35.2	7/30	7/30	15	10
90	Shashikala Siriwardene	118	113	908.1	5449	3577	124	28.84	3.93	43.9	4/11	4/11	6	0