Rules & Scoring

Runs

The batting team's score is measured in runs. The most common ways to add runs:

Runs can also come from extras — runs not scored off the bat.

Overs

An over is a set of six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler from one end. After six balls:

• The bowling changes to the other end
• A different bowler usually starts the next over
• The field may be reset by the captain

In limited-overs cricket (ODIs and T20s), each innings has a fixed number of overs. In Tests, there is no over limit — an innings ends when the team is bowled out or the captain declares.

Extras

Extras are added to the team total without the batter hitting the ball:

• Wide — ball too far from the batter to hit; one run plus any runs run
• No-ball — illegal delivery (overstepping, dangerous bowling, etc.); one run plus any runs scored
• Bye — ball passes the batter and keeper; batters run without hitting
• Leg-bye — ball hits the batter's body (not the bat) and runs are taken

Wides and no-balls are rebowled in limited-overs cricket, so the over can extend beyond six legal deliveries.

Dismissals

Ten ways a batter can be out (you don't need to memorise all ten on day one):

1. Bowled — ball hits the stumps
2. Caught — fielder catches a struck ball before it bounces
3. LBW — ball would have hit the stumps, strikes the batter's body first, and other conditions are met
4. Run out — stumps broken while batters are running
5. Stumped — keeper removes bails while batter is out of the crease, not attempting a run
6. Hit wicket — batter dislodges the bails with bat or body
7. Obstructing the field — batter deliberately blocks a fielder
8. Hit the ball twice — rare; batter hits the ball twice deliberately
9. Timed out — new batter takes too long to arrive
10. Handled the ball — batter deliberately touches the ball with a hand (merged into obstructing the field in modern laws)

When the tenth wicket falls, the innings is over.

The Follow-On (Tests)

In a two-innings Test match, if the team batting second trails by a large margin (200+ runs in a five-day Test), the captain may be forced to bat again immediately — the follow-on — rather than bowling again first. This keeps long matches moving when one side dominates.

Powerplays (Limited Overs)

In ODIs and some T20 leagues, fielding restrictions apply during powerplay overs — only two or three fielders allowed outside the inner circle. This encourages aggressive batting early in the innings.

Typical ODI structure:

• Powerplay 1: overs 1–10 (two fielders outside the circle)
• Powerplay 2: overs 11–40 (four outside)
• Powerplay 3: overs 41–50 (five outside)

T20 powerplay rules vary by competition but follow the same principle: fewer fielders on the boundary early on.

Reading the Score

A typical scoreline looks like:

Australia 287/6 (50 ov)

• 287 — runs scored
• 6 — wickets lost (six batters out)
• 50 ov — overs faced

In Tests you might see England 412 & 198. The & means the team batted twice, scoring 412 in the first innings and 198 in the second.

What Wins the Match?

• Chasing team surpasses the target score → chasing team wins
• Bowling team dismisses the opposition for fewer runs → bowling team wins
• Test match can end in a draw if time runs out before a result (unique to the long format)
• Tie — scores level when the innings ends (rare; super overs sometimes decide knockout games)

Go Deeper

Bowling is where much of cricket's subtlety lives. For a narrative deep-dive on one of the game's great weapons, read The Rise of Swing Bowling.

For unfamiliar terms as you watch, keep the Cricket Terms Glossary handy.