What You Need to Know (Start Here)
Team A is 142/6 after 18 overs, chasing 180. Good position or bad? You can't tell unless you understand what those numbers mean — and most people watching their first match don't. 142/6 means 142 runs scored for the loss of 6 wickets. With only 4 wickets left and 2 overs to find 38 runs, that's a team under real pressure.
This guide explains every part of cricket scoring in plain language — runs, extras, overs, and how batters get out — so you can read any scorecard with confidence.
| Format | Overs per side | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| T20 | 20 | ~3 hours |
| ODI (One Day) | 50 | ~7-8 hours |
| Test | Unlimited (up to 90/day) | Up to 5 days |
How Runs Are Scored
Batters score runs two ways: running between the wickets (each completed length the batters swap ends counts as 1 run) or hitting a boundary (the ball reaches the rope).
🏃 Running Between Wickets
Batters swap ends after the ball is played. Each completed swap — both batters crossing and grounding their bat behind the crease — is 1 run. They can run as many as they can complete safely before the fielding side returns the ball.
🎯 Boundaries
- 4 runs — the ball touches the ground before crossing the boundary rope
- 6 runs — the ball clears the rope without bouncing
Extras Explained: Wides, No-Balls, Byes & Leg-Byes
Not every run belongs to a batter. Extras are runs added to the team's total that go to nobody's personal score — a detail that trips up almost every beginner reading a scorecard.
| Extra | What happens | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | Ball bowled out of the batter's reach | +1, ball re-bowled |
| No-ball | Illegal delivery (overstepping, etc.) | +1, ball re-bowled |
| Bye | Runs taken when the ball passes without touching bat or body | Credited as extras |
| Leg-bye | Runs taken when the ball deflects off the batter's body, not the bat | Credited as extras |
Overs, Balls & Powerplay Rules
An over is 6 legal balls bowled from one end. Wides and no-balls don't count toward the 6 — the ball is simply re-bowled, which is why an over can take more than 6 deliveries to complete.
In limited-overs cricket, a powerplay is a set block of overs early in the innings where fewer fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle — designed to reward attacking batting.
| Format | Powerplay window |
|---|---|
| T20 | Overs 1–6: max 2 fielders outside the circle |
| ODI | Overs 1–10 mandatory (max 2 outside); overs 11–40 flexible (max 4 outside) |
| Test | No powerplay — fielding is unrestricted throughout |
The 9 Ways to Get Out
The Laws of Cricket recognize nine methods of dismissal. Most matches only ever see the first three or four — the rest are rare, but they're real rules an umpire can apply.
| Dismissal | How it happens |
|---|---|
| Bowled | The ball hits the stumps directly from the bowler and dislodges a bail |
| Caught | A fielder catches the ball on the full after it comes off the bat or glove |
| LBW (Leg Before Wicket) | The ball would have hit the stumps but is intercepted by the batter's body first |
| Run Out | A fielder breaks the stumps with the ball while a batter is out of their ground running |
| Stumped | The wicketkeeper breaks the stumps while the batter is out of their crease, without a run attempted |
| Hit Wicket | The batter dislodges their own stumps with bat or body while playing a shot |
| Hit the Ball Twice | The batter deliberately hits the ball a second time, other than to guard the stumps |
| Obstructing the Field | A batter deliberately interferes with a fielder attempting a play |
| Timed Out | An incoming batter fails to be ready to face a ball within the permitted time limit |
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method, Explained Simply
When rain or bad light stops a limited-overs match before it finishes, umpires can't just cut the target in proportion to overs lost — that would unfairly punish (or help) whichever team is batting. The DLS method solves this by calculating each side's "resources": a combination of overs remaining and wickets still in hand, then setting a revised target that reflects those resources fairly.
Full Scoring Walkthrough: A Sample Over
Here's how a single over updates the scorebook, ball by ball. Team A start the over at 142/3.
- Ball 1: Dot ball, no run. Score: 142/3
- Ball 2: Batter runs 2. Score: 144/3
- Ball 3: Wide down leg side — +1 extra, ball re-bowled (doesn't count toward the 6). Score: 145/3
- Ball 3 (re-bowled): Boundary — 4 runs. Score: 149/3
- Ball 4: Batter is bowled — wicket falls. Score: 149/4
- Ball 5: New batter in, single taken, strike rotates. Score: 150/4
- Ball 6: Six runs — ball clears the rope without bouncing. Score: 156/4
Common Scoring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
❌ Crediting Byes to the Batter
Mistake: Adding a bye or leg-bye to the batter's personal score.
Correct: Byes and leg-byes always go to the team's extras total, never to an individual.
❌ Confusing Overs and Balls
Mistake: Treating "20 overs" as "20 balls."
Correct: 1 over = 6 legal balls, so a 20-over innings has up to 120 legal deliveries.
❌ Forgetting the Free Hit
Mistake: Not applying the free-hit rule after a no-ball in T20/ODI cricket.
Correct: The next ball after any no-ball is a free hit — the batter can't be dismissed except by run out.
❌ "All Out" Is the Only Way an Innings Ends
Mistake: Assuming an innings only ends when all 10 wickets fall.
Correct: An innings can also end by reaching the over limit, or by the batting team declaring (Test/first-class cricket).
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is cricket scored?
- Runs are added for every completed run, boundary (4), or six; wickets are tracked separately. A team's total is written as runs/wickets, e.g. 185/6.
- How many overs are in a T20, ODI, and Test match?
- T20 = 20 overs per side, ODI = 50 overs per side, Test = no over limit, played across up to 5 days.
- What are extras in cricket?
- Runs added to a team's total that aren't credited to an individual batter: wides, no-balls, byes, and leg-byes.
- What is the difference between a bye and a leg-bye?
- A bye is runs taken without the ball touching bat or body. A leg-bye is runs taken when the ball deflects off the batter's body, not the bat.
- How many ways can a batter get out in cricket?
- 9 recognized dismissals: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, hit the ball twice, obstructing the field, and timed out.
- What does 185/6 mean in cricket?
- 185 runs scored, 6 wickets lost. The innings ends at 10 wickets down, the over limit, or a declaration.
- What is the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method?
- The formula used to set a fair revised target when rain or bad light shortens a limited-overs match, based on overs and wickets remaining.
- What is a maiden over?
- An over in which the bowler concedes zero runs — no runs off the bat, no extras.
The Rules in 60 Seconds
Cricket scoring isn't complicated once you know three anchors:
- Runs & wickets — every ball adds to the score (runs/wickets) until the innings ends
- Extras aren't personal — wides, no-balls, byes, and leg-byes go to the team, not the batter
- Overs are 6 balls — the format (T20/ODI/Test) just changes how many overs each side gets
Know those three rules and you can follow — and score — any match. Everything else (powerplay, DLS, dismissal types) builds on this foundation.