How cricket scores work: runs, wickets, overs and run rate
A cricket scoreboard packs a lot into a few numbers. Learn four terms and you can follow any score.
Reading 189/6 (20)
The number before the slash is runs, the number after it is wickets lost, and the number in brackets is overs bowled. So 189/6 (20) means 189 runs for six wickets after 20 overs.
Overs and balls
An over is six legal balls. Overs are written with a point, so 17.2 means 17 overs and two balls. Wides and no-balls are not legal balls, so they are bowled again and give the batting team an extra run.
Run rate
Run rate is runs divided by overs. A team on 90 after 10 overs is scoring at nine runs per over. In a chase, the required run rate is the runs still needed divided by the overs left. If it climbs above the current run rate, the batting side is falling behind.
Net run rate
In tournaments, teams level on points are often separated by net run rate. It compares the runs a team scores per over with the runs it concedes per over across the competition, so heavy wins help and heavy defeats hurt.