Scoring (cricket) - Referring To Scores

Referring To Scores

The score of a cricket team whose innings is in progress is given as the number of runs they have scored "for" the number of wickets their opponents have taken. For example, a team that has scored 100 runs and lost three wickets has a score of "a hundred for three", written 100–3 (also 100/3 or 3/100). The exception to this is Australia, where it is conventional to reverse the wickets and runs scored, so that what would be written 300–5 elsewhere in the world is written and said 5–300 in Australia. A team that is dismissed having scored 300 runs is said to have a score of "three hundred all out", rather than "three hundred for ten"; the score for the innings is then simply written 300. However, if a team declare their innings closed (in a First-class match) or reach an over limit (in a limited-overs match), the number of wickets is included in their score for the innings, for example 275–7. A declaration is noted by appending a "d" or "dec" to the score (for example 300–8d); such a score is spoken in the standard form with the word "declared" appended (example: "300 for 8 declared").

In a two innings match, the scores of each team for their two innings are given separately. An example of a score for a two innings match in progress would be: Team A 240 & 300–7d, Team B 225 & 130–4. This indicates that Team A in their first innings scored 240 runs, and Team B made 225 in reply. Team A then made 300 for 7 in their second innings, declaring it closed, and Team B are currently 130 for 4 (in this scenario, Team B is said to be facing a run chase of 316 and currently trail by 185 runs).

When a game is completed, there are standard ways of referring to the difference in scores between the two teams. For instance, if Team A, batting first, scored 254–6, then Team B, batting second, only scored 185, whether or not they go all out, it would be said that "Team A won by 69 runs" because they either bowled out the opposition or caused them to exhaust their overs (in a limited-overs match) when they were 69 runs short of their target. On the other hand, if team A, batting first, scored 254–6 but team B, batting second, scored 255–8, it would be said that "team B won by 2 wickets" because they chased down their target with 2 wickets in hand. In a two innings match, a team can win having only batted once (while the other team, batting twice, has not equalled the other team's score). For instance, team A score 160 all out, team B score 530 and declare, then team A score 230 all out. In this case it would be said that team B won by an innings & 140 runs.