Not Out and Carrying the Bat
Also known as: carrying the bat, carry the bat, carried his bat, batting through the innings, not out in cricket, what does not out mean, asterisk next to score
Carrying the bat means an opening batter is still not out when the rest of the team is all out. They batted through the whole innings. Not out simply means a batter was still in when the innings ended. Scorecards usually show it with an asterisk, such as 45*.
Not out has two meanings. The first is the umpire's answer when turning down an appeal. The second is a batter who has not been dismissed when play ends. When a side is all out, one batter is usually left not out, because batting needs two batters.
Carrying the bat is rarer and more admired. Only an opener can do it, and only when the innings is completed. The opener watches every partner get out and still stands at the end. It shows patience and skill at protecting their wicket.
Not-out innings affect batting average. Average is runs divided by times out, so a not out adds runs without adding a dismissal.
Tips by skill level
If your partners are getting out, focus on staying in. Your wicket matters more than your scoring rate at that point.
When batting with the tail, plan which balls to take singles off. Protecting weaker partners helps you stay in until the end.
Example
An opener makes 78 not out as his side is bowled out for 160. The scorecard reads 78* and commentators say he carried his bat.
Why it matters
Not-out scores change your batting average. Carrying the bat is one of the clearest signs of an opener who can hold an innings together.
Common mistakes
- Thinking any batter who stays not out has carried the bat
- Counting a not out as a dismissal in your average
- Thinking carrying the bat means hitting a lot of runs
- Using the term when the innings was a declaration
Frequently asked questions
What does carrying the bat mean in cricket?
It means an opener batted through a completed innings and was still not out when the team was all out.
What does the star or asterisk next to a cricket score mean?
The asterisk means not out. The batter was still in when the innings ended or play stopped.
Sources
Related terms
- Batting AverageA cricket batting average is total runs divided by the number of times the batter was out. Not-out innings add runs but do not add a dismissal. So 300 runs in 10 innings, with 2 not outs, is an average of 37.5.
- Opening Batter (Opening the Batting)Opening batters bat first and face the new ball. To be a good opener, build a tight defence, know where your off stump is and leave well early on. Talk with your partner, run hard and score from bad balls. In limited-overs cricket, openers also use the powerplay to score while the field is up.
- Building an InningsBuild an innings in stages. Spend your first balls getting used to the pace and bounce, scoring mainly from singles and bad balls. Once you are set, widen your scoring shots and push the rate. After a milestone, reset and start again instead of relaxing.
- Test Match Batting (Batting for a Long Time)Batting in a Test or multi-day match is about time at the crease as much as runs. Leave well, defend tightly and score off bad balls. Break the day into sessions and short goals, and be ready to get through hard spells against the new ball.
- Ways to Be Out in CricketThe Laws of Cricket list nine ways to be out. They are bowled, caught, hit the ball twice, hit wicket, LBW, obstructing the field, run out, stumped and timed out. A batter can also be recorded as 'retired out'. Off a no ball, only hit the ball twice, obstructing the field and run out apply.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.