Half-Century (Fifty)
Also known as: half century, half-century, a fifty in cricket, scoring a fifty, fifty runs in cricket, raising the bat for fifty
A half-century, or fifty, is an individual score of 50 to 99 runs in one innings. Batters usually raise their bat to the crowd and dressing room when they reach it. Once a batter gets to 100, the score counts as a century instead.
A fifty is the first big batting milestone. Scorecards and career records count fifties and hundreds separately. A batter who makes 120 has a century, not a century and a fifty.
Fifty is also a turning point in an innings. By then you know the pitch and the bowlers. Many coaches tell batters to treat 50 as a fresh start rather than a finish. Turning fifties into hundreds is a common goal for good batters.
In junior cricket, some leagues ask a batter to retire on reaching a set score. Check your league's rules before you plan your innings around a milestone.
Tips by skill level
When you reach 50, mark your guard again and set a new small target, like the next 10 runs.
Track how many of your fifties became hundreds. A low rate points to a focus or fitness gap late in innings.
Example
A number four batter pushes a single to reach 50 off 64 balls. He raises his bat, takes fresh guard and keeps going to 87.
Why it matters
Fifties are a common way to measure a batter's consistency. They also mark the point where a batter is set and can go on to a big score.
Common mistakes
- Relaxing and getting out soon after reaching 50
- Counting a century as a fifty as well
- Playing a risky shot to reach the milestone
- Celebrating so long that you lose your focus
Frequently asked questions
What is a half century in cricket?
It is a score of 50 to 99 runs by one batter in a single innings. At 100 it becomes a century.
Does a century also count as a fifty?
No. Records count them separately, so a score of 100 or more is a century only.
Sources
Related terms
- CenturyA century is a batting milestone of 100 or more runs scored by a single batter in one innings — the most celebrated individual achievement in cricket batting.
- 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.
- Nervous NinetiesThe nervous nineties is the stage of an innings when a batter's score is between 90 and 99. Batters often tense up as a century gets close. Some freeze and stop scoring, while others rush with a risky shot. The fix is to keep playing the ball in front of you, not the milestone.
- 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.
- Concentration in a Long InningsNobody can concentrate hard for hours, so good batters switch on and off. Relax between balls by looking away and walking towards square leg. Switch on fully as the bowler runs in, with one simple cue like 'watch the ball'. Break the innings into small targets such as the next five overs.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.