Match Results (Win, Tie, Draw)
Also known as: draw in cricket, tie in cricket, drawn match, tied match, win by wickets, drawn test
A cricket match ends in a win, a tie or a draw. A side wins by scoring more runs than the other side does in its completed innings. A tie means every innings is complete and the scores are level. A draw means the match ends without either of those, usually because time runs out in a multi-day game before the side batting last is bowled out or reaches its target.
Law 16 sets out the results. In a two-innings match, a side wins by scoring more runs than the other side made in both of its completed innings. In a one-innings match, it is more runs than the other side's one completed innings. A match is also lost by a side that concedes or refuses to play.
The margin depends on who batted last. If the side batting last wins, it wins by the number of wickets it still had to fall. If the side fielding last wins, it wins by runs. The match ends the moment a result is reached. If a boundary wins it, the whole boundary still counts.
A tie and a draw are different. A tie needs every innings complete with the scores level. A draw covers any match not decided in another way. In Tests and other multi-day games, a draw usually means time ran out.
Limited-overs competitions add their own rules. In men's one-day internationals, a tie goes to a Super Over, repeated until there is a winner. If both sides have not had the chance to bat for at least 20 overs, usually because of rain, the match is a no result.
Tips by skill level
If the team batting second wins, count the wickets it still has left. If the team batting first wins, count the runs between the totals.
In a multi-day chase, know when to switch from chasing the win to batting out time for a draw. The overs left and wickets in hand decide it.
Example
Set 280 to win, the visitors reach 281 for 4. They win by 6 wickets, the number they still had in hand.
Why it matters
Knowing how results work helps you follow a match and understand tactics like declarations, which aim to turn a likely draw into a win.
Common mistakes
- Calling a drawn match a tie
- Thinking a win by 6 wickets means six batters were out
- Assuming a limited-overs tie always stays a tie
- Forgetting that the match ends as soon as the winning run is scored
Frequently asked questions
What is a draw in cricket?
A match that ends without a win or a tie, usually because time runs out in a Test or other multi-day game before either side can win.
What is the difference between a tie and a draw in cricket?
A tie means every innings is complete and the scores are level. A draw means the match was not finished, usually because time ran out.
What does winning by wickets mean?
The team batting second reached the target. The margin is the number of wickets it still had to fall, so winning by 6 wickets means it lost 4.
What is a no result in cricket?
In men's one-day internationals, a match is a no result if both teams have not had the chance to bat for at least 20 overs, usually because of rain.
Sources
Related terms
- Super OverThe super over is a tie-breaking mechanism in limited-overs cricket — if scores are tied at the end of a match, each team bats one final over of six balls to determine the winner.
- Test CricketTest cricket is the oldest, longest, and most prestigious format of the sport — played over up to five days between two national teams, with each side receiving two innings and ten wickets to be dismissed.
- DeclarationA declaration is when the batting captain ends their side's innings before the team is all out. In two-innings matches it is used to leave enough time to bowl the opposition out and win. Under the current Laws a captain can declare whenever the ball is dead, except in the final innings of the match. A declared innings counts as a completed innings.
- Follow-OnThe follow-on lets the side that batted first make its opponents bat again straight away when it leads by enough on first innings. The lead needed is at least 200 runs in a match of five days or more, 150 in a three- or four-day match, 100 in a two-day match and 75 in a one-day, two-innings match. Enforcing it is the leading captain's choice, not a requirement.
- One-Day International (ODI)A one-day international is an international match where each team bats once, for up to 50 overs. Each bowler can bowl no more than 10 overs. The fielding side is limited to two fielders outside the 30-yard circle in overs 1 to 10, four in overs 11 to 40 and five in overs 41 to 50. A tie is settled by a Super Over.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.