Following-on is a term used in the sport of cricket. It describes the situation where a team has two consecutive innings. Cricket matches are played over either one or two innings. The term 'following-on' is only used in games played over two innings. In these games the teams take turns in batting. Team A has its first innings followed by Team B. Then Team A has its second innings, and unless Team B has already scored more runs than Team A, Team B has its second innings.
However, if Team B scores substantially fewer runs than Team A in its first innings, Team A's captain may force Team B to bat again (to 'follow-on') straight away, so that the order of the innings is: A, B, B, and, if necessary, A again. In its second innings, Team B is then said to be 'following-on'. This rule is governed by Law 13 of the Laws of cricket.
Minimum lead
The number of runs by which Team A must be ahead of Team B to give its captain the option of forcing Team B to follow on changes depending on how long the game is. In a match of 5 days or more, a side which bats first and leads by at least 200 runs has the option of requiring the other side to follow-on.
I shorter matches the minimum required leads are as follows:
(i) 150 runs in a match of 3 or 4 days;
(ii) 100 runs in a 2-day match;
(iii) 75 runs in a 1-day match.
Where a match is shortened, the leads required to have the option of enforcing the follow-on are determined by how many days (or part days) play remain when the match starts. For example, suppose a match is scheduled for 5 days, but the first day is washed out because of rain. If the match then begins on the second scheduled day of the match, the team batting first needs a first innings lead of 150 runs or more to have the option of enforcing the follow-on.
Enforcing the follow-on
Captains do not automatically choose to enforce the follow-on when they are entitled to. In two innings games, for a team to win, it usually needs to dismiss the opposition twice. If it fails to do so, the game may end in a draw. So, when there is limited time available so that a team does not think it had enough time to bat again and then dismiss the opposing side, the follow-on will almost invariably be enforced.
When time is not an issue, the follow-on is often not enforced. This is partly because it is tiring for bowlers to bowl for two consecutive innings. It is also usually considered a disadvantage to bat last, when the cricket pitch had deteriorated by wear and their are more natural variations to its bounce and ability to take spin.
Victories by sides following-on
Although it is not impossible for a side following-on to win a game, it happens rarely. When it happens in first class games, it is a notable occurrence, with that match being remembered by many years afterwards.
The biggest turnaround
In 1922 at Edgbaston, Hampshire scored 15 all out in reply to Warwickshire's 223 in a 3-day match. Hampshire's total is the seventh lowest score for a completed first class innings. Hampshire were put back into bat, and then famously scored a mammoth 521 before dismissing Warwickshire for 158 to win by a comfortable 155 runs. 15 remains the lowest score for a completed innings by a team that went on to win the match.
Botham's Test - Headingley, 1981
In 1981, England's Ian Botham was performing poorly as captain against the touring Australians. After a loss and a draw in the first two test matches of the summer's 6-test Ashes series, Botham resigned the captaincy. The Australian team was rated as second only to the great West Indies team of the time, and contained a formidable pace attack in the form of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Terry Alderman.
Mike Brearley, the captain Botham had replaced, took over the reigns for the third Test, at Headingley. This started out very badly: Australia scored 401, and asked England to follow on after bowling them out for 174. The one bright point in the innings came from Botham, who top scored with 50 (his first since he had been made captain 13 matches earlier). In the second innings, Botham came to the crease with England on 105 for 5, still 126 behind. Matters did not improve: Geoff Boycott and Bob Taylor soon followed, and with England 135 for 7 and still 92 runs behind an innings defeat looked likely.
By all accounts, everyone on both sides thought the game was lost. Ladbrokes famously offered 500-1 against England winning the Headingley test. (Equally famously, and controversially, Rodney Marsh and Dennis Lillee placed a bet on England to win, claiming that 500-1 were silly odds on any two-horse race.) When Graham Dilley joined him at the crease, Botham reportedly said, "Right then, let's have a bit of fun...". Botham, with able support from the lower order, went on to make 149 not out, and gave England a slender lead of 129. The next day a fired-up Bob Willis took 8 for 43, and Australia slumped to 111 all out. It was only the second time in history that a side following on had gone on to win a Test match.
Laxman's innings - India v Australia, 2001
Australia were 1-0 up in a 3 test series away to India. Despite an impressive 7 for 123 by Harbajan Singh in the first innings of the second test at Eden Gardens, Australia had scored 445. The team then rated the best team in the world, restricted India to a feeble 171 and enforced the follow-on. India fared better, reaching 52 before losing their first wicket and VVS Laxman coming to the crease. But they were still 222 runs behind, with plenty of time and the Australian second innings to come.
Laxman then changed the course of the game. He batted for 10 and a half hours to put on 281 runs, most of them in a massive 376 fifth wicket partnership with Rahul Dravid, who himself scored 180. When they had scored 657 for 7, India became the first test team to declare their innings after they had followed-on. India then proceeded to get Australia all out for 212, thanks mostly to Singh who followed his first innings haul with 6 for 73, giving him match figures of 13 for 196. But, Laxman was man of the match as Australia were defeated by 171 runs. India then went on to win the third match and took the series 2-1.