The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. Which of these results applies, and how the result is expressed is governed by Law 21 of the Laws of cricket.
Win
The aim of cricket is to score more runs than the opposing team. A run is scored when both batsmen run approximately 20 yards from one end of a cricket pitch to the other. Runs are also scored when the cricket ball goes over the boundary rope. Penalty runs may also be conceded, although in international test cricket this is very uncommon.
Cricket is played over either one or two innings. In a two innings game, the side which has scored a total of runs in excess of that scored in the two completed innings of the opposing side shall win the match. In a one innings game, the side which has scored in its one innings a total of runs in excess of that scored by the opposing side in its one completed innings shall win the match.
The umpires do have the power to award a match to one side where the other side either concedes defeat or in the opinion of the umpires refuses to play but the power is very rarely used. Before this rule was brought in there had been incidents in the international arena where one team has refused to play, or deliberately stopped playing for a while. One such incident was when Sri Lanka temporarily stopped play against England when Muttiah Muralitharan was called for throwing by Darryl Hair.
Tie
The result of a match is a Tie when the scores are equal at the conclusion of play, but only if the side batting last has completed its innings. This is unusual. In the history of Test cricket it has only happened twice:
- West Indies (453 & 284) tied with Australia (505 & 232) in 1961.
- Australia (574-7d & 170-5d) tied with India (397 & 347) in 1987.
Draw
The result of a match is a Draw if a match is concluded, as defined in Law 16, without being a Win or a Tie.
Statement of result
If the side batting last wins the match without losing all its wickets, the result shall be stated as a win by the number of wickets still then to fall.
If the side batting last has lost all its wickets but, as the result of an award of 5 penalty runs at the end of the match, has scored a total of runs in excess of the total scored by the opposing side, the result shall be stated as a win to that side by Penalty runs.
If the side fielding last wins the match, the result shall be stated as a win by runs.
If the match is decided by one side conceding defeat or refusing to play, the result shall be stated as Match Conceded or Match Awarded as the case may be.