Cricket's Famous Tied Matches: Tests, ODIs, and the 2019 Final
From the 1960 Brisbane tie to the 2019 World Cup final Super Over, the rarest outcomes in cricket — tied matches — and the extraordinary circumstances that produced them.
A tied cricket match — both teams finishing level on runs — is one of sport's rarest outcomes. In over 2,500 Tests played, only two have ended in a tie. In ODIs, ties are more common but still unusual. And in 2019, the Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand ended in the most extraordinary manner cricket has ever produced: tied after 100 overs, tied again after the Super Over, decided by a boundary countback rule that some observers — including the losing captain — considered unsatisfactory.
The First Tied Test: Brisbane, 1960
The first tied Test in history — Australia vs West Indies at Brisbane's Gabba, December 1960 — has been called the most exciting Test match ever played. The final over began with Australia needing six runs to win with three wickets remaining. Wes Hall bowled it. Two wickets fell, four byes were run, Richie Benaud was run out going for the winning run, and Australia's last pair needed one run off one ball. Ian Meckiff hit it — they ran a single — but the batsman at the far end (Lindsay Kline) was run out. Both teams had scored 737 runs each across four innings. Tied.
The Second Tied Test: Madras, 1986
The second (and so far last) tied Test came at Madras (now Chennai) in September 1986, India vs Australia. Needing 348 to win, India reached 347 all out — Dean Jones having scored a heroic 210 despite severe dehydration in intense heat. The last wicket fell one run short, but the official scorecards showed the totals level: another tie. Two Tests have ended tied in over 140 years of the format — a rarity so extreme that when one appears imminent, commentators immediately reference the other.
The 2019 World Cup Final: Cricket's Most Controversial Finish
The 2019 ODI World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's on July 14 produced the most complex finish in cricket history. New Zealand, chasing 242, reached 241 all out — tied. The match went to a Super Over (six balls per team). England scored 15 in their Super Over; New Zealand also scored 15 — tied again. The ICC rules stated that in the event of a Super Over tie, the team with more boundaries in the match would win. England had hit 26 boundaries (fours and sixes) to New Zealand's 17. England were declared World Cup winners.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was gracious but visibly devastated. The boundary countback rule was subsequently criticised extensively — many argued that a second Super Over, or joint-award, would have been more appropriate for a final. The ICC changed the rules after 2019: future tied Super Overs in knockouts will be followed by another Super Over, not a countback.
Famous Tied ODIs
ODI ties, while unusual, occur more often than Test ties. Several have occurred at World Cups, including Australia vs South Africa in the 1999 semi-final at Edgbaston — which, under the rules of that tournament, counted as a tie and eliminated South Africa on run rate (they had already beaten Australia in the Super Sixes, meaning they needed a win rather than a tie). Allan Donald's confusion over whether to run the last single — the famous 'Donald run out' — has become cricket's emblem of agonising near-miss.
Frequently asked questions
How many Test matches have ended in a tie?
Only two Test matches in history have ended in a tie: Australia vs West Indies in Brisbane in 1960, and India vs Australia in Madras (Chennai) in 1986. In over 2,500 Tests played, this is the rarest outcome — far rarer even than results determined on the final over of the fifth day.
How was the 2019 World Cup final decided?
The 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand was tied after 50 overs each (241 all), then tied again after the Super Over (15 runs each). England were declared winners by boundary countback — they had hit 26 boundaries in the match to New Zealand's 17. The ICC subsequently changed this rule; future Super Over ties in knockout games go to another Super Over.
What is a Super Over in cricket?
A Super Over is a tiebreaker used in limited-overs cricket (ODIs and T20s) when scores are tied at the end of the match. Each team nominates two batsmen and one bowler. They play one over each (six balls), and the team that scores more runs wins. If the Super Over is also tied, the rules depend on the competition — previously boundary countback, now (in ICC events) another Super Over.