Reserve Days at ICC Events: How Cricket Protects Against Rain
The reserve day — an additional day scheduled after a limited-overs match or the final of a tournament to complete play if rain interrupts — is one of cricket's most important match-protection mechanisms. This article covers when reserve days are used, how play resumes on reserve days, and the controversies that reserve day scheduling has created.
What Is a Reserve Day
A reserve day is an additional calendar day set aside in the event a match cannot be completed in its scheduled time. For ICC events (World Cups, Champions Trophy, major bilateral finals), reserve days are built into the schedule for knockout matches — the day after the original match day is protected for continuation if rain prevents completion. Reserve days serve: eliminating 'washed out finals' (a World Cup Final that cannot be completed due to rain is not simply declared a draw — the reserve day allows the match to continue the next day); protecting the competitive integrity of decisive matches (a semi-final or final that is abandoned after minimal play would be an unsatisfying conclusion to a major tournament); and reducing DLS dependence in knockout cricket (reserve days allow full-overs matches when possible, rather than forcing DLS-adjusted results).
When Reserve Days Activate
A reserve day activates when the match cannot be completed to a minimum level of play on the original match day. For ODI matches, the ICC's playing conditions typically require a minimum of 20 overs per side for a result to be declared; for T20Is, the minimum is typically 5 overs per side. If this minimum cannot be achieved on the original day (due to sustained rain), the match continues on the reserve day from the point where it was interrupted (if play began) or starts fresh (if no play began on the original day). Critically: if the minimum overs have been achieved and a DLS result can be declared, the reserve day may not be needed — reserve days are specifically for situations where even DLS cannot produce a result from the available play.
Reserve Day Controversies
Reserve days have created several controversies: scheduling (reserve days cannot always be accommodated — a World Cup schedule where venues are shared across cities means a reserved day at one venue may conflict with another match; reserve days also cost broadcasters, venues, and teams additional logistics expenses); fairness questions (a team that was in a winning position when rain stopped play on the original day may resume the next day in different pitch or weather conditions — the conditions advantage from the original day is partly lost); and the reserve day's effect on player preparation (teams that play the original match + resume on the reserve day have less preparation time between matches in the tournament schedule, creating a physical disadvantage relative to teams whose matches were completed in the standard timeframe).
Frequently asked questions
Are reserve days used for group stage matches in World Cups?
Reserve days are generally not provided for group stage matches in ICC tournaments — the logistics of protecting additional days for every group stage match across multiple venues is not practical in a compressed tournament schedule. Group stage matches that are abandoned due to rain are typically dealt with through: DLS (if the minimum overs have been bowled, a DLS result is declared); points splitting (if no play is possible, points are typically shared 50/50 between both teams); or match abandonment (no result, no points change). This is why group stage matches are more likely to produce DLS results or shared points than knockout matches — the reserve day protection specifically covers the matches where a result is essential (semi-finals, finals, and sometimes quarter-finals in larger tournaments).
What happens if rain also affects the reserve day?
If rain prevents completion of the match on both the original match day AND the reserve day, the ICC's playing conditions specify an outcome: for knockout matches that cannot produce a result even with a reserve day, the competition proceeds to the next stage with either a shared result (both teams advance — rare) or with the team that performed better on whatever play occurred advancing. In practice, if a semi-final is entirely unplayable across both days, the team with the higher group stage position (better group stage record) typically advances — this varies by tournament playing conditions. The ICC specifically designs reserve day provisions to minimise the probability of this scenario occurring, but it cannot be eliminated entirely in locations with sustained multi-day rain events.
Does batting or bowling on a reserve day change the pitch conditions significantly?
Yes — resuming a limited-overs match on the following day (reserve day) after rain can significantly change pitch conditions: overnight rain (even after the match has been covered) changes the surface moisture content and potentially the grass colour and hardness; the pitch may dry differently on the reserve day depending on weather conditions; and the dew factor (relevant in day-night matches) may be different on the reserve day if the weather pattern shifts. Teams resuming on a reserve day cannot control these changed conditions — the fielding side may find that the pitch is different from the original match conditions in ways that change their bowling plan. These condition changes are accepted as inherent to the reserve day system — the alternative (declaring a result from incomplete play) is considered worse than continuing under changed conditions.