Tied Matches in Cricket: When Both Teams Finish Level
The rules and rarity of tied matches in cricket — how a tie differs from a draw, the specific conditions for a tie (both teams scoring the exact same runs), the few famous tied Tests (Tied Test 1960 Australia vs. West Indies), tied ODIs and T20s, the DLS complications in reducing targets to odd numbers that make ties more likely, and the Super Over resolution in modern limited-overs cricket.
A Tie vs. a Draw: The Critical Distinction
A 'tie' in cricket is a specific, rare outcome where both teams have scored exactly the same number of runs after completing their full allocation of innings — and the match has reached a conclusive result (not merely running out of time). A tie requires the batting side to be all out (or complete their last over) with their score exactly equalling the first team's total. A 'draw' is a completely different result — it occurs when a match ends without a result because time ran out (a Test match reaching its scheduled final day without either side winning or losing).
In Tests, a tie is extraordinarily rare because it requires both teams to complete their full batting opportunity and end on exactly the same score — an extremely unlikely exact coincidence given the hundreds of runs typically scored in a match. Only two Test matches in history have been tied: Australia vs. West Indies in Brisbane in 1960 (the 'Tied Test,' ending 737-737 across both teams' innings combined) and India vs. Australia in Madras (now Chennai) in 1986. The 1960 Tied Test remains one of cricket's most famous matches — it was followed by Richie Benaud's Australia winning the final Test to take the series, creating a sequence of drama that is still celebrated as one of Test cricket's finest series.
Tied ODIs and T20s
Tied limited-overs matches are more common than tied Tests but still unusual — perhaps 1-2% of ODI or T20 matches. In ODIs before the Super Over era (pre-2011), a tied match was simply recorded as a tie — both teams shared the match points. From 2011 onward, ICC rules require a Super Over to determine a winner in all tied knockout matches; in group stages, a tie may be recorded with points split. In T20Is, the Super Over is now mandatory whenever a match is tied — a clear winner must be identified.
DLS complications have made ties in rain-affected limited-overs matches more complex: when the DLS method revises a target, the calculation can sometimes produce odd-number targets (e.g., 'Team 2 needs 167 off 32 overs') — if Team 2 is all out with exactly 166 (one short), the result is a loss, not a tie. However, if Team 2 scores 167 with their last wicket (exactly matching the DLS target), the match is still resolved by the standard win/loss/tie framework. A true tie under DLS occurs only when Team 2's score exactly matches the DLS-revised target at the moment their innings ends.
The 2019 World Cup Final: A Super Over Tie
The 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final between England and New Zealand produced the most complex tied match resolution in cricket history: the 50-over match tied at 241 (New Zealand all out 241, England 241 for 8 after 50 overs). The subsequent Super Over also tied (England 15, New Zealand 15 off the Super Over). The result was determined by boundary count — England had hit more boundaries in the match (26 vs. 17), and won on this tiebreaker. This resolution was widely criticised as an arbitrary tiebreaker with no direct connection to the match's cricket performance — leading to ICC discussions about Super Over rules for future tied knockout matches. The ICC subsequently changed their rules: in future tied knockout matches, the Super Over would be replayed as many times as necessary until one team outscored the other.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in a tied County Championship match?
In the County Championship (England's domestic first-class cricket competition), a tied match is a specific result category (distinct from a draw) where both teams complete all four innings and end on exactly the same runs. Tied matches in the Championship have their own points allocation — in recent County Championship rules, a tied match typically results in a specific points split (e.g., 5 points each) rather than the win bonus of 16 points. Ties in County cricket are slightly more common than in Tests but still rare events — perhaps 1-2 per full County season at most.
Can a T20 match end in a draw?
No — T20 cricket cannot produce a draw. Every T20 match has a fixed number of overs and must produce a result: the team with the highest score after their allocated overs wins. If scores are tied, a Super Over determines the winner. The only exception is if weather prevents minimum overs from being bowled — if fewer than 5 overs have been completed by the chasing team (or 5 overs have not been bowled to the first team), the match is declared 'no result,' which is different from both a tie and a draw. A no-result means the match is simply not counted.
Has a tied Super Over ever happened outside the 2019 World Cup Final?
Yes — Super Overs themselves have ended level on at least a few occasions before the 2019 World Cup Final. The 2019 final was notable because it was the first World Cup Final ever to go to a Super Over AND the first Super Over itself to be tied. Under the pre-2019 rules, boundary count was the tiebreaker. Under the post-2019 rules, a second Super Over would be bowled if the first ties. Given the very small number of Super Overs played each year and the low probability of a second Super Over tie, a chained Super Over sequence has not yet been required in a high-profile match under the new rules.