Reserve Day in Cricket Explained
What a reserve day is in ICC knockout cricket, how it works, and when it has been used in World Cup and WTC Final history.
What Is a Reserve Day?
A reserve day is a contingency extra day of play built into the schedule of important ICC knockout matches (semi-finals, finals, and finals of other major ICC events). If rain or bad light prevents a full match being completed on the original scheduled day, play is extended into the reserve day to ensure a proper result can be achieved without resorting to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for a final or semi-final.
When Is a Reserve Day Used?
Reserve days are available for ICC knockout matches — World Cup finals, World Cup semi-finals, ICC Champions Trophy finals, and WTC Finals. Group matches do not have reserve days; they use DLS if rain affects play. The reserve day is only activated if the original match day cannot produce a result within the DLS minimum overs threshold.
How It Works
If a match cannot be completed on day one due to rain or bad light, play is suspended and resumes at the same match state on the reserve day. Batters return to the same positions and scores. The reserve day continues from exactly where play was abandoned. If the reserve day is also washed out, DLS is used if the minimum overs have been bowled; otherwise the match is declared a tie or shared.
Reserve Day Example
Team A scores 280 in their innings. Rain interrupts Team B's chase at 120/3 after 28 overs. Day one is abandoned. On the reserve day, Team B resumes at 120/3 from 28 overs. They continue their chase from this point until either reaching the target or being dismissed.
Frequently asked questions
Do all ICC matches have reserve days?
No — only knockout matches (semi-finals and finals) in ICC events have reserve days. Group-stage matches use DLS to manage rain interruptions.
What happens if a reserve day match is also washed out?
If minimum overs have been bowled in the original match, DLS determines the result. If the minimum DLS threshold hasn't been met after both the original day and reserve day, the match may be declared a tie, shared, or — in a semi-final — the team placed higher in the group stage advances.
Do WTC Finals always have a reserve day?
Yes — the WTC Final at Lord's has always had a reserve day built into the schedule, given that Lord's in June can experience English weather. Both WTC Finals (2021 and 2023) used parts of their reserve days.