The Cricket Scoreboard: History and What the Numbers Mean
The cricket scoreboard displays the match score, wickets, overs, and player details. Learn how to read a scoreboard, the history of scoring, and how technology has changed how scores are displayed.
What Is on a Cricket Scoreboard?
A traditional cricket scoreboard displays: the runs scored by each batting team, wickets lost, overs bowled, the score of each current batter, the bowler's figures (overs, maidens, runs, wickets), and the required rate in limited-overs matches. Modern electronic scoreboards also show run rate, required run rate, and partnership figures.
Reading a Basic Scoreboard
| Display | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 243/6 | 243 runs scored, 6 wickets lost |
| (45 ov) | 45 overs bowled |
| Jones 87* | Jones is batting on 87, not out |
| Smith 34 | Smith is batting on 34 |
| Anderson 2/42 (10) | Anderson has taken 2 wickets for 42 runs in 10 overs |
| RRR: 8.2 | Required run rate to win: 8.2 runs per over |
History of the Scoreboard
Early cricket scoreboards used manual workers to hang numbered tiles or flip boards behind the bowler's end. Lord's Cricket Ground had a famous old scoreboard that was manually operated and became iconic. Electronic scoreboards were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s; modern LED displays can be updated instantly and show live video replays.
Frequently asked questions
What does * mean next to a batter's score?
An asterisk (*) next to a batter's score means they are not out. If there is no asterisk, the batter has been dismissed for that score.
What does 'RRR' mean on a cricket scoreboard?
RRR stands for Required Run Rate — the number of runs per over the batting team needs to score in the remaining overs to win. It updates after every delivery.