What Is a Maiden Over in Cricket?

A maiden over in cricket is an over from which the batting side scores zero runs off the bat — no boundaries, no singles, and no extras chargeable to the bowler such as wides or no-balls. Maiden overs are one of the most important measures of a bowler's ability to apply sustained pressure.

What Counts in a Maiden

Only runs credited to the bowler's account affect maiden status. Leg byes and byes are scored as extras but are not charged to the bowler, so an over can still be a maiden even if those runs are conceded. A wide or a no-ball, however, breaks the maiden as these are bowler-chargeable extras.

Why Maidens Matter

In Test cricket, strings of maiden overs build pressure that can force errors. A batter who has faced six, eight, or ten straight maidens often feels compelled to break the shackle by playing an attacking shot outside their comfort zone — exactly what the bowler wants. In limited-overs cricket, maidens are rarer but equally devastating, costing the batting side run-rate as the required rate climbs.

Reading the Scoreboard

In a scorecard, a bowler's maiden tally appears in their bowling figures, typically displayed as overs-maidens-runs-wickets (e.g., 10-4-28-2). A high maiden count relative to overs bowled signals excellent control and economy.