Target and Par Score: Understanding Cricket's Scorecard Benchmarks
In cricket, the 'target' is what the chasing team needs to win, while the 'par score' is the expected total for batting conditions. This article explains how these two benchmarks are defined, calculated, and used strategically by teams and commentators.
What Is the Target in Cricket?
The target is the exact score that the chasing team (batting second) must exceed to win the match: in limited-overs cricket, the target equals the first batting team's final score plus one run (if Team A scored 280, Team B needs 281 to win — scoring exactly 280 produces a tie, which is resolved by Super Over in most modern formats); in Test cricket, the target is set differently — after both teams complete their first innings, the team behind sets a target by declaring their second innings at a specific total (the team batting fourth needs to score more than this total to win); and in rain-affected limited-overs matches, the DLS method calculates a revised target (different from the original first-innings total) based on the resources available to the second batting team after the interruption. The target is cricket's most fundamental scoring benchmark — it defines exactly what the chasing team is playing for.
What Is the Par Score?
Par score is a benchmark for what a team 'should' score in specific conditions: batting par score (also called 'pitch par score') is an estimated total for the specific ground and pitch conditions — derived from historical scoring at that ground under similar conditions; DLS par score is a mathematical calculation of what a batting team should have scored by a specific over and wicket position based on their remaining resources (the DLS method's 'par score' appears on live scoreboards in major limited-overs matches to show whether the batting team is ahead of or behind the first team's scoring trajectory); and the commentator's par score is an informal expert estimate — 'this pitch is playing well for batting, par score here might be 280-290.' These three uses of 'par score' are related but distinct — the DLS par score is a mathematical formula while the ground and commentator par scores are expert estimates.
How Teams Use Target and Par Score Strategically
Target knowledge changes batting strategy completely: a team chasing 300 knows that scoring at less than 6 runs per over across all 50 overs leaves them short — they must plan to hit at least 6 runs per over from the start; a team chasing 180 in 20 overs knows exactly what required rate they need — 9 runs per over from ball one, or they fall behind; and par score helps batting teams understand how their current total compares to a competitive benchmark (if they are at 120/2 after 25 overs on a pitch with a par score of 280, they need 160 from 25 overs at 6.4 per over — slightly above the par rate — which is achievable with wickets in hand). Using par score allows coaching staff to identify mid-innings whether the batting team's current position is 'ahead of par' (likely to reach a good total) or 'behind par' (needing to accelerate to avoid a sub-par total).
Frequently asked questions
How is the revised DLS target calculated if it rains during the second innings?
If rain interrupts the second innings (chasing team's innings), the DLS revised target is calculated based on the resources remaining at the interruption point: the DLS method tracks the 'resources' available to both teams — overs and wickets — and the revised target is adjusted proportional to the resource ratio between the two teams; if the chasing team has used 60% of their resources at the interruption and the match is then reduced so they have only 80% of the first team's resources, their target is adjusted down proportionally; the 'par score' at the interruption moment is the score the chasing team needed to have at that exact point to win if the match ended immediately — if they are above par, they win when the match is abandoned; if below par, the first batting team wins. The calculation becomes complex when the interruption changes how many balls the second team can bat — requiring multiple DLS calculations if there are multiple interruptions.
Does the target change if the first batting team's innings is cut short by rain?
Yes — if rain reduces the first batting team's overs (e.g., they were scheduled for 50 overs but could only bat 40), the overall match is restructured: the second batting team also receives 40 overs (or potentially fewer if further rain reduces the match); the target is the first team's actual score from their truncated innings; but if the first team's innings is interrupted mid-innings (they were at 180/3 after 35 overs when rain ended the innings, having been scheduled for 50 overs), the DLS method calculates what the first team's resources were at the interruption and uses that as the baseline for the second team's resources — the revised target may not simply be '181 to win' but a DLS-adjusted figure. These mid-innings rain scenarios are the most complex DLS calculations and frequently generate post-match debate about fairness.
What happens if the chasing team ties the target in T20 cricket?
If the chasing team scores exactly equal to the first batting team's total (a tie) in T20 cricket, the match goes to a Super Over: each team selects 3 batsmen and 1 bowler for a single extra over (6 balls each); the team scoring more in the Super Over wins the match; if the Super Over also ties, the process repeats in ICC event regulations — though some domestic T20 competitions use boundary countback (the team that hit more boundaries across the match and Super Over wins) after one tie Super Over; and in Test cricket, a tie is one of the rarest results in cricket (only 2 tied Tests in all of cricket history) — it occurs when both teams complete all four innings and the fourth-innings batting team's final score matches the first innings team's combined lead perfectly.