Super Over in Cricket: The Tiebreaker That Settled the 2019 World Cup
The Super Over is cricket's tiebreaker — when a T20 or ODI match ends with the scores level, the Super Over is a single-over decider. The 2019 World Cup Final between England and New Zealand ended level and their Super Over also ended level — England were declared winners on boundary count, producing one of the most controversial results in cricket history. ICC then changed the Super Over rules.
A Super Over (also called a one-over eliminator) is played when a limited-overs match ends with identical scores — in T20 cricket (where the format is widespread) and in some ODI matches. In the Super Over: each team nominates two batsmen and one bowler; the batting team scores as many runs as possible from 6 deliveries (a wicket ends the Super Over — the batting team's Super Over innings ends when both batsmen are dismissed, or when 6 deliveries are completed); the team that scores more runs in their Super Over wins. If the Super Over also ends level, a second Super Over is now played — the ICC changed this rule after the 2019 controversy.
2019 World Cup Final
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final (Lord's, July 14, 2019): England (242) vs New Zealand (241 all out) — England won by a run from the match's regulation overs. Both teams scored 15 runs in the Super Over; England were declared the winner because they had hit more boundaries in the match (26 boundaries vs New Zealand's 17). New Zealand's Kane Williamson described the boundary count rule as 'a bit tough' — the cricket world was divided: some argued boundaries were the most appropriate tiebreaker (reflecting more attacking batting); others argued it was an unsatisfactory way to determine a World Cup winner. Martin Guptill was run out off the final Super Over ball attempting a second run that would have won the match for New Zealand.
Super Over Rule Change
ICC Super Over rule change (post-2019): the ICC eliminated the boundary count tiebreaker for World Cup matches and replaced it with unlimited Super Overs — if the first Super Over ends level, a second Super Over is played, and so on until one team scores more than the other. This rule change was applied for the 2021 T20 World Cup and all subsequent ICC events. The argument for unlimited Super Overs: it produces a definitive result through cricket means (batting and bowling) rather than through a statistics-based formula (boundary count). The argument against: an unlimited Super Overs format could theoretically extend a match significantly (though in practice, Super Overs almost always produce a definitive result after 1-2 repetitions).
Notable Super Overs
Notable Super Over results in cricket: the 2019 World Cup Final was the most famous. In IPL cricket, Super Overs have determined several close matches — the 2009 IPL Final (Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore) was the first IPL Super Over. The most multiple Super Overs in a series: New Zealand vs England bilateral T20I series (2019-20) had three separate matches that required Super Overs in the same series, the only time this has occurred in international cricket. In T20 franchise cricket, Super Overs create some of the most dramatic moments in the format — the selection of two batsmen (typically the most dangerous power hitters) and one bowler (typically the most death-over economical) becomes a critical tactical decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Super Over in cricket?
A Super Over (one-over eliminator) is a tiebreaker played when a limited-overs match ends with the scores level. Each team nominates 2 batsmen and 1 bowler; the batting team faces 6 deliveries and scores as many runs as possible (the innings ends when 2 wickets fall or 6 deliveries are completed); the team with the higher Super Over score wins. If the Super Over also ends level (under current ICC rules post-2019), another Super Over is played — this continues until one team scores more than the other. The Super Over is used in T20 International matches, T20 franchise cricket (IPL, BBL, etc.), and some ODI matches.
What happened in the 2019 World Cup Final Super Over?
The 2019 ICC World Cup Final between England and New Zealand ended with both teams scoring 241 runs in their regulation innings. In the Super Over, both teams scored 15 runs from their 6 deliveries — the Super Over also ended level. England were declared the winner on boundary count: England had hit 26 boundaries in the match, New Zealand had hit 17. This was the first time a World Cup Final was decided by a tiebreaker. Martin Guptill was run out off the last ball of the Super Over attempting a second run. The result was considered controversial because New Zealand played an equally competitive match and lost on a statistical tiebreaker rather than on cricket performance.
Who bats in a Super Over?
Each team nominates 2 batsmen and 1 bowler for their Super Over. The batting team can use any two available batsmen (batsmen who were dismissed in the main innings are eligible to bat in the Super Over). The bowler used in the Super Over cannot be changed once named. Teams typically nominate their two most destructive T20 power hitters (regardless of batting position in the main innings) to bat, and their most economical death bowler to bowl. In famous Super Overs: England's 2019 World Cup Final Super Over had Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes bat; Jofra Archer bowled. New Zealand had Martin Guptill and James Neesham bat; Trent Boult bowled.