Draw vs Tie in Cricket — What Each Means & Why They're Different
A draw and a tie are NOT the same result in cricket. Learn the crucial difference, when a draw occurs, why ties are extraordinarily rare, and the only two tied Tests in history.
Cricket has two separate results that newcomers often confuse — a draw and a tie. Despite sounding similar, they are fundamentally different outcomes with very different circumstances. A draw is common; a tie is extraordinarily rare.
What Is a Draw?
A draw in Test cricket occurs when neither team wins within the allotted time — the 5 scheduled days expire with the match unresolved. A draw is NOT about the scores being equal. A team can be in a winning position (chasing a target, with wickets in hand) but if time runs out before the result is achieved, the match is a draw. Test matches frequently produce draws when rain reduces playing time, or when a team bats defensively to save the match.
What Is a Tie?
A tie is when both teams finish with exactly the same total after all wickets have fallen or all available overs have been bowled. In Tests, a tie occurs when the team batting fourth is all out AND their total is exactly level with the team's third innings total. A tie is an active result — it happens because scores are equal, not because time ran out. In limited-overs cricket (ODI/T20), a tie leads to a super over tiebreaker.
The Key Difference
| Feature | Draw | Tie |
|---|---|---|
| How it happens | Time expires before a result is achieved | All wickets fall and scores are exactly level |
| Are scores equal? | Not necessarily — can be lopsided | Yes — scores must be exactly equal |
| How common? | Very common in Tests (30–40% of Test matches end in draws) | Extremely rare — only 2 tied Tests in 146+ years of Test history |
| Limited-overs cricket? | Possible in ODI/T20 (only under D/L when calculation stops) | Leads to a super over in T20/ODI |
The Only Two Tied Tests in History
- Australia vs West Indies, Brisbane 1960: The First Tied Test — Richie Benaud's Australia and Frank Worrell's West Indies produced Test cricket's most dramatic finish. Last ball, West Indies last pair, needing to run — Meckiff's throw dismissed Solomon. Scores level at 737 runs each.
- India vs Australia, Chennai (Madras) 1986: The Second Tied Test — Dean Jones scored 210 in heat-sapping conditions, India batted and the scores tied. Only 2 Tests have ever tied in 146+ years of Test cricket.
Frequently asked questions
Can a draw happen in T20 or ODI cricket?
Technically, yes — under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern if a game is abandoned and the scores happen to be equal at that point, the result can be a no-result or par score draw in some formats. But in standard T20/ODI play, a tie (equal scores) leads to a super over, not a draw.
Is a draw a bad result for both teams?
Not necessarily. A draw can be a moral victory for a team that was following on and survived. England drawing a Test at Newlands while chasing 400+ on a deteriorating pitch is a better result than being dismissed for 200. In the WTC points system, draws award points to both teams.
How many Ashes matches have ended in ties?
None. The Ashes series, running since 1882, has never produced a tied Test. It has produced many draws — approximately 90 of the 350+ Ashes Tests have ended as draws — but the exact equal-scores tie result has never occurred in Ashes cricket.