How to Read a Cricket Scorecard — Every Number Explained
Cricket scorecards pack runs, balls, strike rate, economy, partnerships and fall of wickets into a few lines. A column-by-column guide for new fans — with worked examples.
A cricket scorecard is dense — a single line of numbers can describe a full innings — but every column tells a specific story. Once you can parse one cleanly, you can read a match without commentary.
The batting card
Each batter who came to the crease gets one row. The most common columns:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Batter | Player name |
| Dismissal | How the batter was out, e.g. 'c Pant b Bumrah' |
| R | Runs scored |
| B | Balls faced (legal deliveries only) |
| 4s | Fours hit |
| 6s | Sixes hit |
| SR | Strike rate — runs per 100 balls |
Sample batting line
V Kohli c Smith b Cummins 89 (102) [9, 1] SR 87.25 Reading it: Virat Kohli scored 89 runs off 102 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 87.25 (89 ÷ 102 × 100). He was caught by Smith off Cummins's bowling.
The bowling card
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bowler | Player name |
| O | Overs bowled (legal balls; 6 per over) |
| M | Maidens — overs with zero runs conceded |
| R | Runs conceded (including wides and no-balls bowled) |
| W | Wickets taken |
| Econ | Economy — runs per over (R ÷ O) |
Sample bowling line
J Bumrah 10 2 34 3 Econ 3.40 Jasprit Bumrah bowled 10 overs, 2 of them maidens, conceded 34 runs, took 3 wickets. His economy rate was 3.40 runs per over.
Extras
Extras are runs the batting side scored without the batter hitting the ball:
- Byes (b) — runs scored when the ball goes past both bat and pad, untouched.
- Leg byes (lb) — runs scored when the ball deflects off the batter's body (not the bat).
- Wides (wd) — illegal deliveries too wide of the batter; count as a run and an extra ball.
- No-balls (nb) — illegal deliveries (overstep, beamer, etc.); count as a run, an extra ball, and trigger a free hit in T20/ODI.
Fall of wickets
Each wicket has its own line showing the team total when the wicket fell and which batter was out. For example: '1-12 (Smith, 3.4 ov)' means the first wicket fell at 12 runs in the 3rd over and 4th ball, and Smith was the batter dismissed.
The total line
The summary line at the bottom of an innings:
Sample total
Total 267/8 in 50 overs (RR 5.34) 267 runs, 8 wickets down, 50 overs faced, run rate 5.34 runs per over (267 ÷ 50).
Partnerships
Most scorecards include a partnership breakdown — each pair of batters who batted together and how many runs they added. The biggest partnerships often decide a match; an opening stand of 100+ in a T20 typically sets up a winning total.
Frequently asked questions
What does the small number in brackets after a batter's score mean?
It's the number of balls faced. A line like 'Kohli 89 (102)' means Virat Kohli scored 89 runs off 102 balls.
What is a strike rate in cricket?
Strike rate is runs scored per 100 balls faced — (Runs ÷ Balls × 100). A T20 strike rate above 130 is good; above 150 is excellent. ODI strike rates of 90-100 are typical for top batters.
What is economy rate in bowling?
Economy rate is runs conceded per over — (Runs Conceded ÷ Overs Bowled). In T20, an economy below 7.00 is good; below 6.00 is excellent. In Tests, an economy below 3.00 is what top fast bowlers aim for.
What does 'maiden over' mean?
A maiden over is one in which the bowler concedes zero runs. They're rare in T20 (a sign of pressure) and reasonably common in Tests where the pace is slower.
How are wides and no-balls counted in a scorecard?
Wides and no-balls are tracked in the extras column. They count toward the batting team's total but not toward an individual batter's score. They count against the bowler's economy rate.