THE LAWS OF CRICKET 2017 CODE (2^nd edition – 2019)

© Marylebone Cricket Club

LAW 16 THE RESULT

16.1 A Win – two-innings match

The side which has scored a total of runs in excess of that scored in the two completed innings of the opposing side shall win the match. See Law 13.3 (Completed innings). Note also 16.6.

16.2 A Win – one-innings match

The side which has scored in its one innings a total of runs in excess of that scored by the opposing side in its one completed innings shall win the match. See Law 13.3 (Completed innings). Note also 16.6.

16.3 Umpires awarding a match

Regardless of any agreement under Law 13.1.2 (Number of innings),

• 16.3.1 a match shall be lost by a side which
  • 16.3.1.1 concedes defeat
  • 16.3.1.2 in the opinion of the umpires refuses to play. If so, the umpires shall award the match to the other side
• 16.3.2 if an umpire considers that an action by any player or players might constitute a refusal by either side to play then the umpires together shall ascertain the cause of the action. If they then decide together that this action does constitute a refusal to play by one side, they shall so inform the captain of that side. If the captain persists in the action the umpires shall award the match in accordance with 16.3.1. See also Law 42.6.1 (Captain refusing to remove a player from the field).
• 16.3.3 if action as in 16.3.2 takes place after play has started and does not constitute a refusal to play,

• • Playing time shall be counted as lost from the call of Time to the call of Play, excluding intervals (Law 11) and suspensions of play (Law 2.8).
  • the time for close of play on that day shall be extended by this length of time
  • if applicable, no overs shall be deducted during the last hour of the match solely on account of this time

16.4 Matches in which there is an agreement under Law 13.1.2

• For any match in which there is an agreement under Law 13.1.2 (Number of innings), if the result is not determined in any of the ways stated in 16.1, 16.2 or 16.3, then the result shall be as laid down in that agreement.

16.5 All other matches – A Tie or Draw

• 16.5.1 A Tie
  The result of a match shall be a Tie when all innings have been completed and the scores are equal.

• 16.5.2 A Draw
  The result of a match shall be a Draw when it is not determined in any of the ways stated in 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4 or 16.5.1.

16.6 Winning hit or extras

• 16.6.1 As soon as a result is reached as defined in 1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4 or 16.5.1, the match is at an end. Nothing that happens thereafter, except as in Law 41.18.2 (Penalty runs), shall be regarded as part of it. Note also 16.9.
• 16.6.2 The side batting last will have scored enough runs to win only if its total of runs is sufficient without including any runs completed by the batsmen before the completion of a catch, or the obstruction of a catch, from which the striker could be dismissed.
• 16.6.3 If a boundary is scored before the batsmen have completed sufficient runs to win the match, the whole of the boundary allowance shall be credited to the side’s total and, in the case of a hit by the bat, to the striker’s score

16.7 Statement of result

• If the side batting last wins the match without losing all its wickets, the result shall be stated as a win by the number of wickets still then to fall.
• If, without having scored a total of runs in excess of the total scored by the opposing side, the innings of the side batting last has been completed, but as the result of an award of 5 Penalty runs its total of runs is then sufficient to win, the result shall be stated as a win to that side by Penalty runs.
• If the side fielding last wins the match, the result shall be stated as a win by runs.
• If the match is decided by one side conceding defeat or refusing to play, the result shall be stated as Match Conceded or Match Awarded, as the case may be.

16.8 Correctness of result

• Any decision as to the correctness of the scores shall be the responsibility of the umpires. See Law 2.15 (Correctness of scores).

16.9 Mistakes in scoring

• If, after the players and umpires have left the field in the belief that the match has been concluded, the umpires discover that a mistake in scoring has occurred which affects the result then, subject to 16.10, they shall adopt the following procedure.
  • 16.9.1 If, when the players leave the field, the side batting last has not completed its innings and
    either the number of overs to be bowled in the last hour, or in that innings, has not been completed
    or the agreed time for close of play, or for the end of the innings, has not been reached
    then, unless one side concedes defeat, the umpires shall order play to resume.
  • Unless a result is reached sooner, play will then continue, if conditions permit, until the prescribed number of overs has been completed and either time for close of play has been reached or the allotted time for the innings has expired, as appropriate. The number of overs and time remaining shall be taken as they were at the call of Time for the supposed conclusion of the match. No account shall be taken of the  time between that moment and the resumption of play.
  • 16.9.2 If, at this call of Time, the overs have been completed and no Playing time remains, or if the side batting last has completed its innings, the umpires shall immediately inform both captains of the necessary corrections to the scores and to the result

16.10 Result not to be changed

Once the umpires have agreed with the scorers the correctness of the scores at the conclusion of the match – see Laws 2.15 (Correctness of scores) and 3.2 (Correctness of scores) – the result cannot thereafter be changed.