In the
sport of
cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are
scored by a
batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen
(plus any
extras) constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 (a
'half century') or 100 runs (a 'century'), or any higher multiple of
50 runs, is considered a particular achievement. By extension, a
partnership of two batsmen moving the team score on by a multiple of
50 runs, or the team score passing a multiple of 50 runs, is also
cause for celebration.
Rules
The rules concerning the scoring of runs are mostly contained in Law 18 of
the
Laws of cricket. The simplest way for a batsman to score a run is by the
striker hitting the ball such that both batsman can run from one end of the
pitch to the other without either batsman getting out: the batsmen effectively
exchanging positions, so the striking batsman becomes the non-striker, and vice
versa. The batsmen may be able to run up and down the pitch more than once,
crossing each time, to score two, three or more runs. A batsman can also score
four or six runs by hitting the ball to or over the
boundary, and may be awarded five penalty runs in certain situations.
Thus, according to Law 18, a run is scored when:
- the batsmen, or their
runner, at any time while the ball is in play, have crossed and made good
their ground from end to end;
- when a
boundary is scored;
- when
penalty runs are awarded;
- when "lost
ball" is called.
Runs are added to the team score, but not the score of an individual batsman,
for extras (no
balls, wides,
byes and leg
byes).
Short runs
To score a run, each batsmen must run from the
popping crease at one end to the
popping crease at the other end. A run is "short" if one of the running
batsmen fails to make good his ground on turning for a further run (that is, the
batsman fails to complete the run by putting some part of his body or his bat on
the ground behind the
popping crease) – in this event, the number of runs achieved is decreased by
the number of "short" runs. Although a short run also shortens the next run,
since the second run starts somewhat closer to the destination than it should,
the second run is not regarded as "short" if it is completed. A batsman taking
up his batting stance in front of his crease may also run from that point
without penalty.
If either
umpire considers that either or both batsmen deliberately run short, the
umpire can give a warning to the batsman that this is unfair and disallow any
earned runs from that delivery. If an umpire considers that any batsmen
deliberately runs short again in that
innings, a 5
run penalty is conceded to the bowling side. In practice, this rule is rarely
invoked.
