The score of a
cricket team whose
innings is in progress is given as the number of
runs they have scored "for" the number of
wickets
their opponents have taken. For example, a team that has scored 100
runs and lost three wickets has a score of "a hundred for three",
written 100-3. A team that is dismissed having scored 300 runs is
said to have a score of "three hundred all out" (or, confusingly, to
be "all out for three hundred"), rather than "three hundred for
ten"; the score for the innings is then simply written 300. However,
if a team
declares their innings closed, the number of wickets is included
in their score for the innings, for example 300-8d.
In a two innings match, the scores of each team for their two innings are
given separately. An example of a score for a two innings match in progress
would be: Team A 240 & 300-7d, Team B 225 & 130-4. This indicates that Team A in
their first innings scored 240 runs, and Team B made 225 in reply. Team A then
made 300 for 7 in their second innings, declaring it closed, and Team B are
currently 130 for 4.
The exception to this is Australia, where it is conventional to reverse the
wickets and runs scored, so that what would be written 300-5 elsewhere in the
world is written and said 5-300 in Australia.
The notation used for cricket scores (large number, dash, small number) has
led to the use of the term cricket score to describe a very one-sided
scoreline in other sports such as
rugby and
football (soccer).
