A
scorer in the sport of cricket is someone appointed to record all runs
scored, all wickets taken and, where appropriate, number of overs bowled. In
professional games, in compliance with the Laws of Cricket, two scorers are
appointed, most often one provided by each team.
The scorers have no say in
whether runs or extras are scored, wickets taken or overs bowled. This is the
job of the umpires on the field of play, who signal to the scorers in cases of
ambiguity such as when runs are to be given as extras rather than credited to
the batsmen, or when the batsman is to be awarded a boundary 4 or 6. So that the
umpire knows that they have received each signal, the scorers are required to
immediately acknowledge it.
While it is possible to keep score using a pencil and plain paper, scorers
often use pre-printed scoring books, and these are commercially available in
many different styles. Simple score books allow the recording of each batsman's
runs, their scores and mode of dismissal, the bowlers' analyses, the team score
and the score at the fall of each wicket. More sophisticated score books allow
for the recording of more detail, and other statistics such as the number of
balls faced by each batsman. Scorers also sometimes produce their own scoring
sheets to suit their technique, and some use coloured pens to highlight events
such as wickets, or differentiate the actions of different batsmen or bowlers.
It is often possible to reconstruct a match from a modern scorecard, as it shows
who bowled each delivery, which batsman faced it, and exactly what occurred.
In early times runs scored were sometimes simply recorded by carving notches
on a stick - this root of the use of the slang term "notches" for "runs". In
contrast, scoring in the modern game has become a specialism, particularly for
international and national cricket competitions. While the scorers' role is
clearly defined under the Laws of Cricket to be merely the recording of runs,
wickets and overs, and the constant checking of the accuracy of their records
with each other and with the umpires, in practice a modern scorer's role is both
important and complicated. The cricket authorities often require to be kept
informed of peripheral information such as the rate at which teams bowl their
overs. The media also ask to be notified of records, statistics and averages.
For many important matches, unofficial scorers keep tally for the broadcast
commentators and newspaper journalists allowing the official scorers to
concentrate undisturbed. In the English county game the official scorers also
keep score on a computer that is connected to a central server, to meet the
demand of the online press to be kept as up-to-date as possible.
The official scorers occasionally make mistakes, but unlike umpires' mistakes
these may be corrected after the event.
Some cricket statisticians who keep score unofficially for the printed and
broadcast media have gained a certain amount of fame, such as Bill Frindall who
has scored for the BBC radio commentary team since 1966, Wendy Wimbush, and Jo
King.
The Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (ACU&S) runs courses for those
wanting to train. These start from introductory, and continue to standard and
advanced. A qualification is available at the end of one of these courses.
