Since 1979/80, all Test cricket has been played with six balls per over. Historical number of balls per over in Test cricket If one batting player is right-handed and the other left-handed, they may try to score odd numbers of runs to disrupt the bowling pattern and tire the fielders by making them reposition themselves frequently. It may take the form of the stronger batting player trying to score an even number of runs on early balls in the over and an odd number on the last ball the weaker batting player will attempt the reverse, and the bowler will try to disrupt this pattern.
If one batting player is stronger than the other, they may attempt to engineer their scoring so that the stronger batting player faces the bowling more often. If the two batting players are not similar, tactical considerations may affect their play. Often this means choosing an inferior strategy by employing a less skilful bowler to avoid penalties that are perceived to be greater, such as being banned or losing points.īowling a maiden over in ODI and T20 forms of cricket is quite rare and difficult, as the batting players seek to maximise their scoring opportunities. Such bowlers have a shorter run up so they complete their overs more quickly. If a team is proceeding slowly, some captains will choose to use slow/spin bowlers. If the batting player takes the bait, the bowler can then follow up with a variation designed to hit the wicket, or a ball that is intended to induce a mistake from a batting player who is still in aggressive run-scoring mode, which will result in the batting player being caught out.Ĭricket imposes penalties if a team bowls its overs at a very slow over rate, such as fines, loss of competition points, and match bans. The bowler intends to tempt the batting player into scoring runs by providing balls that are relatively easy to hit. For example, they may bowl the first few balls with the same line, length, or spin. Since a single bowler has only six legal balls to bowl before they must hand the ball to another bowler, the bowler typically plans to use those six balls to set up a pattern of play designed to get a batting player out.
The over is a fundamental consideration in the tactical planning of the fielding side. Tactical considerations Tactical considerations in bowling overs 100-ball cricket: 20 5-ball overs per innings.One Day International: 50 overs per innings.There is only one innings per team in these formats: Number of overs in each format of cricket In these matches, there is a requirement to bowl a minimum of 90 overs in a day's play, to ensure a good spectacle, and to prevent the fielding team from wasting time for tactical reasons. In Test and first-class cricket, there is no limit to the number of overs in a team's innings, nor is there any limit to how many may be bowled by a single bowler. The general rule is that no bowler can bowl more than 20% of the total overs per innings thus, in a 50-over match each bowler can bowl a maximum of 10 overs. In limited overs cricket matches, bowlers are generally restricted in the total number of overs they may bowl in a match. The period of time during which a bowler bowls every alternate over is known as a spell. When one bowler tires or becomes ineffective, the captain will replace that bowler with another. In the event that a bowler is injured, or is sent out of the attack by the umpire (for disciplinary reasons, such as bowling beamers), during the middle of an over, a teammate completes any remaining deliveries.īecause a bowler may not bowl consecutive overs, the general tactic is for the captain to appoint two bowlers to alternate overs from opposite ends. If the bowler bowls a wide or a no-ball, that illegal delivery is not counted towards the six-ball tally, and another delivery will need to be bowled in its place. 3 Historical number of balls per over in Test cricketĪlthough this has not always been so, with overs of four and eight balls used in the past, currently an over must consist of six legal deliveries.2.1 Tactical considerations in bowling overs.1.1 Number of overs in each format of cricket.