Run (cricket)

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.

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.

Related Topics:
Popping crease

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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 consders 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.

Related Topics:
Umpire - Innings

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