How it works
The required run rate (RRR) is the scoring rate a chasing team needs from here to the end of the innings. It is the runs still needed divided by the overs left.
Balls matter more than overs in a close chase, so the calculator works in balls. With 54 balls left, there are 9 overs remaining. With 53 balls left, there are 8.833 overs, not 8.5, because each ball is a sixth of an over.
The table shows what happens after the next over. A big over brings the rate down sharply late in a chase, while a quiet one pushes it up just as fast.
The formula
runs needed = target − current score
balls left = balls in the innings − balls bowled
required rate = runs needed ÷ (balls left ÷ 6)
current rate = current score ÷ (balls bowled ÷ 6)Worked example
Chasing 181 in a T20, a team is 87 after 11 overs.
- Runs needed: 181 − 87 = 94.
- Balls left: 120 − 66 = 54, which is 9 overs.
- Required rate: 94 ÷ 9 = 10.44 an over.
- Current rate: 87 ÷ 11 = 7.91 an over, so the batting side needs to lift the rate by about 2.5 an over.
If the next over goes for 12, they need 82 off 48 balls, 10.25 an over.
Questions
What is the difference between the target and the score to beat?
The target is one run more than the first innings total. If the side batting first makes 180, the target is 181: scoring 180 ties the match. Enter the target, as shown on the scoreboard.
How do I handle a rain-affected chase?
Use the revised target and the revised number of overs set under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Choose Other as the format and enter those overs.
Why does the rate jump so much at the end?
Each ball is a bigger share of what is left. With 12 balls to go, one dot ball changes the required rate by far more than it did in the tenth over, which is why death-over rates move so quickly.
Do extras count toward the chase?
Yes. Wides, no balls, byes and leg byes all add to the team total. A wide or no ball also does not count as one of the six balls in the over, so it adds a run without using up a ball.
What does the current run rate tell me?
How fast the team has scored so far. Comparing it with the required rate shows the gap: if the required rate is far above the current rate, the batting side has to accelerate.