Super Over
A Super Over,[1][2] also called a one-over eliminator[3][4] or officially a one over per side eliminator,[5] is a tie-breaking method used in limited-overs cricket matches, where both teams play a single, additional over of six balls to determine the winner of the match. A match which goes to a Super Over is officially declared a "tie", and won by the team who score the most runs in the Super Over. If the Super Over also ends in a tie, it is followed by another Super Over. Previously, the winner was typically decided by the number of boundaries scored throughout the match. This rule was later repealed because it garnered criticism after the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final.
In October 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) updated its rules regarding the Super Over for ICC events. Group stage matches that are still tied after a Super Over will remain as a tie. Matches in either a semi-final or final that are tied, will continue until one team wins a Super Over.[6]
History
A Super Over was first used in 2008 in Twenty20, replacing the bowl-out method that was previously used for breaking a tie match. The Super Over was introduced into One Day International (ODI) cricket at the 2011 Cricket World Cup knockout stage, but it was left unused. For the following World Cup, only the final would be decided by a Super Over in the event of a tie. Ties in other knockout-stage matches returned to the previous rule where the team with the better group stage performance would advance. In 2017, the ICC instated Super Over in the knockout stages of that year's Women's Cricket World Cup and Champions Trophy.[7][8] The 2019 Cricket World Cup Final marked the first ever ODI (One Day International) to be decided by a Super Over: after the two teams tied on runs in their Super Over, England was declared the winner over New Zealand through the controversial boundary count-back rule, which has since been replaced with the rules above.[9]
Views on use
The Super Over is often used in the group stage of Twenty20 tournaments. Journalist Sambit Bal described this use as being unnecessary for situations outside knockout stages. He sees a tie being a satisfactory result both to the teams and in entertainment value.[10] Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson also criticised the practice after his team lost two matches by Super Overs in the Super Eight group stage of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20.[11] After their loss of the 2019 Cricket World Cup final to England in a Super Over, New Zealand coach Gary Stead suggested that the ICC should have considered awarding the championship jointly to both teams rather than play a tiebreaker.[12]
Rules
The International Cricket Council state the official rules for Super Overs in the Standard Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions, in effect from 1 October 2012.[13][14]
Each team selects three batsmen, giving them two wickets for their Super Over. The team who batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over, while the bowling team chooses the end to bowl from. If the Super Overs of both teams also end in a tie, the winner is determined by either the number of boundaries scored throughout the match and Super Over, the number of boundaries scored throughout the match but excluding the Super Over, or a count-back conducted from the last ball of the Super Over. If the Duckworth–Lewis method was used during the match, the Super Over immediately goes to the count-back criteria.
Earlier, Super Overs ending in a tie had the winner first decided by the number of boundary sixes the teams hit in both innings, then by the sixes hit in the main match.[15]
After the tied Super Over in the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final, which England won on boundary count, the ICC was criticised by many former cricketers and numerous fans for the use of such a controversial tie-breaker. In October 2019, they changed the rule such that if a Super Over is tied in the group stage of a tournament then the match will be awarded as a tie, but in knockout matches, the Super Over will be repeated until a winner is determined.[16] In any bilateral series match also the super over will be iterated until one team wins. Each consecutive Super Over is to take place 5 minutes after the previous Super Over.[17]
Variations
In the 2014–15 season, the Big Bash League began using a variation of the rules, allowing each innings the full amount of 10 wickets.[18]
Scoring
The super over is treated like penalty shootouts in football. The goals scored during the shootout is not added to the players career goal tally. Similarly, the efforts of cricketers in the super over is not added to their career stats.
First Super Over
![](../I/Chris_Gayle%252C_2010_(1).jpg.webp)
The first use of a Super Over was in the tied Twenty20 match between the West Indies and New Zealand on 26 December 2008. West Indies scored 25/1 in their Super Over and New Zealand replied with 15/2.[19][2]
The 26 December 2008 Twenty20 match between New Zealand and the West Indies was tied after each side's 20 overs.[2]
- - Daniel Vettori was the "nominated bowler" for New Zealand.
- - Chris Gayle and Xavier Marshall opened the "mini-innings".
- - Marshall was run out without facing a ball, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul similarly remained at the non-striker's end.
- - Gayle hit 25 runs off the 6 balls he faced.
- The West Indies "Super Over" score was 25 for 1 from six balls.[20]
- - Sulieman Benn was the nominated bowler for the West Indies.
- - NZ opener Jacob Oram was caught on Benn's third "Super Over" delivery.
- - Third man in Ross Taylor hit a six but was then clean bowled on the next ball. Oram's "Super Over" opening partner Brendon McCullum didn't face a delivery.
- The New Zealand Super Over score was 15 for 2 (all out) from five balls.[20]
The West Indies thus won the Super Over.
2019 World Cup Final
After the World Cup Final at Lord's was tied after 50 overs, leading to the first Super Over in ODI history.
- - New Zealand bowled first in the Super Over having batted first to start the match. They chose to bowl to the Pavilion End and nominated Trent Boult as their bowler.
- - Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler opened the "mini-innings" for England.
- - Stokes and Buttler faced three balls each and scored 8 and 7 runs respectively, including one four each.
- England's Super Over score was 15 for 0 from six balls.
- - Jofra Archer was the nominated bowler for England.
- - Archer bowled a controversial wide on his first delivery to James Neesham, with Neesham scoring 13 runs off the next 5 balls including one six.
- - Martin Guptill faced the last ball of the Super Over with two runs needed to win and was run out by Jason Roy and Buttler going for the second run.
- New Zealand's Super Over score was 15 for 1 from six balls.
The Super Over was thus also tied, with England being awarded the World Cup Final on boundary countback (26 to 17).
International matches decided by a Super Over
Men's One Day International
Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | ODI | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 July 2019 | ![]() |
![]() |
15/0† | ![]() |
15/1 | World Cup Final | [21] |
3 November 2020 | ![]() |
![]() |
3/0 | ![]() |
2 all out | 3rd | [22] |
† England won due to having more boundaries in the match (26–17).
Men's Twenty20 International
References
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- "Benn stars in thrilling tie". Cricinfo. ESPN. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
- "One-over eliminator could replace bowl-out". Cricinfo. ESPN. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
- "2009/10 Champions League Twenty20, Match 11 - Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, IND". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
- "Procedure for the One Over Per Side Eliminator (Oopse)" (PDF). ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "Zimbabwe and Nepal readmitted; Women's event prize money receives a major boost". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- "A revamp of calendar and constitution". ESPNcricinfo. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- "Super Over in place for World Cup final once again". ESPNCricinfo. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- Sportstar, Team. "England is World Champion on boundary count after tie and Super Over". Sportstar. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- Bal, Sambit (24 April 2009). "Two overs too many". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "Hesson criticises ICC on Super Over". ESPNCricinfo. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "Sharing World Cup 'something that should be considered' - New Zealand coach". ESPNcricinfo. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- "Standard Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions" (PDF). International Cricket Council. 1 October 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "ICC paves way for Day-Night Tests". Wisden India. 29 October 2012.
- "Standard Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions" (PDF). International Cricket Council. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "ICC scraps boundary count in change to Super Over rule". Sportstar. The Hindu. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- "ICC Comes Up With New Regulations For Super Over To Decide Tied T20I Matches - READ With Examples". https://www.outlookindia.com/. Retrieved 21 December 2020. External link in
|website=
(help) - "CA Playing Conditions Appendices". Cricket Australia. 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "West Indies tour of New Zealand, 1st T20I: New Zealand v West Indies at Auckland, Dec 26, 2008". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- "Commentary - 1st Twenty20 International - New Zealand v West Indies at Auckland, December 26, 2008". cricinfo.com cricinfo.com. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
- "England win their first men's Cricket World Cup in dramatic finale against New Zealand". BBC Sport website. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- "EPakistan chase 279 after Sean Williams' unbeaten 118".
- "Black Caps win super over thriller". ABC Radio Grandstand website. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
- "Australia tour of United Arab Emirates, 2nd T20I: Australia v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC), Sep 7, 2012". Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- Radhakrishnan, R.K. (27 September 2012). "Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in super over thriller". Chennai, India: The Hindu website. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- Monga, Sidharth (1 October 2012). "New Zealand knocked out after Super Over". CricInfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
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- "5th Match, ACC Western Region T20 at Muscat, Jan 22 2019". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
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- "1st T20I (N), Jersey tour of Guernsey at Saint Peter Port, May 31 2019". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- "2nd T20I (N), Zimbabwe tour of Netherlands at Rotterdam, June 25 2019". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
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- "2nd WT20 2020 Australia women's Tri-Nation Series". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 1 February 2020.