In cricket, a tie occurs when the match is concluded with each team having scored exactly the same number of runs and the side batting last having completed its innings. The definition of a completed innings would be if all ten batsmen have been dismissed or the pre-determined number of overs have been completed. It is rare for first-class matches to end in ties and, in more than 200 years of first-class cricket, it has happened on just 67 occasions, two of those in Test matches.[1]
The earliest known instance of a tie is in a single wicket "threes" match at Lamb's Conduit Field on Wednesday, 1 September 1736. Three London players were matched against three of Surrey. Although the sources give different totals for each innings, they are agreed that both teams totalled 23 overall. London batted first and scored either 4 and 19, or 3 and 18. Surrey replied with either 18 and 5, or 17 and 6.[2][3][4] Five years later, the same two teams produced the earliest known tie in an eleven-a-side match. The first tie in a match later given first-class cricket status was in 1783 between a Hampshire XI and a Kent XI.[5]
A tie was previously sometimes declared where the scores were level when scheduled play ended, but the side batting last still had wickets in hand. In 1948, the rules were changed so that when this occurs the match is declared a draw. This happened in a Test between England and Zimbabwe in 1996.[6] England needed 205 to win the match in their fourth innings, off 37 overs, but finished the day 204/6. With three runs required off the last ball, Nick Knight was run out going for the third, thus making it the first time in Test history that a match had finished drawn with scores level.[7] It happened again in 2011, in a Test between India and the West Indies at Mumbai, this time with nine wickets down in the fourth innings.[8]
The two tied test matches both ended on the penultimate ball of the match, with Australia vs West Indies (1960) finishing on ball 7 of 8 and India vs Australia (1986) finishing on ball 5 of 6 in the final over of play. In 2024, the match between Gloucestershire and Glamorgan was tied on the last possible ball of the match. With Glamorgan just one run away the highest successful 4th innings run chase in the history of first-class cricket, wicketkeeper James Bracey claimed his tenth victim to tie the match.[9]
In January 2021, the final of the 2020–21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Pakistan finished as a tie, the first tie in the final of a domestic first-class cricket tournament.[10]
Below is a list of all first-class matches that have been declared tied, including those before 1948 which would have been draws in the modern era.[1]
Hampshire | 140 | & | 62 | Tie[5] |
Thomas Taylor 51 |
Noah Mann 13 |
Windmill Down, Hambledon, Hampshire | ||
Kent | 111 | & | 91 | |
Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 115 | & | 61 | Tie[11] |
Joseph Grout 28 |
John Wynne 20 |
Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England | ||
Marylebone Cricket Club | 69 | & | 107 | |
Roger Kynaston 21 |
Roger Kynaston 28 |
1–3 July 1847
Scorecard |
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Marylebone Cricket Club | 175 | & | 122 | Tie[12] |
Francis Baker 53 |
Edward Grace 53 |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Surrey | 204 | & | 93 | |
Ted Pooley 50 |
Will Mortlock 32 |
Middlesex | 112 | & | 167 | Tie[13] |
Charles Green 44 |
Henry Richardson 56 |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Surrey | 93 | & | 186 | |
George Griffith 31 |
Thomas Humphrey 52 |
Wellington | 63 | & | 118 | Tie[14] |
Nathaniel Werry 16 |
Charles Knapp 37 |
Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand | ||
Nelson | 111 | & | 70 | |
Harry Halliday 35 |
Christopher Cross 18 |
Middlesex | 138 | & | 322 | Tie[15] |
Arthur Burghes 44 |
Russell Walker 104 |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Surrey | 215 | & | 245 | |
Walter Read 94 |
Ted Barratt 67 |
Players | 203 | & | 181 | Tie[16] |
George Ulyett 63 |
Billy Bates 76 |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Gentlemen | 235 | & | 149 | |
Lord Harris 38 |
Bunny Lucas 47 |
Surrey | 97 | & | 124 | Tie[17] |
Alfred Street 48 |
Walter Read 33* |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Lancashire | 147 | & | 74 | |
Sidney Tindall 49 |
Charles Smith 21 |
South Africans | 293 | & | 140 | Tie[18] |
Maitland Hathorn 90 |
Louis Tancred 34 |
New Road, Worcester, England | ||
Worcestershire | 224 | & | 209 | |
Arthur Bannister 44 |
George Simpson-Hayward 52 |
Middlesex | 272 | & | 225 | Tie[19] |
Bernard Bosanquet 110 |
Bernard Bosanquet 44 |
Lord's, London, England | ||
South Africans | 287 | & | 210 | |
Frank Mitchell 66 |
Louis Tancred 75 |
England XI | 193 | & | 228/6 dec. | Tie[20] |
John Gunn 50 |
George Gunn 48 |
Stanley Park, Blackpool, England | ||
Lancashire | 253 | & | 168/7 | |
Archie MacLaren 93 |
Frank Harry 64* |
Kent | 202 | & | 84 | Tie[21] |
Sam Day 61 |
Sam Day 26 |
Kennington Oval, London, England | ||
Surrey | 125 | & | 161 | |
Jack Crawford 31 |
Tom Hayward 40 |
Marylebone Cricket Club | 371 | & | 69 | Tie[22] |
Len Braund 137 |
Len Braund 19 |
Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England | ||
Leicestershire | 239 | & | 201 | |
Samuel Coe 100 |
Samuel Coe 66 |
Marylebone Cricket Club | 269 | & | 131 | Tie[23] |
Sydney Smith 81 |
Tom Whittington 34 |
Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica | ||
Jamaica | 173 | & | 227 | |
Joseph Holt 39 |
Thomas Nicholson 49 |
Somerset | 243 | & | 103 | Tie[24] |
Dudley Rippon 60 |
Jimmy Bridges 14 |
County Ground, Taunton, England | ||
Sussex | 242 | & | 104 | |
Maurice Tate 69 |
Herbert Wilson 42* |
Orange Free State | 100 | & | 349 | Tie[25] |
Shunter Coen 42 |
Ryeford Dick 56 |
Ramblers Cricket Club Ground, Bloemfontein, South Africa | ||
Eastern Province | 225 | & | 224/8 | |
Southey Stirk 48 |
Campbell Munro 39 |
Somerset | 208 | & | 107 | Tie[26] |
Jack MacBryan 80 |
Box Case 23* |
County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford, England | ||
Essex | 178 | & | 137/9 | |
John Freeman 43 |
John Freeman 37 |
Gloucestershire | 72 | & | 202 | Tie[27] |
Frederick Seabrook 19 |
Wally Hammond 89 |
County Cricket Ground, Bristol, England | ||
Australians | 157 | & | 117 | |
Bill Ponsford 51 |
Stan McCabe 34 |
Marylebone Cricket Club | 321 | & | 183/9 dec. | Tie[28] |
Maurice Tate 94 |
Wally Hammond 64 |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia | ||
Victoria | 327 | & | 177/3 | |
Len Darling 103 |
Keith Rigg 88 |
Worcestershire | 130 | & | 142 | Tie[29] |
Edwin Cooper 69 |
Dick Howorth 45 |
Chester Road North Ground, Kidderminster, England | ||
Somerset | 131 | & | 141 | |
Bertie Buse 26 |
Peter McRae 28 |
Southern Punjab | 167 | & | 146 | Tie[30] |
Lala Amarnath 91 |
Maqsood Ahmed 56 |
Baradari Ground, Patiala, India | ||
Baroda | 106 | & | 207 | |
Hemu Adhikari 18 |
Raosaheb Nimbalkar 52 |
Northamptonshire | 215 | & | 291 | Tie[31] |
Vincent Broderick 49 |
John Timms 112 |
Valentines Park, London, England | ||
Essex | 267 | & | 239 | |
Chick Cray 100 |
Len Clark 64 |
Hampshire | 363 | & | 224/7 dec. | Tie[32] |
Jim Bailey 95 |
Jim Bailey 63 |
Dean Park Cricket Ground, Bournemouth, England | ||
Lancashire | 367/9 dec. | & | 220 | |
Ken Cranston 155* |
Cyril Washbrook 105 |
AL Hassett's XI | 406 | & | 430 | Tie[33] |
Ray Lindwall 104 |
Lindsay Hassett 102 |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia | ||
DG Bradman's XI | 434 | & | 402/9 | |
Donald Bradman 123 |
Don Tallon 146* |
Kent | 162 | & | 170 | Tie[34] |
Godfrey Evans 71 |
Les Ames 55 (retired hurt) |
County Ground, Southampton, England | ||
Hampshire | 180 | & | 152 | |
Clifford Walker 46 |
John Arnold 52 |
Warwickshire | 138 | & | 116 | Tie[35] |
Tom Dollery 55 |
Alan Townsend 41 |
County Cricket Ground, Hove, England | ||
Sussex | 123 | & | 131 | |
John Langridge 65 |
George Cox 27 |
Lancashire | 266 | & | 226/7 dec. | Tie[36] |
Alan Wharton 85 |
Geoff Edrich 69 |
Old County Ground, Brentwood, England | ||
Essex | 261 | & | 231 | |
Bill Greensmith 56 |
Trevor Bailey 52 |
Middlesex | 96 | & | 312 | Tie[37] |
Bill Edrich 55 |
Denis Compton 100 |
Town Ground, Peterborough, England | ||
Northamptonshire | 182 | & | 226 | |
Dennis Brookes 53 |
Des Barrick 80* |
Yorkshire | 351/4 dec. | & | 113 | Tie[38] |
Vic Wilson 138 |
Ted Lester 34 |
Fartown, Huddersfield, England | ||
Leicestershire | 328 | & | 136 | |
Maurice Tompkin 149 |
Charles Palmer 31 |
Sussex | 172 | & | 120 | Tie[39] |
John Langridge 48 |
Robin Marlar 23 |
The Saffrons, Eastbourne, England | ||
Hampshire | 153 | & | 139 | |
Henry Horton 40 |
Alan Rayment 30 |
Victoria | 244 | & | 197 | Tie[40] |
Ian Meckiff 55 |
John Shaw 52 |
St Kilda Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia | ||
New South Wales | 281 | & | 160 | |
Jim Burke 132* |
Richie Benaud 63 |
New Zealanders | 268 | & | 303/8 dec. | Tie[41] |
Bert Sutcliffe 77 |
John Sparling 85 |
North Marine Road, Scarborough, England | ||
T. N. Pearce's XI | 313/7 dec. | & | 258 | |
Peter May 131 |
Godfrey Evans 69 |
Essex | 364/6 dec. | & | 176/8 dec. | Tie[42] |
Doug Insole 177* |
Doug Insole 90 |
Leyton Cricket Ground, England | ||
Gloucestershire | 329 | & | 211 | |
Arthur Milton 99 |
Tony Brown 91 |
West Indies | 453 | & | 284 | Tie[43] |
Garfield Sobers 132 |
Frank Worrell 65 |
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Australia | ||
Australia | 505 | & | 232 | |
Norm O'Neill 181 |
Alan Davidson 80 |
Lahore B | 127 | & | 278 | Tie[44] |
Hameed Hussain 48 |
Abdul Quddus 49 |
Bahawal Stadium, Pakistan | ||
Bahawalpur | 123 | & | 282 | |
Hasan Ahmed 31 |
Javed Bhatti 141 |
Middlesex | 327/5 dec. | & | 123/9 dec. | Tie[45] |
Michael Smith 135* |
Clive Radley 46* |
United Services Recreation Ground, Portsmouth, England | ||
Hampshire | 277 | & | 173 | |
David Turner 87 |
Richard Gilliat 37 |
England XI | 312/8 dec. | & | 190/3 dec. | Tie[46] |
Doug Padgett 100 |
Phil Sharpe 88 |
North Marine Road, Scarborough, England | ||
England Under-25s | 320/9 dec. | & | 182 | |
Keith Fletcher 112 |
Clive Radley 39 |
Middlesex | 102 | & | 211 | Tie[47] |
John Murray 21 |
Mike Brearley 83 |
Park Avenue, Bradford, England | ||
Yorkshire | 106/9 dec. | & | 207 | |
Colin Johnson 33 |
Colin Johnson 78 |
Sussex | 245 | & | 173/5 dec. | Tie[48] |
Peter Graves 114* |
Mike Griffith 58 |
County Cricket Ground, Hove, England | ||
Essex | 200/8 dec. | & | 218 | |
Brian Hardie 41 |
Stuart Turner 69 |
South Australia | 431 | & | 171/7 dec. | Tie[49] |
David Hookes 185 |
David Hookes 105 |
Adelaide Oval, Australia | ||
Queensland | 340/8 dec. | & | 262 | |
Graham Whyte 93 |
Martin Kent 82 |
England XI | 296/6 dec. | & | 104 | Tie[50] |
Mike Gatting 66 |
Geoff Cope 20* |
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, New Zealand | ||
Central Districts | 198 | & | 202 | |
David O'Sullivan 31 |
Terry Horne 40 |
New Zealand | 301/9 dec. | & | 174/3 dec. | Tie[51] |
Geoff Howarth 102 |
John Reid 58 |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia | ||
Victoria | 230/5 dec. | & | 245 | |
Dav Whatmore 81 |
Julien Wiener 75 |
Muslim Commercial Bank | 229 | & | 238 | Tie[52] |
Asif Ali[53] 74 |
Azmat Rana 71 |
Jinnah Stadium Sialkot, Pakistan | ||
Railways | 149 | & | 318 | |
Talat Mirza 64 |
Manzoor Elahi 53 |
Kent | 92 | & | 243 | Tie[54] |
Neil Taylor 50 |
Derek Underwood 111 |
Central Recreation Ground, Hastings, England | ||
Sussex | 143 | & | 192 | |
Colin Wells 51 |
Colin Wells 81 |
Kent | 250/6 dec. | & | 204/5 dec. | Tie[55] |
Mark Benson, Graham Johnson, Chris Tavaré 45 |
Neil Taylor 86* |
County Cricket Ground, Northampton, England | ||
Northamptonshire | 124 | & | 330 | |
Geoff Cook 40 |
Duncan Wild 128 |
Eastern Province | 109 | & | 109 | Tie[56] |
Andre Peters 37 |
J. Sandan 39* |
Elfindale, Cape Town, South Africa | ||
Western Province | 97 | & | 121 | |
Nasser Antulay 42 |
Mansoor Abdullah 36 |
Eastern Province B | 189 | & | 278 | Tie[57] |
David Capel 54 |
Ian Daniell 116 |
Albany Sports Club, Grahamstown, South Africa | ||
Boland | 211 | & | 256 | |
Stephen Jones 53 |
Carl Spilhaus 82 |
Natal B | 367 | & | 204/5 dec. | Tie[58] |
Craig Lowe 64 |
Michael Mellor 45 |
Jan Smuts Stadium, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | ||
Eastern Province B | 279 | & | 292 | |
James Furstenburg 122 |
Terance Reid 87 |
Australia | 574/7 dec. | & | 170/5 dec. | Tie[59] |
Dean Jones 210 |
David Boon 49 |
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras, India | ||
India | 397 | & | 347 | |
Kapil Dev 119 |
Sunil Gavaskar 90 |
Derbyshire | 340 | & | 226/5 dec. | Tie[60] |
Kim Barnett 80 |
Kim Barnett 110 |
The Royal & Sun Alliance County Ground, Bristol, England | ||
Gloucestershire | 288 | & | 278 | |
Jeremy Lloyds 66 |
Jeremy Lloyds 64 |
Peshawar | 263/9 dec. | & | 249 | Tie[61] |
Haroon Jan 69 |
Mohammad Sajid 65 |
Bahawal Stadium, Pakistan | ||
Bahawalpur | 325/8 dec. | & | 187 | |
Mujahid Usmani 65 |
Afzal Kamal 40 |
Wellington | 398 | & | 250/4 dec. | Tie[62] |
Tim Ritchie 106 |
Andrew Jones 181* |
Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand | ||
Canterbury | 381 | & | 267 | |
David Boyle 108 |
John Wright 81 |
Kent | 381 | & | 408/7 dec. | Tie[63] |
Neil Taylor 111 |
Neil Taylor 203* |
County Cricket Ground, Hove, England | ||
Sussex | 353 | & | 436 | |
Colin Wells 76 |
Alan Wells 162 |
Worcestershire | 203 | & | 325/8 dec. | Tie[64] |
Tim Curtis 43 |
Tim Curtis 113 |
Trent Bridge, West Bridgford, England | ||
Nottinghamshire | 233 | & | 295 | |
Greg Mike 47 |
Derek Randall 98 |
West Indies A | 370 | & | 266/7 dec. | Tie[65] |
Lendl Simmons 81 |
Dwayne Bravo 77* |
County Ground, Taunton, England | ||
Somerset | 183 | & | 453 | |
Matthew Wood 51 |
Peter Trego 140 |
Warwickshire | 446/7 dec. | & | Forfeited innings | Tie[66] |
Jim Troughton 129* |
- |
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, England | ||
Essex | 66/0 dec. | & | 380 | |
Darren Robinson 42* |
Ronnie Irani 87 |
Worcestershire | 262 | & | 247 | Tie[67] |
Vikram Solanki 74 |
Andrew Hall 68 |
New Road, Worcester, England | ||
Zimbabweans | 334 | & | 175 | |
Stuart Carlisle 157 |
Andy Blignaut 42 |
8–11 December 2011
Scorecard |
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4–5 September 2018
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30 June - 3 July 2024
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