What is net run-rate in cricket?

Net run-rate is the common method for differentiating teams level on points in a limited-overs cricket tournament.

It is a formula that measures a team's average margin of victory, or defeat - a side with several big wins will have a positive net run-rate, while those who have suffered sizeable losses will have a negative one.

To understand net run-rate, you have to first get your head around run-rate.

That's the average number of runs scored per over by a team in the innings of one match - so, for example, a score of 140 off 20 overs for Team A equals seven runs per over.

Net run-rate is then calculated by subtracting the opposition's run-rate from the other team's run-rate.

So if Team B scored 130 off 20 overs, their run-rate would be 6.5 runs per over.

Therefore Team A would emerge from the encounter with a positive net-run rate of 0.500 (7 - 6.5), while Team B would take away one of -0.500 (6.5 - 7).

Once a side has played more than one match in a competition, these figures are calculated cumulatively.

Let's say Team A scored 160 runs from 20 overs in their next match, then they would have a tournament total of 300 runs, divided by 40 overs - a run-rate of 7.5.

If their second opponents scored 180 runs from 20 overs, we first add that to Team B's score, making 310 divided by 40 overs - that makes 7.75.

Take 7.75 from 7.5 and Team A end up with a run-rate of -0.25.

Are we done with the calculations now? Well, not quite...

If a team loses and is bowled out early, then we wouldn't want to divide their score by the overs they played, as that would potentially deliver them a higher run-rate than their opponent.

Therefore if a team is bowled out inside their allotted overs, their run-rate is calculated by dividing their runs by the maximum overs they could have batted.

Got all that?

How does net run-rate affect play?

Imagine a team is set a modest total to win.

They'll trundle to their target, play it safe and not risk their wickets, right? Well, maybe not...

Playing aggressively to end the match quickly will reduce the number of overs by which their tournament run total is divided.

Therefore risking a few wickets with some aggressive strokeplay could deliver a big boost in net run-rate.

Flipping the scenario, a team chasing a target that is out of reach are still incentivised to score as many runs as they can - their net run-rate can still improve in a defeat.

How is net run-rate calculated in The Hundred?

We've been discussing overs here, but The Hundred focuses on the number of balls.

Not a problem - the formula for the tournament replaces overs with sets of five balls.

A T20 score is divided by 20 overs, while a completed Hundred innings is divided by the number of sets the bowling team has delivered.

100 balls divided by five?

That's... 20.

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