QCSA Handbook on scoring 2010 - Queensland Cricket

Other things that you can use your running sheet for might include:• bowlers’ spells, as opposed to their overall summary on thescorebook• breaks in play• progressive runs needed to achieve the target victory total.The main thing is to find a style that works for you. Before taking on thechallenge of keeping a running sheet at a game, when it may be adistraction to your main scoring duties, practise with it in front of a TVgame, or at a game where you are not the official scorer. Once you get usedto the rhythm of your chosen running sheet, introduce it to your normalscoring and it will eventually become second nature. Start by keepingminimal information (e.g. the balls — who faced each ball, the progressiveballs faced for each batter and the innings balls), then gradually introduceother details such as minutes and sundries until you are comfortablekeeping all necessary information.In the example above, a blue X is used to denote balls not faced by individual batters inan over, corresponding with the balls faced by the batter’s partner. After a wicket, adiagonal line splits the boxes for the partnership balls, and the outgoing and newbatter. The new batter’s name is then written above the box for that over. Note alsothe circled 24 in the 4th over, showing the scorer has checked that the scores balance,and the extension on the right, keeping track of the target score required.This next example (above) shows a very different style of sheet. On this sheet, only theballs faced are recorded for each batter — there is no corresponding blue X for thenon-striker. There are no columns for bowlers, but the ‘spare’ column on the far rightcan be used to record drinks breaks and other stoppages in play.64Queensland Cricket Scorers Association