Super Over
A Super Over, also called a one-over eliminator or officially a one over per side eliminator or Oopse, 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, the winner is typically decided by the number of boundaries scored throughout the match. The boundary count rule garnered criticism after the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final.
In October 2019, the International Cricket Council 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.
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 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. The 2019 Cricket World Cup Final marked the first ever ODI 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.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. 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. 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.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.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.
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.. In any bilateral series match also the super over will be iterated until one team wins.
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.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.Examples
First Super Over
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.The 26 December 2008 Twenty20 match between New Zealand and the West Indies was tied after each sides' 20 overs.
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...The Super Over was thus also tied, with England being awarded the World Cup Final on boundary countback.
