The innings break is when a match turns into a chase. The first number everyone wants is the target, followed closely by the rate the chasing side needs from ball one. This calculator turns the first-innings total and the overs available into the target, the score that would tie, the required run rate from the start and runs needed per ball.
How to use the target score calculator
- Enter the first-innings total.
- Enter the overs available for the chase: 20, 50, or a reduced number if overs have been lost.
- Read the target, the tie score, the required run rate from the first ball and runs needed per ball.
The target score formula
Target = First-innings total + 1
Required run rate from the start = Target ÷ Overs available
Law 16 of the MCC Laws decides the result: the side that scores more runs wins. The chasing team therefore has to pass the first-innings total, not just equal it. Scoring exactly the same number of runs ties the match.
In matches shortened by rain, the target is not simply total + 1. It is recalculated with the DLS method, and you should enter the revised target and overs instead.
Real match example
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 final
- India
- 298/7 in 50 overs
- Target
- 299 in 50 overs
- Required rate from the start
- 5.98
- Result
- South Africa 246 all out (45.3 overs) – India won by 52 runs
India won their first Women's World Cup title. Shafali Verma (87 and 2 for 36) was Player of the Match, and Deepti Sharma took five wickets in the chase.
Real match example
IPL 2025 final
- RCB
- 190/9 in 20 overs
- Target
- 191 in 20 overs
- Required rate from the start
- 9.55
- Result
- Punjab Kings 184/7 – RCB won by 6 runs
RCB won their first IPL title in the 18th season of the league.
When the target is matched exactly
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 final
- New Zealand
- 241/8 in 50 overs
- Target
- 242
- England
- 241 all out – match tied
England finished on exactly the tie score, one short of the target. The match went to a Super Over, which was also tied, and England won on the boundary count rule in force at the time.
What a target tells you
A target is only meaningful alongside the conditions. 180 in a T20 can be above par on a slow pitch and below par on a flat one with short boundaries. Venue history helps: CricketSky's cricket grounds pages show average first- and second-innings scores at each ground, so you can compare a target with what usually happens there.
The required rate from ball one is a useful benchmark rather than a plan. Chasing teams rarely score evenly: they often go faster in the powerplay, consolidate in the middle and accelerate at the death.
Turning a target into a plan
Coaches often split a chase into phases. For a T20 target of 181, a common plan is around 50 in the six-over powerplay, about 7.5 an over in the middle overs, and the rest at the death. For an ODI target of 290, it might be 55 to 60 in the first ten overs, a steady 5.5 an over through the middle, and acceleration in the last ten with wickets in hand. The exact plan depends on the pitch, the opposition bowlers and the batting order, but breaking the target down makes it far less daunting.
Penalty runs and extras
Every run added to the first innings counts towards the target, including wides, no-balls, byes, leg-byes and any penalty runs awarded by the umpires. Penalty runs can also be awarded to the chasing side during its innings, which counts towards reaching the target.
Common mistakes
- Treating the first-innings total as the target. It is the tie score; the target is one more.
- Using the original overs after rain. Use the revised target and overs.
- Forgetting tournament rules for ties. Some competitions share points, while others use a Super Over.
Once the chase is underway, the required run rate calculator tracks the equation ball by ball.
