Dead ball in cricket: does the delivery count?
Why dead ball does not always mean a replacement delivery or erased runs.
Dead describes the end of play
MCC Law 20 includes a ball becoming dead after a boundary, a dismissal or when finally settled in the wicketkeeper's or bowler's hands. It does not always mean an unusual incident or a delivery that must be repeated.
The ball comes into play again when the bowler starts the run-up or, without a run-up, begins the bowling action. Once a delivery is dead, revoking a decision cannot make that same delivery live again.
Counting depends on the circumstances
The Law distinguishes whether the striker had an opportunity to play. It also lists exceptions, including specified distractions and other offences. A dead-ball label alone does not settle whether the over count advances.
A hypothetical ordinary boundary ends that passage of play but does not erase the boundary or automatically require a replacement ball. A distraction before a genuine opportunity can involve a different counting outcome.
Separate the signal from the score
No-ball and wide calls have their own consequences for counting. Do not apply one shortcut to every dead-ball event. Over and time should not be called until the ball is dead under the relevant provisions.
On ScoreZaap, read the score, valid-ball count and event label together. An over display staying unchanged can be correct in one case and inappropriate in another. The guide explains the distinction without ruling on a named delivery from incomplete commentary.