Why 19.5 overs is not a decimal
Convert overs into valid balls and avoid common mistakes when reading a cricket chase.
The dot counts balls
Cricket overs are written as completed overs plus valid balls in the next over. After 19.4 comes 19.5, then 20.0 after the next valid ball. In a hypothetical 20-over innings, 19.5 leaves one valid ball, not half an over.
Multiply completed overs by six and add the last digit. At 12.3, that is 12 times six plus three: 75 valid balls. For arithmetic expressed in decimal overs, divide 75 by six. That gives 12.5, not 12.3.
Work in balls during a chase
Suppose an innings is at 17.4 of a 20-over allocation. It has used 106 valid balls out of 120, leaving 14. Thinking in balls is more precise than casually describing that as about two overs.
Use the current allocation, not just the match's original format. After a weather interruption, the target and available overs may be revised. A calculation based on the original allocation can give a convincing but incorrect answer.
Why a number can stand still
Wides and no-balls do not count as one of an over's six valid balls. Runs can therefore increase without the overs display advancing. Other situations described in the Laws can also affect whether a delivery counts.
Read the event label beside the number. Two events under the same over-and-ball notation are not necessarily duplicates: one may be an extra before the next valid delivery. On ScoreZaap, read overs together with innings status and the target. A stationary count can mean an interruption rather than a finished innings.