GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
When does a run in progress count if the umpire calls Dead ball?
For a non-dismissal Dead ball event under the MCC's general rule, completed runs count and a run in progress counts only if the batters had already crossed when the call or incident occurred. The exact instant of the call is the key comparison point.
For Cricket fans checking a mid-run interruption · Updated
Freeze the play when the call takes effect
Law 18.9 credits runs completed before the incident or Dead ball call. It also credits the run in progress if the batters had already crossed at that instant. If they had not crossed, that unfinished run is not added under this general rule.
Keep this separate from a wicket or an exception
This rule is for the ball becoming dead other than at the fall of a wicket. Penalty runs generally stand, subject to the stated exceptions in Laws 23.3 and 28.3; Law 41.5.8 also has a specific provision. This guide does not use those exceptions or a dismissal scenario.
MCC scope, not a match-specific ruling
This explanation follows the MCC Laws in the 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026). No competition-specific Playing Conditions were checked, so check the current conditions for the match you are reviewing.
One call, two possible score totals
Both fictional plays begin at 40, and the batters complete one run to make 41 before starting another. In version A, they have already crossed when the umpire calls Dead ball; the run in progress counts, making 42. In version B, they have not crossed at the instant of the call; only the completed run counts, leaving 41. Neither version includes a dismissal or a stated Law 18.9 exception.
Related questions
Does a Dead ball call erase completed runs?
Not under the general Law 18.9 case. Runs completed before the incident or call are credited, subject to the Law's specific exceptions. The run still in progress has its own crossing test.
Is the crossing test the same as for a Run out?
No. Law 18.9 uses whether the batters had crossed when Dead ball was called to decide whether the in-progress run counts. Law 18.8.2 scores completed runs before the wicket is fairly broken on a Run out; crossing is separately relevant to the surviving batter's end under Law 18.12.