A bye in cricket is a run scored by the batting team when the batsman misses the ball, and it passes the wicketkeeper without making contact with the bat or body. It is considered an extra and added to the team's total score but not credited to the batsman's individual score.
How are Byes Scored?
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If the batsmen successfully run between the wickets after the ball passes the wicketkeeper, the runs are counted as byes.
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If the ball reaches the boundary without contact from the bat or body, it results in four byes.
Key Points about Byes:
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Legitimacy: Byes are valid only if the ball is not a wide or a no-ball.
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Extras: Byes are added to the extras column on the scorecard.
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Scorer's Role: The runs are credited to the team total but not to the batsman.
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Wicketkeeper's Miss: Byes typically occur due to a wicketkeeper's error or a highly unpredictable delivery.
Example of Byes:
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The bowler delivers a legal delivery that the batsman misses. The ball evades the wicketkeeper, and the batsmen take two runs. These are recorded as 2 byes.
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If the ball races to the boundary without touching the bat or body, it results in 4 byes.
Byes vs. Leg Byes:
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Byes: The ball misses the bat and the body.
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Leg Byes: The ball deflects off the batsman's body, excluding the hand holding the bat.
Byes reflect a lapse in the fielding team's performance, especially the wicketkeeper, and can influence the outcome of close matches.