Cricket Follow-On Calculator — ICC Follow-On Rule
Enter both teams' first-innings totals and the match duration to instantly see whether the follow-on threshold is met, the runs deficit, and the score Team B needed to avoid being asked to bat again.
Match duration
runs
runs
The lead of 240 runs meets the 200-run threshold — Team A may ask Team B to bat again.
- 1
Follow-on threshold for match duration
200 runs required = 200ICC Playing Conditions: 200-run lead required in this match format. - 2
Lead: Team A − Team B
450 − 210 = 240
How does this calculator work?
A cricket follow-on is enforced when Team A leads by ≥ 200 runs (5-day Test), ≥ 150 (3/4-day), ≥ 100 (2-day), or ≥ 75 (1-day match). Enter both first-innings totals to see if the threshold is met and by how much Team B fell short. Decision to enforce remains with the leading team's captain.
Formula
How this is calculated
In cricket, the follow-on is a rule that allows the team batting first (Team A) to compel the opposing team (Team B) to bat again immediately after their first innings, without Team A batting a second time, if Team B's first-innings total falls sufficiently short. The minimum lead required depends on the scheduled length of the match, as set by the ICC Playing Conditions: 200 runs in a 5-day Test, 150 runs in a 3- or 4-day match, 100 runs in a 2-day match, and 75 runs in a 1-day match.
The strategic decision to enforce the follow-on is at the discretion of Team A's captain — having the right does not obligate them to exercise it. In modern Test cricket, captains sometimes decline to enforce it if their own bowlers are tired or if pitch and weather conditions favour batting rather than bowling, preferring to bat again and set a target instead.
This calculator uses the ICC thresholds as of 2024 (which have been stable for many years) and shows the exact lead, whether the threshold is met, and how many more runs Team B would have needed to avoid the rule being triggered. It does not account for the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method or reduced-overs scenarios in weather-interrupted matches.
Frequently asked questions
No — once the captain of the side batting first declares they are enforcing the follow-on, the opposing team must bat again. The decision belongs entirely to the first-innings leader; they can choose not to enforce it, but the trailing team has no say.
Tired bowlers, pitch conditions improving for batting, or a desire to set a specific declaration target are common reasons. In modern Test cricket, several top teams have won matches by choosing to bat again and then bowling out the opposition with fresh legs.
No — the follow-on applies only in multi-innings (red-ball) formats such as Tests and first-class matches. Limited-overs formats (ODIs, T20s) are single-innings-per-team by design and do not have the follow-on rule.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Cricket Follow-On Calculator — ICC Follow-On Rule [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cricket-follow-on-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Cricket Follow-On Calculator — ICC Follow-On Rule." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cricket-follow-on-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Cricket Follow-On Calculator — ICC Follow-On Rule," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cricket-follow-on-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_cricket_follow_on_calculator, title = {Cricket Follow-On Calculator — ICC Follow-On Rule}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cricket-follow-on-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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