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Par Score Calculator
Where a chasing side should be, over by over, to stay on track. A pace check, not a rain rule.
Required run rate
5.02
from ball one
Target
251
Overs
50
Runs per ball
0.84
Par right now
120
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How this was worked out
- 1Rate needed251 / 50.00 = 5.02 runs per over
- 2Par at any point0.8367 x balls faced
Par score by over
| Over | Par score | Still needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 246 |
| 2 | 10 | 241 |
| 3 | 15 | 236 |
| 4 | 20 | 231 |
| 5 | 25 | 226 |
| 6 | 30 | 221 |
| 7 | 35 | 216 |
| 8 | 40 | 211 |
| 9 | 45 | 206 |
| 10 | 50 | 201 |
| 11 | 55 | 196 |
| 12 | 60 | 191 |
| 13 | 65 | 186 |
| 14 | 70 | 181 |
| 15 | 75 | 176 |
| 16 | 80 | 171 |
| 17 | 85 | 166 |
| 18 | 90 | 161 |
| 19 | 95 | 156 |
| 20 | 100 | 151 |
| 21 | 105 | 146 |
| 22 | 110 | 141 |
| 23 | 115 | 136 |
| 24 | 120 | 131 |
| 25 | 126 | 125 |
| 26 | 131 | 120 |
| 27 | 136 | 115 |
| 28 | 141 | 110 |
| 29 | 146 | 105 |
| 30 | 151 | 100 |
| 31 | 156 | 95 |
| 32 | 161 | 90 |
| 33 | 166 | 85 |
| 34 | 171 | 80 |
| 35 | 176 | 75 |
| 36 | 181 | 70 |
| 37 | 186 | 65 |
| 38 | 191 | 60 |
| 39 | 196 | 55 |
| 40 | 201 | 50 |
| 41 | 206 | 45 |
| 42 | 211 | 40 |
| 43 | 216 | 35 |
| 44 | 221 | 30 |
| 45 | 226 | 25 |
| 46 | 231 | 20 |
| 47 | 236 | 15 |
| 48 | 241 | 10 |
| 49 | 246 | 5 |
| 50 | 251 | 0 |
How the number is worked out
The formula
Par after n overs = target x (balls bowled / total balls)- target
- The runs needed to win, which is the opposition total plus one.
- balls bowled
- Legal deliveries faced so far in the chase.
- total balls
- The full allocation for the innings, in balls.
This is a straight line. It assumes an even pace across the innings, which no real chase follows exactly.
A worked example: halfway through a chase
A side is chasing 251 in 50 overs and has reached 120 after 24 overs.
The captain wants to know whether that is ahead or behind.
- 1Runs needed per ball251 / 300 = 0.8367
- 2Balls bowled24 x 6 = 144
- 3Par at this point0.8367 x 144 = 120.5, so par is 120
- 4Compare120 scored against par of 120, exactly level
Exactly on par at the halfway mark. With wickets in hand that is a comfortable position. With two left it is not, which is the limit of what a par line can tell you.
Rules and edge cases
The situations that change the answer, and the ones most calculators get wrong.
This is not the DLS par score
The par score that decides a rain affected match is the DLS one, which values wickets as well as overs and comes from the resource table. This page draws a straight line through the target. If overs have been lost, use the DLS calculator instead, because these two numbers can differ by a great deal.
A straight line is not how chases actually go
Most successful chases sit behind the line through the middle overs and cross it late, because sides bat through the middle and accelerate at the end. Being ten behind par at thirty overs with eight wickets standing is a normal, healthy position rather than a warning.
Wickets are the missing half of the picture
The par line takes no account of wickets at all. Level with par at four down is a different match from level with par at eight down. Read the two together or the number misleads.
The target is the opposition score plus one
Chasing a total of 250, the target is 251, and the par line should be drawn through 251. Using 250 puts the whole line one run low for the entire innings.
Frequently asked questions
The score a chasing side should be on at a given point to be exactly on track for the target at an even pace. It is a way of reading whether a chase is ahead or behind.
For clubs and fans
Follow the chase without doing the arithmetic
Crickslab publishes the chase live, with the required rate, the par comparison and the wickets in hand, so everyone watching sees where the match actually stands.
See match scoringLast reviewed 17 August 2026. Playing conditions change, so if your competition uses a different rule, its regulations take precedence over anything here.