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A century is an individual batter’s score of at least 100 runs in an innings; a half-century is at least 50. The terms describe personal scoring milestones, not the batting team’s total or a particular match format.
What counts as a century or a half-century?
| Milestone | Individual score needed | Common name |
|---|---|---|
| Half-century | 50 or more runs | Fifty |
| Century | 100 or more runs | Hundred or ton |
The milestone is reached at the threshold: 50 is a half-century, and 100 is a century. A score of 99 is not a century; 101 is. A batter who keeps scoring after reaching 50 can go on to reach 100, passing first milestone and then the second. ICC coverage uses these terms for the 50- and 100-run marks: The Cricket World Cup in 100s.
Whose runs count?
It is the individual batter’s runs that determine the milestone—not the team’s combined score. A team can pass 100 without any batter scoring a century. Under the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Playing Conditions, runs may come from completed running, boundaries or awarded penalties, but scoring rules distinguish runs credited to the striker from extras and penalties. See clause 18 of the Playing Conditions for those scoring mechanics.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesDo boundaries count toward a batter’s milestone?
Yes. Runs credited to the batter from boundaries count toward their personal total, as do runs completed while running between the wickets. Extras and penalty runs are recorded separately where the scoring rules require it, so they do not automatically add to a batter’s score.
Does the number of balls faced change the definition?
No. Balls faced indicate how quickly a batter scored; they do not change the 50- or 100-run thresholds. For example, the ICC reported that Kevin O’Brien crossed 100 after 50 balls during the 2011 Men’s Cricket World Cup. That is an example of a fast century, not a different kind of milestone: ICC’s account of the innings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are these formal playing conditions?
Century and half-century are conventional names for individual batting milestones. Playing conditions govern how runs are scored and credited; the terms identify when a batter’s innings total reaches 100 or 50. The ICC’s Playing Conditions index listed format-specific editions as of October 4, 2026. The ICC said on October 1, 2026 that revisions apply to international series starting on or after that date, while series already under way continue under the previous regulations. These changes do not alter the ordinary meaning of the two milestones; for a specific match, consult the competition’s applicable conditions.
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