A reserve day in cricket is a standby date for a match to take place in case the original date of the match is affected by rain or other unforeseen circumstances. Reserve days are typically used in knockout matches, such as semi-finals and finals, where a team has to advance or a game must have a winner. The primary purpose of a reserve day is to ensure that the match can be completed by making up for the lost time due to rain or other interruptions.
Here are some key points about reserve days in cricket:
- Reserve days are activated only if the minimum number of overs scheduled to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day.
- In ICC tournaments, a match will be moved to the reserve day if at least 10 overs per side are not feasible on the original match day.
- The decision to use a reserve day is made by the match officials and the tournament organizers, taking into account the weather conditions and the feasibility of completing the match.
- If a match is moved to the reserve day, the playing conditions and the number of overs may be adjusted to ensure a result is possible within the available time.
- In some cases, a reduced-overs game may be given priority over the reserve day, depending on the tournament rules and the importance of the match.
