Six Balls per Over: The Evolution of a Cricketing Tradition

Every sport has its foundational rules that have been followed for decades, and cricket is no exception. One of the key traditions in cricket is the six-ball over. But have you ever wondered why an over consists of exactly six balls and not more or fewer?

Cricket has been played since the 17th century, and the number of balls per over has evolved. In the early days, the number of balls in an over was not fixed and was often decided by a toss, where the captains would agree on how many balls should be bowled in each over.

By the 18th century, during a game between England and Australia, it became common practice to bowl four balls per over in Test matches. However, as the game evolved, it was clear that four balls per over didn’t give either the batter or the bowler enough time to settle into their rhythm.

In 1920, the length of an over was extended to eight balls, and this rule was followed for a while. But the longer overs started causing problems—bowlers were more prone to injury, fielders became sluggish, and batters began scoring runs more freely.

Finally, in 1979-1980, in the era of Kapil Dev, Sir Viv Richards, and Sunil Gavaskar the standard rule of six balls per over was introduced. This provided the perfect balance between bat and ball, ensuring that both batters and bowlers had a fair chance to settle into their respective roles. Since then, the six-ball over has become the universal standard in cricket.

Although modern innovations like The Hundred have experimented with longer overs—such as a 10-ball over that a captain can choose to use—six balls per over remains the standard rule followed worldwide in most formats of the game.