In cricket, the number of batters who fall short is not automatically the number of runs removed. The key question is whether both batters were short during the same running attempt. Under the stated ordinary conditions—no boundary, penalty runs or deliberate short running—the score can therefore be one run rather than zero or two.
How the same run is counted
If both batters fail to make their ground during one run, that attempt is treated as one short run. Two people being short do not create two deductions. Law 18.4.3 addresses both batters being short on the same run.
Fictional worked example
Hypothetical example: A batter plays a legal shot and the pair try to complete two runs. On the first journey, both turn before reaching the opposite creases and are short. They then complete the second journey fully. The first attempt is one short run, while the following completed run remains a run. Calculation: two attempted runs minus one short run equals one run scored.
The result is therefore one run, not zero and not two. The second journey is not cancelled merely because both batters were short on the first journey. Law 18.3.2 supports this distinction by treating a following run as separate when it is completed.
Why separate journeys matter
Now change the facts. The batters try two runs, and one batter is short on the first journey. They turn again, and one batter is short on the second journey too. These are two separate incomplete runs, so the result is zero runs from those two attempts. Calculation: two short runs equals two runs disallowed.
Thus, the count is based on incomplete running journeys, not on the number of batters involved. The outcome can differ if the incident includes deliberate short running, a boundary, penalty runs or competition-specific playing conditions. For the core rule and its related provision, see MCC Laws: Scoring Runs.
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