In Test and first-class cricket, a team trails when it has scored fewer runs than its opponent at that point of the match. “India trail by 120” means India are 120 runs behind. The word is the opposite of lead: if India trail by 120, the other side leads by 120.
You will see the word most in the first three innings of a multi-day match, on scorecards, in commentary and in close-of-play reports. In the fourth innings the language changes to a target, because the side batting last knows exactly how many runs it needs.
How the trail is calculated
The trail is simple subtraction, done on the runs each side has scored so far in the match, not just in the current innings.
- After the first innings: Team A make 400. Team B are 250 for 6 in reply. Team B trail by 150.
- After both first innings: Team B are all out for 300. They trail by 100 on first innings, which is also called a first-innings deficit of 100. Team A have a first-innings lead of 100.
- In the third innings: Team A bat again and make 200. Their overall lead is now 100 + 200 = 300, so Team B need 301 to win.
- If Team B are made to bat again straight away (the follow-on): their second-innings runs are counted against the deficit. Until they have scored more than the deficit, they still trail, and if they are bowled out before that, they lose by an innings.
Trail, lead and target: the three words side by side
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Trail | Runs a side is behind | “England trail by 92” |
| Lead | Runs a side is ahead | “Australia lead by 92” |
| Deficit | Another word for the trail, used mostly for the gap after both first innings | “a first-innings deficit of 226” |
| Target | Runs the side batting last needs to win (the lead plus one) | “set 258 to win” |
When a big trail brings the follow-on
A large first-innings trail has a direct consequence under Law 14 of the Laws of Cricket. If the side that batted first leads by enough, its captain may make the other side bat again immediately, which is called enforcing the follow-on. The minimum lead depends on the length of the match:
| Scheduled length | Lead needed to enforce the follow-on |
|---|---|
| 5 days or more (all Tests) | 200 runs |
| 3 or 4 days (most first-class matches, including Ranji Trophy league games) | 150 runs |
| 2 days | 100 runs |
| 1 day | 75 runs |
It is an option, not an obligation. The captain decides, tells the opposing captain and the umpires, and cannot change the decision once it has been announced. If no play happens on the first day, the Laws set the threshold by the number of days left once play starts, so a five-day match that loses its whole first day is treated as a four-day match. The full rules, and how often captains actually enforce it, are in our follow-on explainer.
Teams that trailed by 200-plus and still won
Trailing by 200 or more on first innings usually means defeat or, at best, a draw. In more than 140 years of Test cricket, a side that followed on has won only four times:
| Year | Match | First-innings scores | Trail | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | Australia v England, Sydney | 586 v 325 | 261 | England won by 10 runs |
| 1981 | England v Australia, Headingley | 401/9 dec v 174 | 227 | England won by 18 runs |
| 2001 | India v Australia, Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 445 v 171 | 274 | India won by 171 runs |
| 2023 | New Zealand v England, Wellington | 435/8 dec v 209 | 226 | New Zealand won by 1 run |
Kolkata 2001 is the one Indian fans know best. India trailed by 274 after Australia’s 445, followed on and then made 657 for 7 declared, built on VVS Laxman’s 281 and Rahul Dravid’s 180. That turned a 274-run deficit into a 383-run lead. Harbhajan Singh, who had taken a hat-trick in the first innings, bowled Australia out for 212 on the final day. It is still the biggest winning margin by a side that followed on.
Trail meaning in cricket: FAQs
What does “trail by” mean in cricket?
It is the number of runs a side is behind its opponent at that moment in a multi-day match. “Sri Lanka trail by 80” means they need 80 more runs just to draw level.
Is trail the opposite of lead?
Yes. The two numbers are always the same: if one side trails by 80, the other leads by 80.
Is “trail” used in ODIs and T20s?
Rarely. In one-innings matches, commentators talk about the target and the required run rate instead. Trail and lead belong to two-innings cricket: Tests, first-class and some youth matches.
How much does a team need to trail by for the follow-on?
At least 200 runs in a Test (five days or more) and 150 in a three- or four-day match, under Law 14. Even then, the leading captain chooses whether to enforce it.
For the rest of the format’s basics, see our guides to Test cricket rules, the lunch interval and the tea break.
Photo credit: Alamy