Why Does Australia Show Wickets Before Runs on Cricket Scorecards?

Why Australia Displays Cricket Scores as 3-100 Instead of 100-3 — Ned Gregory’s SCG Scoreboard Tradition

Australia's Scoreboard rules (Image Source: Google)

While watching the broadcast of the Ashes Tests from Australia did you notice that cricket scores are exhibited in a different way. For example, a score of 100 runs for the loss of 3 wickets is generally written as 100-3 in most of the cricket playing countries but in Australia it shall be shown as 3-100, i.e. the wickets displayed first, instead of the runs. Why do they do so or why are they following this tradition of writing scores in reverse order?

The man responsible for this Australian tradition of writing scores in the other way is former Australian cricketer Ned Gregory. He was an excellent player but remained ‘one Test wonder’ after having played in the first ever Test in Melbourne in March 1877. He scored 11 runs in two innings.

The Gregorys are probably the most famous family in Australian cricket. This started with David William Gregory and his two brothers Edward James (Ned) and Charles Smith joined him. David was the captain of the Australia side that defeated J. Lillywhite's English team in the first Test match, played in March 1877. Ned was also on the side. Australia batted first. Ned was out without scoring and holds the record of the first ever batsman dismissed for a duck in Test cricket.

Their two other brothers played for NSW, two of Ned’s sons played for NSW (one being the Test cricketer Syd Gregory) and his nephew Jack Gregory also represented Australia.

Ned later on became a caretaker of the Military and Civil Ground and then moved to be the first curator of the Association Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. At SCG, in 1896, he designed and constructed the first mechanically adjustable scoreboard on the Hill.

While working on this new scoreboard, he expressed his dislike for the original English scoreboard design and was of the view that it was not providing ample inside the ground information to the spectators. He took the task of re-designing the huge scoreboard, giving a variety of the information on the match. It was so big that it was beyond one the capacity of one operator to make the changes.

This redesigned scoreboard changed the way of showing the score i.e. the sequence of writing wickets and runs while exhibiting total match score. This was exactly opposite of the tradition being followed in England and later on adopted by other cricket playing countries.

Since the new scoreboard was providing vital information, the changes Gregory made were accepted. Once this Sydney way of showing the score was accepted, other grounds around Australia also changed their scoreboards. The broadcasters and commentators also joined them and very soon this was accepted as the Australian way of showing the match score. The format has been the same since then.

Gregory's Scoreboard at the SCG, was in use from 1896 until 1905. Another scoreboard was used from 1905 to 1924. The third scoreboard in the SCG's history was built in 1923 and was in use until 1983. During all these replacements of the scoreboard at the SCG, the same layout was retained i.e. wickets first, runs second. A single man’s idea changed the tradition of showing the score.

On the issue of famous scoreboards at the SCG, it may be added that the last manually operated scoreboard was in use until 1983. This scoreboard, designed by Robertson and Marks and built in 1923, stood for 60 years at the top of the Hill at the ground's eastern end.

Thereafter it was replaced by an electronic scoreboard. The old scoreboard in the meantime had earned the status of an historic and heritage item. That’s why it was not dismantled but removed and kept behind the Doug Walters Stand until 2006, with just the top of it visible.

The late cricketer and broadcaster Bill O'Reilly lamented its passing. "How sad," he would say, "that such a great structure which had borne the names of so many greats of the game, from Bradman to Benaud to Border, was now hidden behind the Doug Walters stand, ignored and forgotten." The SCG heritage office also admitted that the Robertson and Marks scoreboard is 'ultra significant' in the history of the ground. Even when it wasn't in use, it played a role. It has been a silent witness to many modern-day events here since 1983.

It was decided to dismantle it in 2006 under the supervision of the SCG Trust and moved to a warehouse in Surry Hills before being shifted again to Western Sydney. It was one of the most recognisable features of the ground.