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Image credit: Oman Cricket NEW DELHI: Oman on Monday named a 17-member squad for their maiden Asia Cup appearance, set…

Net run-rate is the common method for differentiating teams level on points in a limited-overs cricket tournament.

It is a formula that measures a team’s average margin of victory, or defeat – a side with several big wins will have a positive net run-rate, while those who have suffered sizeable losses will have a negative one.

To understand net run-rate, you have to first get your head around run-rate.

That’s the average number of runs scored per over by a team in the innings of one match – so, for example, a score of 140 off 20 overs for Team A equals seven runs per over.

Net run-rate is then calculated by subtracting the opposition’s run-rate from the other team’s run-rate.

So if Team B scored 130 off 20 overs, their run-rate would be 6.5 runs per over.

Therefore Team A would emerge from the encounter with a positive net-run rate of 0.500 (7 – 6.5), while Team B would take away one of -0.500 (6.5 – 7).

Once a side has played more than one match in a competition, these figures are calculated cumulatively.

Let’s say Team A scored 160 runs from 20 overs in their next match, then they would have a tournament total of 300 runs, divided by 40 overs – a run-rate of 7.5.

If their second opponents scored 180 runs from 20 overs, we first add that to Team B’s score, making 310 divided by 40 overs – that makes 7.75.

Take 7.75 from 7.5 and Team A end up with a run-rate of -0.25.

Are we done with the calculations now? Well, not quite…

If a team loses and is bowled out early, then we wouldn’t want to divide their score by the overs they played, as that would potentially deliver them a higher run-rate than their opponent.

Therefore if a team is bowled out inside their allotted overs, their run-rate is calculated by dividing their runs by the maximum overs they could have batted.

Got all that?

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On the evening of the first day of the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford, India wicketkeeper and vice-captain Rishabh Pant was forced off the field on the back of a buggy after sustaining an injury to his right foot.

Pant initially retired but returned to bat on day two despite struggling to even walk down the stairs of the Old Trafford pavilion.

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook debated the topic following the incident.

“I don’t like that we’ve got four days left of action [as part of] an incredible series where we’re going to have 10 v 11,” said Vaughan.

“Once they brought in concussion subs, I was crying out saying let’s just bring in substitutes in the first innings of a game. That would be my stepping point.”

Cook added: “I’m not sure I agree, I’m not sure what I think.

“We’ve just Pant walk off, he looks in all kinds of pain and [his foot] is not broken. Nothing on the x-ray is broken, it is just a bruise.

“If it’s a broken foot, it’s different thing but if you just get hit and it’s a bruise, it’s only a bruise. It is discomfort and you can’t hold a bat as well as you would like, but it is just a bruise.”

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team. This question comes from David in Croydon. Thanks, David!

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In Test cricket, play cannot start, is immediately suspended, or cannot restart if the on-field umpires agree the light conditions are “dangerous or unreasonable”.

That wording comes from section 2.8 of the International Cricket Council’s Test match playing conditions, which states the decision on whether lighting is unsafe is solely down to the umpires, following consultation with the ICC match referee.

Umpires are allowed to use light meters, which must be supplied by the ICC, as a guideline to determine whether light is fit for play or is improving or deteriorating. Light meters must be uniformly calibrated.

When natural light has worsened to a level deemed unfit for play, the umpires will authorise the ‘ground authority’ – those responsible for hosting the match – to use any available artificial lighting so play is able to continue in acceptable conditions.

Should artificial lighting at the ground not work, rules on natural lighting and weather will apply.

For day/night Test matches, the home cricket board will decide the latest times at which the floodlights are to be switched on prior to the start of a day’s play, and must inform the match referee.

Once play is suspended, it is the responsibility of the match umpires to continue to monitor conditions.

Thanks to Terry in Hull for the question.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

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What makes a player suited to a particular position? There are numerous factors to consider, including the ball, the pitch, and a player’s mentality.

Top-order batters are among the most proficient in the XI and bat during the trickiest period, namely against the new ball and the frontline bowlers.

The new ball is hard, shiny and has a prominent seam, enabling bowlers to swing it through the air and extract significant bounce and movement off the pitch.

Over time, the ball becomes softer and rougher and the pitch deteriorates, providing grip and movement for spin bowlers. Middle-order batters, therefore, are ideally good players of spin and strong defensively.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan says “in this era” the best batter in the XI bats at number four, external – think Joe Root, Steve Smith or Virat Kohli.

These players, who are expected to act as the backbone of an innings, are comfortable against pace and spin but benefit from protection from the new ball and easier conditions if the top three do their job.

Opening batters also face the physical and mental challenge of getting little rest between bowling and batting innings, and being prepared to bat for long periods of time. All-rounders and wicketkeepers, by contrast, often bat in the middle order to ensure extra recovery time between innings.

However, arguably the most challenging position from a mental perspective – and where the likes of Don Bradman and Viv Richards scored the bulk of their runs – is number three.

Listing the attributes of a number three, external, Vaughan said they are a “pillar of calm and control” who can “soak up pressure and put it back on the bowler”.

Former Australia international Ian Chappell says “if you aren’t mentally attuned to going in early then number three is not the spot for you”.

These players may be called upon in the first over if an opener is dismissed early or have to wait all day if a partnership builds.

Alluding to the mental challenge of batting at three, Root has previously stated that one of the reasons he dropped back down to number four during his time as Test captain was the extra time it gave him to switch his focus from captaincy to batting between innings.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

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