How is the result of a limited-overs match decided and recorded?

Winning (Law 16.2): in a one-innings match, the side scoring more runs than the opposing side's completed innings wins.

Limited-overs matches (Laws 13.1.2 and 16.4): when innings are limited to a number of overs, the agreement (in club cricket, the league or competition playing conditions) must also say how the result is decided when neither side wins outright, for example by run rate, Duckworth/Lewis or a tie-break.

Tie (Law 16.5.1): all innings completed and the scores equal. Competitions often add tie-breaks where a winner is needed; for example, the ECB's 2026 20-over playing conditions used fewest wickets lost, then the higher score after 6 overs, 5 overs and so on, then a Super Over.

Stating the result (Law 16.7):

• Side batting last wins without losing all its wickets: won by the number of wickets still to fall (e.g. "won by 4 wickets").
• Side fielding last wins: won by runs.
• Side batting last wins only because of a 5-run penalty after its innings ended: won by Penalty runs.
• One side concedes or refuses to play: Match Conceded or Match Awarded.

Winning hit (Law 16.6): the match ends as soon as the result is reached. If a boundary is scored before the batters have completed enough runs, the whole boundary allowance counts to the total (and to the striker if it was hit by the bat).