gspm: Most of those underhanded tactics occur in one-day matches, where a team's innings is ended either by losing all ten wickets or by the completion of 50 overs (300 balls). In a Test, on the other hand, you have to get the other side out. A tie does indeed only result when the scores are equal, and has happened only twice in the 1,759 Tests played to date--involving Australia both times, the first at home against the West Indies in December 1960, the second in India in Spetember 1986. (A draw, on the other hand, occurs when no result can be obtained in five days, and has occurred 629 times, v. 1,128 decisive results). Ties are (logically enough) most common on one-day internationals, having occurred 21 times in the 2,267 played to date. (Two others would have been tied under current rules, but for a tie-breaking rule no longer in force.) The most recent was between England and Australia during the warm-ups to the Ashes.
What do you mean by "when no result can be obtained in five days," that either one or both sides have not gone out?
that's it bill. normally when a test fails to finish in time, it's normally due to rain, or obstructive batting practises, or both.
Wow, that is so not American style! Look at the NHL, the last place in top tier American sports with ties and despite the traditionalists' howling even they're dumping them this year. To just let a game/match/test dribble out, wow. Cool though.
