We've had enough

Spectators swarm over the pitch causing the ODI between England and Pakistan at Leeds in June 2001 to be forfeited by Alec Stewart © Getty Images

When Pakistan effectively conceded the fourth Test at The Oval, it was the first such instance in Test cricket but was far from being the first in a first-class or List A game.

While concessions are uncommon these days, until fairly recently they happened far more frequently. Most took place in India and Pakistan, where the rules of the first-class domestic competitions were such that sides faced with playing on despite them having no chance of victory often threw in the towel.

That they were in such a position was largely down to the competition rules which more often that not gave victory to sides who had taken a first-innings lead in a drawn game. That led to team's raking up massive totals, often taking half the playing time to do so. That meant that a draw was the only feasible outcome, and so it all came down to who led first time round. In England in the first part of the 19th century, it was also accepted practice that sides could forfeit matches if they had no chance of winning. The poor pitches prevalent in that era (a situation which only really changed with the invention of mechanised mowing machines) meant that scores were usually low and most matches were completed well within the playing time anyhow.

Here is a full list of matches which have been awarded to one side after failing to be played to a conclusion. Some have been conceded, while a few others have fallen victim to crowd trouble and other assorted reasons. The list is courtesy of the ACS.

England v Pakistan, 4th Test, The Oval, 2006
England awarded the match after Pakistan refused to resume after tea on the fourth day. The Pakistan side were protesting at the decision of the umpires to change the ball and penalise them five runs after deciding they had allegedly changed its condition in violation of the ICC's Code of Conduct.

Faisalabad v Karachi Blues, Faisalabad, 2004-05
Faisalabad awarded the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match when Karachi Blues refused to play claiming saying the pitch was too dangerous. Following a PCB investigation, Rashid Latif, the captain of the Karachi Blues, was banned for six months for his action.

England v Pakistan, Leeds, 2001
Alec Stewart, England's captain, conceded the match when a pitch invasion by celebrating Pakistan supporters led to players fleeing the field with their side on the verge of victory. A steward, attempting to protest the stumps, was attacked and hospitalised.

New Zealand A v Pakistan A, Hamilton, 1998-99
The unofficial Test was awarded to New Zealand A when Pakistan A refused to resume play on the final day after the pitch had been vandalised overnight. According to eyewitnesses the damage was minor and the umpires decided the game could proceed, but the Pakistan management subsequently argued they had not had enough time to assess their options.

India v Sri Lanka, Calcutta, 1995-96
India's day of shame came in front of 100,000 and millions across the world when Clive Lloyd, the ICC match referee, awarded the World Cup semi-final to Sri Lanka when the crowd started pelting the fielders with bottles and fruit in frustration at India's poor display (they slid to 120 for 8 in pursuit of 251). Sri Lanka's players took refuge in the middle of the ground, and while police tried to re-establish control, fires were started in the stands

Karachi Blues v Lahore City, Karachi, 1995-96
Lahore conceded the match alleging that the Karachi Blues players had changed the ball during a break in play. Another investigation led to the PCB wiping out the points Karachi earned for the "win".

Moors Sports Club v Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, 1992-93
Moors conceded this group match in the Saravanamuttu Trophy at lunch on the last day as SSC already had enough points to qualify for the final of the competition

Western Province North v Western Province South, Colombo, 1992
Arjuna Ranatunga declared his first innings at 90 for 2 and then immediately did the same to his second innings, conceded the match as he considered the pitch too dangerous for the safety of his players.

Nottinghamshire v Lincolnshire, Nottingham, 1991
Lincolnshire were on the verge of defeat in this NatWest Trophy match when rain stopped play. Under the rules of the competition, the game should have been concluded on the second (reserve) day, but Lincolnshire conceded rather than complete the formalities as a number of their players had to return to work.

Bahawalpur v Sargodha, Bahawalpur, 1990-91
Bahawalpur were awarded the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match when Sargodha refused to continue after an umpiring dispute on the first day.

Habib Bank v National Bank, Lahore, 1987-88
National Bank conceded the Patron's Trophy match before the last day as they had no chance of winning and even a draw would have been enough for Habib Bank to progress to the semi-finals.

Karachi Whites v Quetta, Karachi, 1986/87
Quetta conceded.

Muslim Commercial Bank v National Bank Karachi, 1982-83
MCB refused to resume after crowd trouble on the second day and officials awarded National Bank the match.

National Bank v United Bank, Lahore, 1980-81
United Bank conceded in protest as they felt the pitch, which had been rained on, was unfit.

Lahore City v Muslim Commercial Bank, Lahore, 1980/81
MCB once again conceded a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match, this time because they claimed to have so many injuries that they did not have enough players to field. The match, which was in its third day, was evenly poised at the time.

Muslim Commercial Bank v Pakistan International Airlines, Karachi, 1980-81
The MCB again, and this time they refused to play despite the umpires ruling that conditions were acceptable. PIA were awarded the game.

National Bank v Pakistan International Airlines, Karachi, 1978-79
PIA conceded this Patron's Trophy match on the third day after sustaining a 270-run first-innings deficit.

Pakistan v India, Sahiwal, 1978-79
Bishan Bedi took his players off as a protest against the umpires who he felt were allowing too much short-pitched bowling which he felt should have been deemed wides. Three years earlier, Bedi had declared a Test innings with only five wickets down for the same reason.

Muslim Commercial Bank v Karachi B, Karachi, 1977-78
Karachi B threw in the towel on the third day of this Patron's Trophy match after shipping a 240-run first-innings.

Pakistan International Airlines v Servis Industries, Karachi, 1976-77
Once again, Servis Industries called time on the third day of four when in a hopeless position.

South Australia v New South Wales, Adelaide, 1975-76
The most recent case in Australia and one of the most confusing. The official scorecard suggests SA won by 15 runs but there were also two balls left to be bowled, so it was assumed that NSW surrendered in the face of the inevitable.

Multan v Income Tax, Multan, 1975-76
A strange case of giving up when there was something to play for as Income Tax conceded the Patron's Trophy clash when Multan were 98 for 3 chasing 124.

Peshawar v Commerce Bank, Peshawar, 1974-75
Peshawar were awarded the Patron's Trophy match when Commerce Bank walked out in protest over an umpiring decision.

South Trinidad v North Trinidad, Port-of-Spain, 1972-73
The most recent case in the Caribbean. North Trinidad conceded the Texaco Cup game when they declared their second innings after two balls when set a target of 231 in an hour. A draw would have been enough for South Trinidad to qualify for the final anyhow.

Karachi Blues v Pakistan Universities, Karachi, 1972-73
Universities conceded on the last day after Karachi had taken a first-innings lead - and were still batting with two wickets down - and so would qualify for the final.

Rawalpindi v Peshawar, Rawalpindi, 1970-71
Rawalpindi were awarded the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match when Peshawar refused to continue in protest against an umpiring decision.

Quetta v Hyderabad Blues, Quetta, 1969-70
Quetta were awarded the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match when Hyderabad Blues refused to resume amid accusations of umpiring bias in favour of the home side.

Lahore v Pakistan Railways, Lahore, 1966-67
Lahore conceded after claiming that the umpires' failure to start play on the last day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy game had put them in a disadvantageous position. Although they had a first-innings deficit of 66, Railways were 57 for 4 overnight in their second innings.

Pakistan Railways v Karachi B, Karachi, 1962-63
Railways conceded the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match at the end of their 1st innings after Karachi B had taken a lead which ensured they would win the group stage.

Saurashtra v Baroda, Rajkot, 1959-60
Saurashtra conceded the Ranji Trophy match following the death of KS Duleepsinhji earlier in the day. Some of their players were reportedly related to him.

Services v Bengal, Delhi, 1957-58
Bengal conceded their Ranji Trophy match after conceding a first-innings lead with a day to go.

Rajasthan v Baroda, Udaipur, 1957-58
Rajasthan conceded the Ranji Trophy clash for the reasons above.

Baroda v Bombay, Solapur, 1957-58
Bombay conceded the match when Baroda declared their second innings leading by 418 - for some reason BCCI only awarded points as for a first innings win.

Prior to 1957-58 when zonal leagues were introduced in the Ranji Trophy after a spate of concessions, all matches were played on a knockout basis and in the case of a draw, the side which led on the first innings progressed into the next round. Only the final was played to a conclusion. In the following instances, a side conceded after being behind on the first-innings and with no chance of forcing a win.

Uttar Pradesh v Rajasthan 1956-57 Rajasthan conceded
Delhi v Bombay 1955-56 Delhi conceded
Gujarat v Bombat 1955-56 Gujarat conceded
Rajputana v Uttar Pradesh 1955-56 Rajputana conceded
Bombay v Baroda 1955-56 Baroda conceded
Holkar v Baroda 1954-55 Holkar conceded
Baroda v Maharashtra 1954-55 Maharashtra conceded
Baroda v Bombay 1954-55 Bombay conceded
Gujarat v Baroda 1954-55 Gujarat conceded
Maharashtra v Kathiawar 1948-49 Kathiawar conceded. BB Nimbalkar was 443* at tea on the final day when Kathiawar's players packed up during the interval and left for the railway station. Nimbalkar was nine runs short of Don Bradman's then world-record innings of 452, while Maharashtra were 855 for 5, within sight of the tournament of 912
Southern Punjab v Northern India 1945-46 Northern India conceded
Baroda v Gujarat 1941-42 Gujarat conceded
Bombay v Western India 1935-36 Western India conceded
Hyderabad v Retrievers 1934-35 Hyderabad conceded (Moin-ud-Dowlah Tournament)

It was far from uncommon for matches in the first half of the 19th century to be conceded when it was obvious that a side had no chance of winning. In an era of low-scoring games, most were played successfully to a finish at the time.

MCC v Cambridge University 1859 Cambridge University conceded
Cambridge University v Cambridge Town 1858 Cambridge Town conceded
Gentlemen of Southwell v England 1846 Gentlemen of Southwell conceded as they were 39 for 6 in their second innings after being 141 in arrears in the first
MCC v Sussex 1846 MCC conceded as they were 49 for 8 chasing 288
Petworth v Hampshire 1845 Hampshire conceded
Yorkshire v Sussex 1835 Sussex conceded
Yorkshire v Norfolk 1834 Norfolk conceded at a rain break as they decided they had no chance of winning, with three wickets left and 224 needed. "'It was given up in favour of Sheffield and the stakes handed over as the three players to go in were some of the worst bats of their party," reported a contemporary newspaper. "They had no chance of winning."
Cambridge Town v Cambridge University 1831 University conceded as Town needed 24 runs with all second-innings wickets in hand
MCC v Gentlemen of Kent 1830 MCC conceded
Gentlemen v Players 1821 Gentlemen conceded
Cambridge Town v Cambridge University 1820 University conceded when several of their players left town when rain halted play
MCC v England 1804 England conceded
Lord F Beauclerk's XI v W Barton's XI 1802 - Barton's XI conceded