How Long is a Cricket Game for ODI, T20I, and Test?

Last updated on January 3rd, 2023 at 02:25 pm

Cricket is a popular sport in countries like India, Australia, and England, where matches can last a few hours or even several days to complete. Cricket is a game with multiple different formats, which adds to the excitement of the sport for spectators. Each format has slightly different rules and takes differing lengths to complete, which is why some games take a few hours while other formats take days. The current forms of cricket include; test matches, one-day International matches, and Twenty20 matches.

So, how long is a typical cricket inning? How long is a cricket game per day, and how long is an average game of cricket? What ends a cricket match, and what is the longest cricket game ever? Finally, how long is a cricket match during the World Cup?

Here is a guide on how long a cricket game takes to complete and more.

Table of Contents

How Long is a Cricket Inning?

An inning in cricket refers to the point of a match where one team bowls and fields, and the other team bats. The length of an inning in cricket is determined by the match format taking place. For example, test matches in cricket have no defined length and can last multiple days at a time. Innings for test matches end when ten batsmen are retired or if the captain of the batting team declares the inning over.

One-Day International matches, or ODIs, can last up to 50 overs. Usually, ODI innings should last 3.5 hours or less.

On the other hand, Twenty20 International matches, or T20Is, can last up to 20 overs. Each inning generally lasts around 1 hour and 20 minutes.

How long is a Cricket Game Per Day?

Test matches in cricket are slated to last five days in total. On each day, the teams will usually play for approximately 8 hours.

ODIs follow the 50-run overrule for two innings, with breaks between each inning. As such, an ideal ODI match should last about 7 hours and 45 minutes in total.

T20I matches also last for two innings but only have a 20-run over. This means that Twenty20 matches should generally only last about 3 hours.

How Long is an Average Game of Cricket?

Unlike test cricket, which takes place over five days with intermittent breaks, most matches are based on a run-over total and wickets. For non-test types of cricket, most games will last around 6 hours on average. However, there are times when games can take less or more time, depending on the style of play between both teams.

What Ends a Cricket Match?

The game can end in two different ways for both ODI and T20I matches. First is if the designated time set up per inning runs out. The second way these games can end is if 20 overs have been bowled.

With test matches, the rules are similar, but there is no run limit on innings. To win a test match, the batsmen of the team batting second must score more runs than the bowling team without losing all of their wickets. Conversely, the bowler and second fielding team in an inning can win if they have completed at least two innings and record all of their wickets while still having more runs than the batting team.

What is the Longest Cricket Game Ever?

Before the rule changes, there was no time limit on test matches. These games had the title “timeless tests” before the rule change. In 1939 a “timeless test” match took place between England and South Africa that took 12 days to complete, with three days seeing no cricket play because of rest and rain. Unbelievably, after 12 days, the match went into a draw because the team from England had to ensure they didn’t miss the ship to bring them back home.

How Long is a Cricket Match in the World Cup?

The current Cricket World Cup occurs in the T20I match format. This T20I format means each game has two innings with a 20-run limit overs per inning. Each bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of 4 overs during the world cup. As such, each match occurs in one day and should last approximately 3.5 hours.

How Long is a Test Match Cricket Game?

Test match cricket games have five days to be played within. Unlike with ODI and T20I matches, there is no run limit per inning. The no run limit means that teams can score as many runs as possible, and the inning will only end when the bowler and fielders can retire ten batsmen.

How Long Do One-Day International (ODI) Matches Last?

One-day International matches last two innings in total and have a run limit of 50 per inning. The inning ends when the fielders can record all ten required wickets or if the run limit is reached. ODI matches generally have around 7-8 hours of cricket play.

How Long Do Twenty20 International (T20I) Matches Last?

T20 matches only have one day’s play to complete an entire game. This type of one-day cricket consists of two innings. Teams can score up to 20 runs in the first and second inning. These are the shortest cricket matches and generally only play for around 3.5 hours.

Conclusion: How Long is a Cricket Match?

In conclusion, cricket is a highly popular international sport with a few different forms, leading to varying amounts of time to complete. Test matches take place over five days and have no set run limit per inning. Historically, there was no time limit on test matches. Since there was no time limit on these matches, one game took over 12 days to conclude in 1939.

ODI matches and T20I matches have a conclusion after one day. ODI matches last two innings and has a 50-run-over limit per inning. T20I matches also last two innings but have a run-over of 20 per inning. ODI matches last around 7.5 hours, and T20 matches last approximately 3.5 hours.

In the case of both types, the match ends when either the team batting second in the second inning scores more total runs than the fielding team or the second fielding team retires ten batters while still having more runs.

How Long is a Cricket Game?