If you are unfamiliar with the game of cricket, you may believe that a cricket match can run for an inordinate amount of time. We’re not going to lie: some types of cricket matches can last far longer than a football match or a rugby match.
What’s nice about cricket is that several formats of the game have evolved over time, each with a varied number of balls delivered per game. This can significantly raise or decrease the entire playing length, making the game more interesting to a wider range of players.
When watching cricket with friends, family, or cricket newbies, we are frequently asked how long a game of cricket lasts.
To finally provide an answer to this topic, we’ve prepared this piece outlining the many formats of professional cricket as well as the length of time each match can last. You’ll know precisely how long you’ll be sitting on the couch the next time you sit down to watch the pros play!
How Long is a Cricket Game?
As we mentioned in the opening, the length of a cricket match varies depending on the format. The following are the various types of cricket matches:
Test Matches — The test match format is used in well-known international cricket series such as The Ashes. The match time in this format is the longest. These matches take place over five days, with each day averaging roughly eight hours of play.
One-Day Internationals (ODIs) — As the name implies, ODIs are one-day matches. Each team has 50 overs to score as many runs as possible in this contest. This format takes about 8 hours to finish on average.
Twenty (T20) – Possibly the most popular and entertaining format, T20 gives each team 20 overs in which to rack up points. These games can take up to 2-3 hours to complete if they go the distance.
T10 – The shortest version of professional cricket is gaining in popularity. A game can last between 1-2 hours if each team is given 10 batting overs.
The Hundred – The Hundred is a brand-new format that gives each team 100 balls. Unfortunately, The Hundred league has yet to begin owing to the ongoing 2020 pandemic. A full game should take roughly 2.5 hours, according to our calculations.
Keep in mind that the figures above are only valid if both teams bat for the entire period of their allotted balls. Matches can be finished faster if a side is somewhat off the boil or if one team is absolutely dominating a game.
The weather is another aspect that could influence the length of a game. Rain can cause games to be postponed for several hours. This, of course, will have a direct impact on the duration of a cricket match, regardless of the format.