Cricket Test Matches

Cricket test matches are the longest form of the sport of cricket and are considered by players and serious cricket fans. Playing an ultimate test match as compared to the one day international cricket is much more challenging and difficult. Test matches are played between national representative teams selected from the best players within a particular nation.

Code of Conduct for Cricket Test Match

Cricket test match is played over a span of five days with three sessions of two hours interspersed with a 40-minute break for lunch and 20-minute break for afternoon tea everyday. The team who wins the toss of the coin selects whether to bat or bowl first, and bats either until each batter is dismissed or they choose to stop batting, called a "declaration". There is no limit to how long they can bat provided there remain at least two batsman who have not been dismissed. After this the teams change roles, and the other team

does the batting. If the other team is dismissed with a score 200 runs or more behind the first team, then the first team has the choice whether to make the other team bat again for their "second innings" or bat itself to gain a bigger lead.

If the follow-on is enforced, then the first team bats until it is dismissed or declares. If this team’s total score from both its innings is less than the other team, then it wins the game. If this is not the case then the other team must bat in its second innings to attempt to score more than the first team. If it is dismissed before this occurs, then the first team wins the game. If time runs out before either of the above occurs, the game is called a draw.

If the follow-on is not enforced or the other team’s score is sufficiently large so that the follow-on cannot be enforced, once this team is dismissed or declares, then the first team bats again until it is dismissed or declares, or time runs out. If the score of the first team is less for its two innings as compared to the other team score from its innings, then the other team is the winner. Otherwise the other team will bat again. If their total score gets to more than the first team’s total, they win the match. If they are dismissed before reaching first team’s total, then first team wins the match. If neither occurs before the scheduled end of the match, it is a draw.

At the end if both teams end up being dismissed twice with the same combined totals, the game
is a tie.

History of Test Cricket

The first Official Laws of Cricket were implemented in February 1774 when a group of gentlemen and nobles met at the Star and Garter in Pall Mall to formally lay down a set of Laws that would be followed by every cricketer, team and official in England.

The first test match was played between England and Australia in 1877, with the creation of the famous "Ashes" trophy in 1882 after Australia easily beat the Marylebone Cricket Club team.

The maximum individual test innings was completed on 13 April 2004, when Brian Lara of the West Indies scored 400 not out against England in Antigua, exceeding the previous record of 380 runs made by Matthew Hayden from Australia in a match against Zimbabwe in October 2003.