Test Cricket

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of Cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Local authority or council (ICC). The two teams of 11 players play a four-innings match, which often lasts up to five days. It is generally considered the most complete examination of team's playing ability and endurance. The origin of the name Test stems from the long, gruelling match being a "test" of the relative strength of the two sides.

The first officially realised Test match began on 15 03 1877, between The united kingdom and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where Australia won by 45 runs. A Test match to celebrate 100 years of Test cricket occured in Melbourne from 12 to 17 03 1977, in which Australia beat England by 45 runs-the same margin as that first Test.

In October 2012, the International Cricket Local authority or council recast the playing conditions for Test matches, enabling day/night Test matches.

Test status: Test matches are included in first-class cricket. Matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status, " as determined by the International Cricket Local authority or council. As of 2011, ten national teams have Test status, the most recently promoted being Bangladesh in 2000. Zimbabwe's Test status was voluntarily suspended because of poor tasks between 2006 and 2011; it returned to competition in August 2011.

A list of matches, thought as "Tests, " was initially drawn up by Foreign Clarence Moody in the mid-1890s. Representative matches played by simultaneous The united kingdom touring sides of 1911-12 (in Australia and South Africa) and 1929-30 (in the West Indies and New Zealand) are deemed to have "Test status".

In 1970, a series of five "Test matches" was played in England between England and a Other countries in the World XI. These matches, originally scheduled between England and South Photography equipment, were amended after South Photography equipment was stopped from international cricket because of their government's policy of apartheid. Although initially given Test status (and included as Test matches in some record books, including Wisden Cricketers' Almanack), this became later withdrawn and a principle was established that official Test matches can only be between nations. Despite this, in 2005, the ICC ruled that the six-day Super Series match that happened in April 2005, between Australia and a World XI, was the state run Test match. Some cricket writers and statisticians, including Bill Frindall, ignored the ICC's lording it over and omitted the 2005 match from their records. The series of "Test matches" played in Australia between Australia and a World XI in 1971/72 do not have Test status. The commercial "Supertests" organised by Kerry Packer as part of his World Series Cricket enterprise and played between "WSC Australia, " "WSC World XI" and "WSC Western side Indies" from 1977 to 1979 haven't been regarded as official Test Matches.

Test cricket playing teams: There are currently ten Test-playing teams, representing individual nations apart from England and the West Indies. Test status is conferred upon a country or group of countries by the International Cricket Local authority or council. Teams that do not have Test status can play in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, manufactured to allow non-Test teams to play under conditions similar to Tests.

In 2009 Ireland stated its intention to apply for Full Membership of the ICC with the use of achieving Test status, and restated its intention in 2012, but the 2012 plan aims to achieve Test status by 2020, which, even if successful, would be too late for the inaugural ICC World Test Champion scheduled to occur in 2017.

Playing time: Test cricket is played between two teams of 11 players, scheduled up to five days. On each day there are usually three two-hour sessions, with a forty-minute break for "lunch" and a twenty-minute break for "tea". Short breaks of approximately 5 minutes may also be taken during each session for drinks, usually after an hour's play. There is a 10-minute interval between changes of innings.

The occasions of sessions and intervals may be altered in some circumstances: if bad weather or a change of innings occurs close to a scheduled break, the break may be taken immediately: if there's been a loss of playing time, if the batting side is nine wickets down at the scheduled tea break, then the interval may be delayed until either thirty minutes has passed or the team is all out, the final session may be extended by up to 30 minutes if 90 or more overs haven't been bowled in that day's play, the final session may be extended by thirty minutes (except on the 5th day) if the umpires believe the result can be decided within that point.

In the early days of Test cricket, matches were played over three or four days. Prior to the 1980's, it was usual to include a 'rest day, ' normally a Sunday. There have also been 'Timeless Tests', which did not end following a predetermined maximum time. In 2005 Australia played a six-day match against a new XI, how the ICC sanctioned as an official Test match even though the match reached a conclusion on the fourth day.

There have been attempts by the ICC, the sports overseeing body, to introduce day-night Test Matches. In 2012 The International Cricket Local authority or council passed playing conditions that allowed for the staging of day-night Test matches.

Decline in popularity: In The indian subcontinent, South Photography equipment, Sri-Lanka, New Zealand and even to a certain extent Australia throngs for Test matches are falling. Set contrary to the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket there are concerns at the highest numbers of the game that Test cricket could die out. The emergence of well-funded T20 club competitions like the Indian Premier League and the Big Party in Australia has moved the financial balance of power away from Test cricket to the shortest form of the game.