How long is a Test match in The Ashes?
How many days?!
Test cricket is the ultimate challenge for a cricketer. Conditions change, the physical workload can be immense, and there is time, time, time for numerous ebbs and flows.
While the all-action nature of the white-ball game has brought money into the sport and attracts massive crowds, Tests remain the pinnacle for many players and fans. The format presents unique challenges rarely seen in mainstream sport.
And always, always, the clock marches on, ball after ball, session after session, day after day, in sunshine or rain.
RadioTimes.com brings you a simplified explainer of how long a Test match lasts, how it all works and what happens if the dreaded R-word pours from the sky.
How long is a Test match?
Test matches last for five days. There are three sessions per day, each scheduled to be two hours apiece, and there is a target of 90 overs completed per day of play.
Ashes Tests in England are scheduled to start at 11am. If there are no delays, lunch is taken at 1pm for 40 minutes. The afternoon session runs from 1:40pm through to 3:40pm. Tea is 20 minutes.
The evening session is scheduled for 4pm to 6pm. There is an extra half an hour if fewer than 90 overs have been bowled in the allotted time. It is commonplace for play to run to 6:30pm with slow over rates in recent years.
Day-night Test matches run to different timings, with play beginning in the afternoon and running into the night with floodlights used for the final hours.
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How a Test match works
In most Test matches, both teams will bat twice. A coin toss on the first morning of the game gives the winning captain a choice of whether to bat or bowl first.
The team batting first will bat until they have lost 10 wickets or choose to declare. The other team then begin their innings, aiming to catch and ideally go past their opponent’s score.
Usually, the team which batted first will also bat in the third innings, though they can force their opponent to follow on if they trail by more than 199 runs after both teams have batted.
A team wins a Test match by scoring more runs than their opponent over the two innings.
What happens if it rains?
As a summer sport, cricket is not played in the rain. Play will not begin if it is raining or if the ground is too wet. Players will be instructed to pause play by the umpires if there is significant rain during a Test match, which can lead to adjusted schedules and timing.
There are no reserve days in Test cricket (apart from the World Test Championship final) to compensate for rain. Considerable rain, including losing a full day, significantly increases the chance of the match ending in a draw.
Umpires will also postpone play due to bad light. Light meters are used to take a reading for the first time this happens in a match, and play will be halted if light gets to that level again during the Test.
How to watch The Ashes on TV and live stream
You can watch The Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event.
You can add the Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Football channels for just £18 per month combined or pick up the complete sports package for just £25 per month.
Sky Sports customers can live stream The Ashes via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices including most smartphones and tablets as part of their subscription.
You can also watch The Ashes via NOW without signing up to a contract.
NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.
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