What time is stumps in The Ashes 2023? Start and end of play explained
Your guide to when each day of The Ashes will draw to a close.
The Ashes is off to a boiling hot start - with a dash of everything that makes cricket so special coming into play throughout the first Test.
Edgbaston has been bathed in lush sunshine, apathetic cloud coverage and monsoon-like storms over the course of the opening days – just another Great British summer on this island.
Of course, weather conditions, slow over rates and any number of factors can play havoc with the schedule for a day's play.
Stumps are called at the end of each day. Umpires remove the bails and draw the curtain on another day of Test cricket, but when does play actually come to an end?
RadioTimes.com brings you all the details about when players will take a lunch break in The Ashes 2023.
More from The Ashes: Ashes TV coverage | Ashes radio coverage | Ashes schedule | Ashes squads | Ashes predictions | Ashes highlights | Sky Sports Ashes commentators | Test Match Special Ashes commentators
When is stumps in The Ashes?
Each day of Ashes Test matches will typically break for stumps at 6pm.
However, this is not always the case, as demonstrated in the first Test of the 2023 Ashes.
A minimum of 90 overs should be bowled each day – 30 overs per session, across three sessions – but if that target is not met, umpires can add on an extra half an hour of play.
Further still, if rain disrupts a match, play could be extended all the way up to 7:30pm in a bid to make up the time, so long as the teams are back out on the field by 7pm.
The changeable nature of the Great British summer will play an important role in this series, with captains likely to adapt their decisions based on the mood of the skies.
When does play start in The Ashes?
Play typically begins at 11am assuming no delays to the start of the day due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
The schedule of a day's play will typically look like this:
Start: 11am
Morning session: 11am – 1pm
Lunch: 1pm – 1:40pm
Afternoon session: 1:40pm – 3:40pm
Tea: 3:40pm – 4pm
Evening session: 4pm – 6pm
Of course, for all the reasons mentioned above, this is not always a perfect guide with lunch, tea and stumps all able to be shuffled around depending on circumstances such as weather, delays and more.
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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 upgrade to the Sky Sports Cricket channel from just £15 per month as part of a limited time deal or pick up the complete sports package from just £24 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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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
