How Many Innings In Cricket & What Are They? Explained
Cricket is a familiar sight across the UK, with countless fans taking an interest in the sport’s particular structure and tactics. If you’ve ever followed a match or glanced at cricket scores, the term “innings” likely stood out, leaving you curious about what it means and why it matters.
Understanding how innings work could help you make better sense of the rules, whether you’re following the action or looking to get involved yourself. If you’re thinking about betting on cricket online or through a bookmaker, knowing how the game unfolds could be helpful before considering making any decisions. Read on to learn more.
Cricket Innings Meaning Explained
In cricket, an “innings” is simply the term for a period when one team is batting while the other is fielding and bowling. The side with the bat sends its players out, one after another, in an attempt to add to the score. Their aim is to put up as many runs as possible before the innings comes to an end.
A typical innings starts with two batsmen at the crease. The innings will stop when ten batsmen have been dismissed, when the set number of overs ends, or if the captain decides to end the innings early. The number of balls or overs allowed depends on the type of match, so the length of an innings will vary. For some games, it’s fixed to a particular number of overs (like 20 or 50), but in longer matches, it continues until all but one batsman are out.
Local and professional games around the UK use a mix of different formats, each with their own structure and time limits.
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How Many Innings In Cricket?
How many innings there are in a match depends entirely on the format being played. The three you’ll encounter most often in the UK are Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 (T20) games.
- Test matches: Each team bats twice, giving a total of four innings over up to five days.
- ODIs and T20s: Each team bats once, so these games have a total of two innings.
In shorter matches, such as ODIs and T20s, the innings is limited by a fixed number of overs (usually 50 in ODIs, 20 in T20s), while in Tests, there is no strict maximum on the number of balls per innings.
Test Cricket
Test cricket holds a special place as the longest format played between recognised national sides, with matches stretching across five days. Both teams get two innings each, which means there can be up to four innings in total. An innings concludes when ten batsmen are out, the captain calls time, or the match’s set time expires.
There’s no set limit on overs per innings in Tests, and matches can be drawn if time runs out before both sides have completed their second innings. The approach to scoring and match tactics can be quite different compared to the shorter one-day formats, so understanding how innings work in Tests could potentially make following the game much clearer.
Highest Ever Innings Score
Exceptional team scores in a single innings are rare, but they stand out in cricket history. The world record for the highest team innings in Test cricket is held by Sri Lanka, who scored 952 for 6 against India in 1997. This enormous total includes all runs up to the fall of ten wickets or the closure of the innings.
In county cricket within the UK, impressive but lower scores occur from time to time. For example, Surrey recorded 811 runs against Gloucestershire in 2006—one of the highest in county matches.
For one-day cricket, the England men’s team set a benchmark by scoring 498 for 4 against the Netherlands in 2022. Because T20 cricket uses fewer overs, scores above 250 are already remarkable at club level.
How Long Is an Innings Break?
Between an innings finishing and the next beginning, there’s usually a scheduled break. The length of this rest period depends on the type of match.
- In Test cricket, the standard break is 10 minutes, but this can be longer if it coincides with lunch or tea intervals.
- For ODIs, the innings break is usually 40 to 45 minutes.
- In T20s, it’s shorter—commonly around 20 minutes.
These breaks give players and officials a short rest and let teams switch sides.
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**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.