Test cricket
From Cricipedia - The Cricket Encyclopedia!
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations. It remains the highest-regarded form of the game, although the comparatively new One Day International and Twenty20 formats are now more popular amongst some audiences. The name "Test" is thought to arise from the idea that the matches are a "test of strength and competency" between the sides involved. It seems to have been used first to describe an English team that toured Australia in 1861-62, although those matches are not considered Test matches today.
The first ever official Test match commenced on the 15th of March 1877, contested by England and Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Australians won by 45 runs. England won the second ever match (also at the MCG) by 4 wickets, thus drawing the series 1-1. This was not the first ever international cricket match however, which was played between Canada and the United States, on the 24th and 25th of September 1844.
Test cricket is played over five days, with three sessions of two hours (usually interspersed with a 40-minute break for lunch and 20-minute break for afternoon tea) per day.
Test cricket nations
There are currently ten Test-playing nations although Zimbabwe are currently suspended.
| National Team | First Test Match | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | March 15, 1877 | |
| England | March 15, 1877 | |
| South Africa | March 12, 1899 | |
| West Indies | June 23, 1928 | |
| New Zealand | January 10, 1930 | |
| India | June 25, 1932 | Pakistan and Bangladesh part of India untill 1947. |
| Pakistan | October 16, 1952 | |
| Sri Lanka | February 17, 1982 | |
| Zimbabwe | October 18, 1992 | Currently Suspended by ICC. |
| Bangladesh | November 10, 2000 |
