Cricket Adaptations

Cricket has changed a great deal since the first international match took place between the USA and Canada in 1844 in New York, a match which lasted only two days in an era when cricket matches were played until they were finished. The longest match between South Africa and England in 1939 lasted an incredible 11 days. Cricket has adapted since the 1970s, introducing 50 over one-day games and Twenty20 matches to run alongside the traditional five day test matches.

Cricket Terminology

Each cricket team is made up of eleven players. Cricket is measured by scoring runs. Whoever scores the most runs wins. Six individual balls by the bowler constitutes one over, and the length of each match is measured by the number of overs. Every time the bowling team gets a batsman out they're deemed to have taken a "wicket." The British Broadcasting Corporation explains that "each time a team bats. it is known as their 'innings.'" Ten individual wickets constitutes one innings.

Test Cricket

Test cricket was the original form of the game, but has still been adapted to suit broadcasting and logistical requirements. It was originally "timeless" with teams playing until there was a victory for one side. The number of overs was irrelevant as the match continued purely based on runs, not overs. Currently a test match is scheduled to last five days, with each day consisting of 90 overs. Each team has two innings per match. Both teams wear white clothing and play with a red cricket ball.

Limited Over Internationals

Limited over internationals officially began in the 1970s with the start of the International Cricket Council World Cup. Each match is decided by a set number of overs. Unlike test cricket, each team is only allowed one innings per match. A one-day limited overs international match is 50 overs per side. This form of cricket was adapted from test cricket to appeal to fans who wanted to see a quicker result. Teams wear colored clothing, and the bowling team uses a white cricket ball.

Twenty20 Cricket

If 50 over one day internationals were popular in the 1980s and 1990s, then Twenty20 cricket has become the choice of fans since the turn of the century. A Twenty20 match involves one innings per side, each innings lasts for 20 overs, or 120 individual balls. This promotes fast run scoring, with batsman trying to hit boundaries and sixes with far more regularity than during test cricket. A Twenty20 match lasts three hours, an adaptation which appeals to a whole new group of fans who turn up knowing the match will be finished in one evening. The Marylebone Cricket Club, the founder of the game rules, "believes Twenty20 cricket must be scrutinized to prevent it from damaging the impact of the traditional Test format" and "feels that the time is right to carefully analyse the effects of Twenty20 cricket to ensure that this short format of the game does not become the sole focus for players and spectators alike."