Types of Cricket Matches

When looking at a cricket player's profile, you may notice that statisticians categorize player
statistics according to the type of matches played. For example, international fixtures are recorded
separately from games played on domestic circuits. Currently, there are a maximum of six match
types on a player profile. However, there are only three primary forms of cricket:

a) First Class

b) One day

c) Twenty 20 (T20)

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Cricket statisticians extrapolate international records from these three basic forms of cricket
to provide additional player statistics. Therefore, there are virtually six forms of cricket:

i) Tests

ii) First class fixtures

iii) One Day Internationals

iv) One-dayers

v) Twenty 20 Internationals
vi) Twenty 20

To avoid confusion, cricket fans must consider that while internationals are specific types of
cricket matches, they fall under the three basic forms of cricket.

Tests
Cricket pundits consider Tests as the pinnacle of all forms of cricket. However, Test matches are
First-class matches that are played by international teams. In modern cricket, Tests are five-day
matches that require a minimum of 90 overs per day. There are two innings per side. A team's
innings is over once they declare their innings or are bowled out.

Throughout cricket history, Tests have been played without time restrictions - in what were
"Timeless Tests". The ICC sanctions Tests - a match between Test sides may be stripped of Test
status and reduced to First-class status by the ICC.

First Class fixtures

First class fixtures include Tests and domestic matches played in Test-playing countries. Matches on
the English County circuit and all other domestic circuits (e.g. Australia, Pakistan, West Indies) fall
under this category. Competitive domestic First class matches are normally played over four days.
However, certain domestic games can have a five-day span or a three-day span (usually warm-ups
with international teams). Cricket authorities in Test playing nations have the authority to sanction
First class matches.

One Dayers
One-dayers are limited overs matches that cricket teams play over the course of one day. One-dayers
normally require 50-overs but can be played over 40 overs as well. However, one day matches
require a minimum number of overs (20) in each innings to constitute a match. Matches of this type
normally last no longer than 8 hours.
One-Day Internationals
ODIs are one-dayers, which teams that have ODI status play. Teams that have ODI status are all Test-
playing countries and some Affiliate nations who have earned that status. The International Cricket
Council (ICC) also accords ODI status to ODIs played between teams at the ICC Cricket World Cup
(regardless of ODI status) and in special circumstances as well (Like the Super Series). When ODIs
began in the early 1970s, 60-overs per side constituted an ODI. That later changed to 50-overs per
innings.

Twenty 20
T20s require teams to play a maximum of 20-overs per innings. Sometimes, rain affected T20
matches are further abbreviated. T20 matches are played over the course of approximately three
hours.

Twenty 20 Internationals
T20 Internationals are T20 matches played between teams that have ODI status. Matches by
teams without ODI status that are played in the ICC World T20 Championship.

Not all forms of cricket played are First class, one-day or T20 games. Cricket is also played at club
level under the auspices of territorial bodies. Cricket boards do not recognize as official cricket
matches but they are often parallels of official cricket matches. One should even find independent
records of these unofficial games.

For instance, the West Indies has different independent territories. Club cricket is played in various
countries. The best club cricketers in Trinidad will vie for selection to the Trinidad and Tobago team
(First class/One-day/T20). From there, a cricketer can hope to gain selection to the West Indies to
play Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals.