What is the longest format of cricket, lasting up to five days?

Test cricket is the longest standard format of cricket, with a match scheduled to last up to five days.

A Test match is played between two national teams, each with 11 players, and normally consists of two innings per side. Unlike limited-overs cricket, there is no fixed maximum number of overs for each innings. Teams bat until they are dismissed, declare, or the scheduled time expires.

The format tests a player’s technique, stamina and concentration over several days. A match can still end earlier through a win, an innings defeat or a declaration, while rain, poor light or slow play can leave it drawn after five days. The five-day structure became standard in modern Test cricket after earlier matches were sometimes played over fewer or more days.

List A cricket describes a class of limited-overs matches, while One Day Internationals are a specific international form of that class. Twenty20 is shorter still, with each side limited to 20 overs.