In Cricket, What Is The Scheduled Duration Of A Test Match Held In England?

A test match lasts a maximum of five days. Each day, play usually begins between 10:30 and 11am local time. Lunch is taken two hours after the start of play and usually lasts for 40 minutes. A further two hours of play progresses before the tea break is taken, which is 20 minutes in length. Play resumes around 4 O'clock and the official close of play is at 6pm. However, play can go on for longer to compensate for rain or bad lights delays during the test match. The umpires aim to get between 80 and 90 overs bowled in a single day of test match action, and teams can be penalised for bowling at a slow over rate. Each team gets two innings each and the winner is the team with the most runs over both their innings. If the five days are completed without a result, the match is a draw.