Shortest Tests of All Time (Full Article - Oct 93)

Shortest Test In Cricket History - Pakistani Cricketer - Mohammad Shoaib Ahmed September 1993

The first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium in Kandy entered the recordbooks as the shortest Test in the history of the game. Only 50 minutes' play was possible of the scheduled 360 minutes during which period Sri Lanka, put into bat, scored 24 for three wickets. Not a single ball was bowled over four days and the only action possible took place on the second afternoon. There have been five other instances of a Test being abandoned as a draw without a single innings being completed, but the Kandy Test beat them all for the least time and overs consumed. Of these instances only the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test in Gujranwala in 1991-2 was played over five days, the other Tests lasted over three days each. The nearest parallel to the Kandy Test is the one that took place between England and Australia at Nottingham in 1926. On that occasion also, only 50 minutes' play was possible. But Australia sent down 17.2 overs and England replied with 32 for no loss. The other instances are: England 102 for 2 in 38 overs and 105 minutes vs Australia (Lord's) 1902; Pakistan 109 for 2 in 36 overs and 140 minutes vs Sri Lanka (Gujranwala) 1991-2; South Africa 116 for 4 in 65 overs and 165 minutes vs England (Manchester) 1924; England 224 for 3 in 71 overs and 195 minutes vs New Zealand (Manchester) 1931. Given here is a list of those matches where were completed in two days. Test Matches completed within 2 days with a result: Eng (101 & 77) lost to Aus (63 & 122) - Oval 1882 Eng (53 & 62) lost to Aus (116 & 60) - Lord's 1888 Eng (317) beat Aus (80 & 100) - Oval 1888 Eng (172) beat Aus (81 & 70) - Manchester 1888 RSA (84 & 129) lost to Eng (148 & 67-2) - Pt. Elizabeth 1888-89 RSA (47 & 43) lost to Eng (292) - Cape Town 1888-89 Eng (100 & 95-8) beat Aus (92 & 102) - Oval 1890 RSA (93 & 30) lost to Eng (185 & 226) - Pt. Elizabeth 1895-96 RSA (115 & 117) lost to Eng (265) - Cape Town 1895-96 Eng (176 and 14-0) beat RSA (95 & 93) - Oval 1912 Aus (448) beat RSA (265 & 95) - Manchester 1912 Eng (112 & 147) lost to Aus (232 & 30-0)- Nottingham 1921 Aus (328-8d) beat WI (99 & 107) - Melbourne 1930-31 RSA (157 & 98) lost to Aus (439) - Johannesburg 1935-36 NZ (42 & 54) lost to Aus (199-8d) - Wellington 1945-46

Longest Matches 10 days South Africa v England - Durban 1938-39 9 days West Indies v England - Kingston 1929-30 8 days Australia v England - Melbourne 1928-29