How long does a T20 cricket match go on for?
The length of a T20 cricket match depends on local regulations and delays. An Indian Premier League match is scheduled to last three hours and 20 minutes, but regularly overruns. A Big Bash match in Australia is timetabled to go on for two hours and 55 minutes.
When the England and Wales Cricket Board introduced Twenty20 cricket in 2003, it was designed as a shortened form of the sport that families could watch in an evening.
Since then, it has become the most watched and most lucrative form of cricket. The name has been shortened to T20, and big money T20 franchise leagues operate all over the world. The most notable leagues are the Indian Premier League (or IPL) in India, and the Big Bash in Australia.
But if you want to see a T20 match live, how long will you be watching? How long does a T20 cricket match go on for?
T20 cricket match length
Well, a T20 cricket match officially goes on for 20 overs per side, with a break between the two innings. There are six balls in each over, with extra balls added should the bowler bowl a wide or no ball.
The exact length of a T20 cricket match, however, depends on a few factors. The first of these is how quickly the bowlers get through their overs – spinners tend to get through them in less time than fast bowlers, who have a considerably longer run-up.
Other factors, such as video replays and time-outs, can stretch the length of an innings, too. And the length of a T20 cricket match can also be affected by local regulations on the length of the inter-innings break, and the time allocated for each innings.
How long does an IPL match go on for?
The biggest T20 league is the Indian Premier League. Theoretically, the length of an IPL match is three hours and 20 minutes. That’s 90 minutes per innings, and a 20 minute break.
However, IPL matches routinely overrun despite the threat of on-field penalties for teams that take too long. Many Indian Premier League matches last over four hours once replay time, time-outs and other hold-ups are taken into account.
How long does a Big Bash game go for?
In Australia, the main T20 league is the Big Bash, which is contested by eight teams during the summer months – December, January and February.
Under the Big Bash regulations, one hour and 20 minutes is allocated for each innings, with a 15 minute break in-between.
That means the length of Big Bash game is two hours and 55 minutes. Again, these games are prone to overruns, but not quite as habitually as in India.
Visiting Australian cricket grounds
If you’re not in Australia during the summer months, several Australian cricket grounds host AFL games during the winter. They also offer stadium tours. Try the following grounds for a taste of cricket or to go behind the scenes.
- Sydney Cricket Ground (BOOK TOUR).
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (BOOK TOUR).
- Adelaide Oval (BOOK TOUR).
- Optus Stadium, Perth (BOOK TOUR).
Australia Travel Questions also has guides to the length of an AFL game and how long an NRL game lasts.
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