Photo by Picryl, CC by 1.0
Imagine a sport where you can play for a week and still not have a winner. In today’s TikTok fuelled society that sounds like a nightmare, but a century ago it was the reality of cricket.
For a significant period of cricket history, the clock was merely a suggestion. The ‘Timeless Test’ was designed to ensure a result, eliminating the draw by simply playing until one team won. In theory, it was the ultimate test of skill. In practice, it produced some of the most gruelling, exhausting, and bizarre sporting contests in history.
Here, we analyse the five longest Test matches ever by playing time, looking at the tactics, players, and sheer endurance required to survive them.
1. South Africa vs England, Durban 1939
Duration: 9 days of play (spread over 12 days)
Result: Drawn (by agreement)
The undisputed heavyweight champion of long cricket matches is the Durban Test of 1939. It’s the longest recorded game in history, full stop.
With the series tied, it was agreed this final game would be played to a finish.
South Africa batted first, piling on 530 runs. England responded with 316. In the third innings, South Africa set England a target of 696. Nowadays, this kind of target is seen as impossible (except, perhaps, by England’s Bazballers). But on a Kingsmead pitch that refused to deteriorate, England’s chase was a masterclass in attrition.
Bill Edrich (219) and Paul Gibb (120) batted with infinite patience. Fans today are used to checking online cricket betting sites for live odds that shift ball-by-ball, but in the 1920s and 30s, the only certainty was uncertainty. By the ninth day of play, England reached 654/5 – just 42 runs away from the greatest victory in history.
However, the visitors had to catch the mail ship from Cape Town in order to get home. The train schedule was rigid, and the boat would not wait. After 43 hours and 16 minutes of play, the captains agreed to a draw.
2. Australia vs England, Melbourne 1929
Duration: 8 days of play
Result: Australia won by 5 wickets
While Durban is the most famous, the fifth Test of the 1928-29 Ashes in Melbourne is a close second in the list of the longest Test matches ever.
England were well ahead in the series, up 4-0 with the Ashes secured, but Australia were desperate to salvage pride. The visitors batted first, posting 519 in almost two days. Australia responded with 491, led by the young Don Bradman (123).
England then collapsed in their second innings for 257, leaving Australia a target of 287. They ground it out, nabbing it with five wickets in hand.
The key tactical difference here was the spin bowling. England’s JC White bowled a staggering 124.5 overs in the match, taking 13 wickets. In these marathons, spinners who could bowl all day were more valuable than bursts from fast bowlers.
3. West Indies vs England, Kingston 1930
Duration: 7 days of play (spread over 9 days)
Result: Drawn
The 1930 series in the West Indies is often remembered for the emergence of George Headley, but the fourth Test in Kingston was the Andy Sandham show. This was the first Test to host a triple century, a feat that necessitated a game of immense length.
Sandham, an opener known for watertight defence, batted for what felt like an eternity to score 325. England amassed an enormous 849 all out. The West Indies were forced to follow on but fought back bravely. George Headley scored 223 in the second innings, proving the West Indies had the batting firepower to match the English.
Unfortunately, the match was eventually abandoned as a draw, again due to the English team’s travel schedule. On flat Caribbean wickets, taking 20 wickets without a clock to aid the bowlers proved nearly impossible. It stands as one of the longest Test matches ever and speaks to the defensive techniques of the game in that era.
4. Australia vs England, Sydney 1924
Duration: 7 days of play
Result: Australia won by 193 runs
The 1924-25 Ashes series was a high-scoring affair, and the second Test in Sydney was a prime example.
Australia batted first, scoring 450 runs before England responded with 298. But what made this match unique was the second innings. Australia piled on another 452, setting England a massive target of 605.
In a timed game, England would have shut up shop for a draw. In a timeless game, they had to go for the runs or survive indefinitely. They managed 411, a valiant effort, but fell short.
The tactical nuance here that got the hosts over the line was the use of leg-spin. Arthur Mailey, Australia’s premier leggie, took nine wickets in the match and bore the brunt of the overs as well.
5. Australia vs England, Sydney 1912
Duration: 7 days of play
Result: England won by 70 runs
Going further back, the 1911-12 Ashes produced another entry into the longest Test matches ever during the classic ‘Golden Age’ of cricket. This era featured legends like Hobbs, Rhodes, and Barnes.
Australia batted first at the SCG but were bundled out for 133 by a masterclass from Sydney Barnes, who picked up a five-fer. England then piled on 551, with Hobbs and Rhodes putting on a legendary opening stand of 323.
Facing a deficit of over 400, Australia showed real character to score 368 in their second innings, but England knocked off the small target to win. The difference was the English bowling pair of Barnes and Foster, who bowled unchanged for long periods, combining for more than 100 overs in the second innings alone.
Still, the match lasted a full seven playing days.
