View source for Limited overs cricket

{{short description|Version(s) of the sport of cricket}}
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{{original research|date=August 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2018}}
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{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Cricket sidebar |expanded=all}}

'''Limited overs cricket''', also known as '''white ball cricket''', is a version of the sport of [[cricket]] in which a match is generally completed within one day. There are a number of formats, including [[List A cricket]] (8-hour games), [[Twenty20 cricket]] (3-hour games), and [[100-ball cricket]] (2.5 hours). The name reflects the rule that in the match each team bowls a set maximum number of [[Over (cricket)|overs]] (sets of 6 legal [[Ball (cricket)|balls]]), usually between 20 and 50, although [[T10 cricket|shorter]] and longer forms of limited overs cricket have been played.

The concept contrasts with [[Test cricket|Test]] and [[first-class cricket|first-class]] matches, which can take up to five days to complete. One-day cricket is popular with spectators as it can encourage aggressive, risky, entertaining [[batting (cricket)|batting]], often results in cliffhanger endings, and ensures that a spectator can watch an entire match without committing to five days of continuous attendance.

==Structure==
[[File:Members area and view of ground.jpg|thumb|A one-day match at [[Bellerive Oval]]]]

Each team bats only once, and each [[innings]] is limited to a set number of [[over (cricket)|over]]s, usually fifty in a [[One Day International]] and between forty and sixty in a List A. List A is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of cricket, technically as the domestic level.

Despite its name, important one-day matches, international and domestic, often have two days set aside, the second day being a "reserve" day to allow more chance of the game being completed if a result is not possible on the first day (for instance if play is prevented or interrupted by rain).

=== Tiebreaker ===
{{Main|Result (cricket)#Tiebreakers}}
In some tied limited-overs games, a [[Super Over]] is played, wherein each team bats for a one-over innings with two [[Wicket (out)|wickets]] in hand. A tied Super Over may be followed by another Super Over.<ref>{{Cite news|title=What is Super Over?|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-super-over|access-date=2021-09-24}}</ref>

===Player restrictions===
====Bowling restrictions====

In almost all competitive one-day games, a restriction is placed on the number of overs that may be bowled by any one bowler. This is to prevent a side playing two top-class bowlers with extremely good stamina who can bowl throughout their opponents' innings. The usual limitation is set so that a side must include at least five players who bowl i.e. each bowler can only bowl 20% of the overs. For example, the usual limit for twenty-over cricket is four overs per bowler, for forty-over cricket eight per bowler and for fifty-over cricket ten per bowler.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Many Overs Can A Bowler Bowl In A Cricket Match?|url=https://cricketershub.com/overs-bowler-can-bowl/|access-date=2020-09-09|website=Cricketers Hub|language=en-GB}}</ref> There are exceptions: [[Pro Cricket]] in the United States restricted bowlers to five overs each, thus leaving a side requiring only four bowlers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2004-08-15|title=Pro Cricket - Fast n' Furious Global Action >> ProCricket 100 rules|url=http://www.procricket.com/rules.asp|access-date=2020-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040815074603/http://www.procricket.com/rules.asp|archive-date=15 August 2004}}</ref>

====Fielding restrictions====
{{Main|Fielding restrictions (cricket)}}

=== White balls ===
{{main|Cricket ball}}
Limited over cricket is usually played with white balls rather than the traditional red balls.  This was introduced because the team batting second is likely to need to play under [[floodlight]]s and a white ball is easier to see under these conditions.  The white balls are supposed to be otherwise identical to traditional balls, but according to [[BBC Sport]], some cricketers claim that the harder surface causes white balls to [[Swing bowling|swing]] more.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4188060.stm "Does the white ball behave differently?"], ''BBC Sport: Cricket'', retrieved 1 October 2021.</ref>

==History==
The idea for a one-day, limited 50-over cricket tournament, was first played in the inaugural match of the All India Pooja Cricket Tournament in 1951 at [[Tripunithura]] in [[Kochi]], [[Kerala]]. It is thought to be the brain child of [[Kelappan Thampuran (Travancore-Cochin cricketer)|KV Kelappan Thampuran]], a former cricketer and the first Secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/world-first-limited-overs-pooja-cricket-tournament-turns-60/20100727.htm|title=World's first limited over tournament turns 60}}</ref> The first limited-overs tournament between first-class English teams was the Midlands Knock-Out Cup, which took place in May 1962.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2013-09-19|title=Rewind: The birth of one-day cricket, in 1962|work=ESPN Cricinfo|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/510124.html|access-date=2021-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919032251/http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/510124.html|archive-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> Played with 65-over innings, the Cup was organised by [[Mike Turner (cricketer)|Mike Turner]], secretary of the [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club]]. The competition was small, with three other county teams participating in addition to Leicestershire. However, it drew commercial television coverage and positive commentary by journalists, who noted the potential to attract sponsors and spectators amid declining attendance levels.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-11|title=Pioneer of one-day cricket dies|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pioneer-of-one-day-cricket-dies-901499|access-date=2021-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111231350/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pioneer-of-one-day-cricket-dies-901499|archive-date=11 November 2021}}</ref>

The following year, the first full-scale one-day competition between first-class teams was played, the knock-out [[C&G Trophy|Gillette Cup]], won by [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]]. The number of overs was reduced to 60 for the 1964 season. League one-day cricket also began in England, when the John Player [[National League (cricket)|Sunday League]] was started in 1969 with 40-over matches. Both these competitions continued, with changes in sponsorship, till 2010, when they were replaced by the [[ECB 40]]. This was in turn replaced by the 50-over [[One-Day Cup (England)|One-Day Cup]] in 2014.

The first Limited Overs International (LOI) or One-Day International (ODI) match was played between [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] and [[England cricket team|England]] in [[Melbourne]] on 5 January 1971,<ref name="Booth">{{cite book |last=Booth |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Booth (cricket writer) |title=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2021 |date=2021 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781472975478 |editor-last=Booth |editor-first=Lawrence |location=London |chapter=Fifty Years of One-day International Cricket |access-date=1 April 2025 |chapter-url=https://www.wisden.com/wisden-cricketers-almanack/fifty-years-of-one-day-international-cricket}}</ref> and the quadrennial [[cricket World Cup]] began in 1975. Many of the "packaging" innovations, such as coloured clothing, were as a result of [[World Series Cricket]], a "rebel" series set up outside the cricketing establishment by Australian entrepreneur [[Kerry Packer]]. For more details, see [[History of cricket]].

[[Twenty20]], a curtailed form of one-day cricket with 20 overs (120 legal balls) per side, was first played in England in 2003. It has proven very popular, and several Twenty20 matches have been played between national teams. It makes several changes to the usual [[laws of cricket]], including the use of a [[Super Over]] (one or more additional overs played by each team) to decide the result of tied matches.

[[100-ball cricket]] (2.5-hour games), another form of one-day cricket with 100 deliveries per side, launched in England in 2021. It is designed to further shorten game time and to attract a new audience. It makes further changes to the usual [[laws of cricket]], such as the involvement of overs that last 5 balls each.

There are now also [[T10 leagues]] with a format of 10 overs per side (resulting in 90-minute games). The [[Emirates Cricket Board]] also launched [[Ninety–90 Bash]], an upcoming annual franchise-based 90-ball cricket league in the [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Emirates Cricket Board approves Ninety-90 Bash|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/117942/emirates-cricket-board-approves-ninety-90-bash|access-date=2021-06-27|website=Cricbuzz|date=26 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==One Day Internationals==
{{main|One Day International||Women's One Day International}}
[[File:India Vs New zealand One day International, 10 December 2010 (6159936713).jpg|thumb|[[Chennai]] hosted an [[One Day International|ODI match]] between India and New Zealand in 2010. The New Zealand [[Batting (cricket)|batsman]] is in black, and India in blue are the [[Fielding (cricket)|fielding team]].]]

[[One Day International]] matches are usually played in brightly coloured clothing often in a "day-night" format where the first innings of the day occurs in the afternoon and the second occurs under stadium lights.

=== One Day International tournaments ===

In the early days of ODI cricket, the number of overs was generally 60 overs per side, and matches were also played with 40, 45 or 55 overs per side, but now it has been uniformly fixed at 50 overs.

Every four years, the [[Cricket World Cup]] involves all the Test-playing nations and other national sides who qualify through the [[ICC World Cup Qualifier]]. It usually consists of round-robin stages, followed by semi-finals and a final.  The [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC) determines the venue far in advance.

The [[ICC Champions Trophy]] involves all the Test-playing nations, and is held between World Cups. It usually consists of a round-robin group stage, semifinals, and a final.

Each Test-playing country often hosts triangular tournaments, between the host nation and two touring sides. There is usually a round-robin group, and then the leading two teams play each other in a final, or sometimes a best-of-three final. When there is only one touring side, there is still often a best-of-five or best-of-seven series of limited overs matches.

The ICC [[World Cricket League]] is an ODI competition for national teams with Associate or Affiliate status.

==List A status==
{{main|List A cricket}}
'''List A cricket''' is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of [[cricket]]. Much as domestic [[first-class cricket]] is the level below international [[Test cricket|Test match]] cricket, so List A cricket is the domestic level of [[one-day cricket]] below [[One Day International]]s. Twenty20 matches do not qualify for the present.

Most cricketing nations have some form of domestic List A competition. The number of [[over (cricket)|over]]s in List A cricket ranges from forty to sixty overs per side.

The [[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]] created this category for the purpose of providing an equivalent to first-class cricket, to allow the generation of career records and statistics for comparable one-day matches. Only the more important one-day competitions in each country, plus matches against a touring Test team, are included. The categorisation of cricket matches as "List A" was not officially endorsed by the [[International Cricket Council]] until 2006, when the ICC announced that it and its member associations would be determining this classification in a manner similar to that done for first class matches.<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/255055.html ICC clarifies what counts and what doesn't], from Cricinfo, 30 July 2006</ref>

Matches that qualify as List A:
* One Day Internationals (ODIs)
* Other international matches.
* Premier one-day tournaments in permanent test playing nations
* Official matches of a Test nations against first-class teams
* Official international matches between (officially) second-tier ODI teams

Matches that do not qualify as List A:
* World Cup warm-up matches
* Other Tourist matches (for example, against first-class teams that are not part of the main domestic first-class competition, such as universities)
* Festival and friendly matches
* One Day tournaments in not test playing nations.

==Domestic competitions==
Domestic one-day competitions exist in almost every country where cricket is played. The table below lists the limited overs tournaments that take place in each [[List of International Cricket Council members#Full Members|full member nation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/index.html |title=CricketArchive/Archive |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=26 August 2022}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Country
!Tournament
!Format
|-
|rowspan=4|{{cr|Afghanistan}}
|-
| [[Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament]] || 50 overs
|-
| Green Afghanistan One Day Cup || 50 overs
|-
| [[Shpageeza Cricket League]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=5|{{cr|Australia}}
|-
| [[Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament|Marsh One-Day Cup]] || 50 overs
|- 
| [[Big Bash League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's National Cricket League]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Women's Big Bash League]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=5|{{cr|Bangladesh}}
|-
| [[Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Bangladesh Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Bangladesh Women's National Cricket League]] || 50 overs
|-
|rowspan=7|{{cr|England}}
|-
| [[Royal London One-Day Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[T20 Blast]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[The Hundred (cricket)|The Hundred]] || 100-ball
|-
| [[Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Charlotte Edwards Cup]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Twenty20 Cup]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=10|{{cr|India}}
|-
| [[Vijay Hazare Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Deodhar Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Indian Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Senior One Day Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Senior Women's Challenger Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Women's Senior T20 Trophy]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Senior T20 Challenger Trophy]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Premier League (cricket)|Women's Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=4| {{cr|Ireland}} 
|-
| [[Inter-Provincial Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Inter-Provincial Trophy]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Super Series]] || 50/20 overs
|-
|rowspan=5| {{cr|New Zealand}} 
|-
| [[The Ford Trophy]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Super Smash (men's cricket)|Men's Super Smash]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Hallyburton Johnstone Shield]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Super Smash (women's cricket)|Women's Super Smash]] || 20 overs 
|-
|rowspan=6| {{cr|Pakistan}}
|-
| [[Pakistan Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[National T20 Cup]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Pakistan Super League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Pakistan Women's One Day Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[PCB Triangular Twenty20 Women's Tournament]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=7| {{cr|South Africa}}
|-
| [[CSA Provincial Competitions|CSA One-Day Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[CSA Provincial Competitions|CSA Provincial T20 Cup]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[CSA T20 League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Provincial Programme]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Women's Provincial T20 Competition]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's T20 Super League]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=6| {{cr|Sri Lanka}}
|-
| National Super League || 50 overs
|-
| SLC Invitational T20 League || 20 overs
|-
| [[Lanka Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Sri Lanka Women's Division One Tournament]] || 50 overs
|-
| Sri Lanka Women's Invitation T20 Tournament || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=7| {{cr|West Indies}}
|-
| [[Super50 Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Caribbean Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[The 6ixty]] || 10 overs
|-
| [[Women's Super50 Cup]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Twenty20 Blaze]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Women's Caribbean Premier League]] || 20 overs
|-
|rowspan=5| {{cr|Zimbabwe}}
|-
| [[Pro50 Championship]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Stanbic Bank 20 Series]] || 20 overs
|-
| [[Fifty50 Challenge]] || 50 overs
|-
| [[Women's T20 Cup]] || 20 overs
|}

==One-day records==
{{see also|List of List A cricket records|List of One Day International cricket records}}

The world record for the highest innings total in any List A limited overs match is 574 for 6 by Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in [[JSCA International Stadium Complex|Ranchi]] on 24 December 2025. On 17 June 2022, England set a new international record, totalling 498 for 4 against Netherlands at [[VRA Cricket Ground|Amstelveen]]. The lowest ever total is 18 by West Indies U-19 against Barbados at [[Blairmont Sports Club Ground|Blairmont]] in 2007. The record low score in ODIs is 35, by Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in [[Harare Sports Club|Harare]] on 25 April 2004 and United States against Nepal in [[Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground|Kirtipur]] on 12 February 2020.

The most runs scored by both sides in any List A limited overs match is 872: Australia, batting first, scored 434 for four in 50 overs, and yet were beaten by South Africa who scored 438 for nine with a ball to spare during their [[Australia in South Africa, 5th ODI, 2006|One Day International at Johannesburg in 2006]].

The highest individual innings is 272 by [[Narayan Jagadeesan]] for Tamil Nadu against Arunachal Pradesh in [[M. Chinnaswamy Stadium|Bengaluru]] in 2022. The best bowling figures are eight for 10 by [[Shahbaz Nadeem]] for Jharkhand against Ranchi at Chennai in 2018. The highest international individual innings is by Rohit Sharma who scored 264. The highest score in any formal limited overs match is believed to be United's 630 for five against Bay Area in a 45 overs match at [[Richmond, California]] in August 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/102/102986.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com}}</ref>

The most runs in an over was scored by [[Herschelle Gibbs]] of the South African cricket team when, in the [[2007 Cricket World Cup]] in the West Indies, he hit 6 sixes in one over bowled by [[Daan van Bunge]] of the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wc2007/content/story/285608.html|title=Herschelle Gibbs smashes a record six sixes in an over|date=16 March 2007|website=Cricinfo}}</ref> This record is shared by [[Yuvraj Singh]] of India who achieved this feat in the [[2007 ICC World Twenty20]] in South Africa, he hit 6 sixes in an over bowled by [[Stuart Broad]] of England. This was later also achieved by [[Kieron Pollard]], [[Jaskaran Malhotra]], [[Dipendra Singh Airee]], and [[Darius Visser]] in international cricket.

==See also==
* [[T10 League]]
* [[Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |first=Adam |last=Gilchrist |year=1999 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers |isbn=0-7322-6713-7 |title=One-Day Cricket: Playing the One-Day Game}}
*{{cite web|url=http://archives.anandabazar.com/e_kolkata/2013/november/anache_kanache.html|title=আনাচে–কানাচে: ময়দান ও ক্লাব {{!}} ক্যালকাটা ক্রিকেট অ্যান্ড ফুটবল ক্লাব (সিসিএফসি)|first1=Joydeep|last1=Banerjee|first2=Rajat|last2=Karmakar|website=archives.anandabazar.com|publisher=[[Anandabazar Patrika]]|language=bn|trans-title=Maidan & Club: Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC)|location=Kolkata|agency=|date=21 November 2013|access-date=19 October 2022|archive-date=6 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206190523/http://archives.anandabazar.com/e_kolkata/2013/november/anache_kanache.html}}
{{refend}}

{{Forms of cricket}}
{{Team Sport}}

[[Category:Limited overs cricket| ]]