First-class cricket, limited overs cricket, and historically single wicket cricket are three of the many variations of the multifaceted sport of cricket. Test cricket, which is usually written with a capital "T," is the highest standard and is only open to teams from the twelve nations that are full members of the International Cricket Council (see above). Test cricket is thought to have started with two matches between Australia and England in the 1876–77 Australian season, though the term "Test match" did not exist until much later. Since 1882, the majority of Test series between England and Australia have been played for a trophy known as The Ashes. Top-tier domestic cricket is referred to as "first-class" in general usage. First-class matches last three to four days, while test matches are played over five days. In each of these contests, each team is given two innings, and a draw is a respectable outcome.
The teams are given one innings apiece in limited overs cricket, which is always intended to be played in a single day. List A, which typically allows fifty overs per side, and Twenty20, in which each team has twenty overs, are the two categories. International competitions known as Twenty20 Internationals and Limited Overs Internationals (LOI) are held for both limited overs formats (T20I). In England, List A was initially played in the 1963–64 year as a knockout cup between first-class county clubs. A national league competition was founded in 1969. The other major cricketing nations were progressively exposed to the idea, and the first limited overs international match was played in 1971. The first Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1975. The goal of Twenty20, a new variation of restricted overs, is to finish the match in under three hours, typically during an evening session. 2007 saw the debut of the Twenty20 World Championship. While a tie is possible and an incomplete match is a "no result," limited overs matches cannot be drawn.
Single wicket was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and its matches were generally considered top-class. In this form, although each team may have from one to six players, there is only one batsman in at a time and he must face every delivery bowled while his innings lasts. Single wicket has rarely been played since limited overs cricket began. Matches tended to have two innings per team like a full first-class one and they could end in a draw.