Why do cricket 'Test' matches last for five days? Why are they called 'Tests'?

The Origins of Test Match

The origins of Test match cricket can be traced back to England in the 1800s. Cricket was extremely popular then as now, and there were growing demands from English cricketers who wanted to represent their country against other nations like Australia (which was at that time still very much not its own nation). The problem was, however, that different countries had different styles of play; Australians played a brand of cricket with overarm bowling which differed greatly from the underarm bowling that was common in England at the time.

This difference in rules between cricketing nations meant that matches between countries were often one-sided affairs, which didn't really allow either side the opportunity to demonstrate the best of their abilities. This naturally led to some discontent among English players who wanted to play against Australia on the fairer ground.

Eventually, it was agreed upon by various cricket authorities that a set number of games would be played under different sets of rules for each team so they could both get a fair chance of winning. The first-ever game played was in Melbourne, Australia on March 18, held under these new rules. It has since become historically accepted as the very first Test match ever played.

The name 'Test' cricket was derived from the number of matches that were originally agreed upon to be played under these different rules. They ultimately decided to go with five matches, and all these as a collective aimed to show the strengths of both sides. These games were known as 'The Ashes', which is why you'll still hear people talking about the Ashes even today, despite the fact that Test cricket has been played all over the world for many decades now.