Inning / Innings — scoring periods in cricket, baseball and related sports

Cricket: innings as a team’s complete batting turn

In cricket, an "innings" (the word is used as both singular and plural) is the period in which one side bats until that innings ends. An innings typically ends when ten of the eleven batters have been dismissed (so the batting side has no partner to continue), when a set number of overs have been bowled in limited-overs formats, or when the batting side declares in multi‑day matches. Longer matches (first-class and Test cricket) usually allow two innings per side, while limited-overs formats give each team a single innings limited by a fixed number of overs, such as in one-day and Twenty20 competitions. Other features tied to innings in cricket include the follow-on (a tactical requirement in multi-day matches) and the possibility of a drawn match if time expires before all innings finish.

Baseball: innings and half-innings

In baseball an inning is divided into two halves. Each half-inning gives one team the opportunity to bat; play switches after the defensive team records three outs. Professional baseball schedules nine full innings for a complete game, with the visiting team batting in the "top" of the inning and the home team in the "bottom." If the score is tied after the prescribed number of innings, extra innings are played until one team leads after a completed inning or specified league rules decide the winner. Youth, amateur and some collegiate competitions may use shortened lengths or mercy rules.

Variations, related sports and strategic implications

Other bat-and-ball sports use similar concepts. In softball, for example, a game normally lasts seven innings, with rules for extra innings and early termination similar to baseball. Across these sports the structure of innings influences tactics — batting order, pitching or bowling changes, declarations in cricket, and bullpen management in baseball — because teams manage finite opportunities to score and must plan across multiple turns.

Language, history and notable points

The word "inning" has Old English roots and originally conveyed the idea of a turn or period of activity. A notable linguistic wrinkle is that cricket uses "innings" for both singular and plural, whereas baseball speakers typically say "one inning" and "two innings." Historically the innings concept developed with early bat-and-ball games as an organized way to alternate scoring chances and to bring structure to contests.

Further reading and resources

• General overview of the term in sport: sports terminology
• Details and formats in cricket: cricket rules and formats
• Rules, innings structure and variations in baseball: baseball innings explained

Understanding innings is central to following scorelines and strategy in these sports: they define how many chances a team has to put runs on the board, when momentum can change, and what tactical options are available as a match progresses.