10 days, 1,981 runs, no winner: In the longest Test, England were 42 runs from victory against South Africa as they forced home a draw

The 10-day Test that ended as England had to catch the boat (Image: JIO) At a time when a Test match can be over in three or four days, it is almost impossible to imagine the game continuing for 10 days. But in 1939, England and South Africa played a Test without a time limit. It lasted 43 hours and 16 minutes, produced 1,981 runs and still had no winner.Why did the match finally end? England had to catch the ship.

When Test matches had no time limit

Test cricket has always been about patience. Today, five days is considered the ultimate Test, but there was a time when Test matches were played until there was a winner. The most unusual example came in Durban, South Africa in March 1939. It became known as the “Timeless Test” and remains the longest Test match ever played.England were touring South Africa for a five-Test series. With England leading 1–0 going into the final Test, the teams agreed that the match would be played to the finish without a fixed time limit. Play began at Kingsmead on 3 March 1939 when South Africa elected to bat.

South African bat for almost three days

On a pitch that offered little help to the bowlers, South Africa batted for nearly three days and made 530. Pieter van der Bijl scored 125 and Dudley Nourse 103, with South Africa’s first innings consuming about 13 hours of playing time. England replied with 316, giving South Africa a 214-run lead.

A target of 696 runs for England

South Africa had a chance to force follow-on but opted to bat again. Captain Alan Melville’s side added another 481 runs, leaving England with a massive target of 696. England opened their fourth innings on 9 March. With no time limit, there was no need to panic. And slowly the impossible began to seem possible.Bill Edrich produced a magnificent 219 while Gerry Gibb scored 120. Then England captain Wally Hammond added 140. England kept batting, scoring and still going for a huge target. They eventually reached 654/5. They needed just 42 more runs to win. After 10 days of play, England were suddenly on the verge of completing one of the greatest fourth-innings chases in Test history. Then came the rain.

The Timeless Test has finally expired

Rain has already interrupted the match several times, but the pitch has repeatedly recovered enough to resume play. On 14 March, England continued with victory within reach. Hammond was dismissed for 140 and with the score at 654/5 rain stopped play again. England needed only 42 runs. But the weather was no longer a problem.It was a calendar. England had a train and ship to catch the tour of England already scheduled around their journey home. The team had to travel from Durban to Cape Town by train to board at Athlone Castle on 17 March and return to Britain.“Time Test” may not have had a cricketing term, but England’s travel arrangements did. There was no real way the match could go on indefinitely. The captains finally agreed to end the game. England were left at 654/5, just 42 runs short of victory.The match was declared a draw. 10 days, 1,981 runs and no winner The match took place over 12 calendar days, with 10 days being played. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the longest Test match in the history of men’s cricket.