innings

An innings is a defined period of play during which a team or side has the opportunity to bat and score runs or advance its offensive objective. The term is used in several bat-and-ball sports, notably cricket and baseball, with structure and terminology that differ by sport.

In cricket, an innings is the time during which the batting side tries to score runs. An innings ends when ten batsmen are dismissed, when the allotted number of overs has been bowled, or when a target is reached. In Test cricket each side typically has two innings, while in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches each side bats once. A team may declare its innings closed, ending its batting before all players are dismissed, usually to set a strategic target for the opposition. The runs scored during an innings are added to the team’s total.

In baseball, an inning consists of a half-inning for each team. During a half-inning, the batting team remains at bat until it records three outs, while the opposing team fields. A standard professional game comprises nine innings, though games can be shortened or extended by weather or tie situations. In the top half of an inning, the visiting team bats; in the bottom half, the home team bats.

Usage notes: in cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural in common usage (an innings vs. innings referring to multiple). In baseball, the singular is inning and the plural is innings. The concept in both sports marks a discrete period of play with a clear objective for the batting team and a defined transition back to fielding.