Lunch, Tea & Drinks Breaks in Cricket Explained — Times, Rules & Variations
Cricket is punctuated by scheduled breaks: lunch, tea, and drinks intervals. Learn when they happen, how long they last, who decides them, and how bad weather and match situation can alter the schedule.
Test cricket divides each day into three sessions separated by a lunch break and a tea break. Limited-overs cricket has a single innings break between the two team innings, plus mid-innings drinks intervals. These breaks are not just refreshment opportunities — they have specific regulatory rules about timing, duration, and when they can be moved or delayed.
Test match breaks
A standard Test day has three sessions of roughly two hours each: morning session (play starts at 11:00 or 10:30), lunch (40 minutes), afternoon session, tea (20 minutes), and evening session (until 17:30 or 18:00). The exact times vary by host country and ICC playing conditions. In England, the day runs from 11:00 to 18:00; in Australia (summer) from 10:30 to 18:00; in the subcontinent from morning to late afternoon to avoid the hottest hours.
Can a break be delayed?
Yes. Breaks can be delayed by up to 30 minutes if a wicket falls within the last 30 minutes of a session, at the discretion of the umpires. This prevents teams from shielding a debutant or protecting a nightwatchman through tea. If a wicket falls at 17:55 and tea is scheduled for 18:00, the umpires may play on to the full session or allow the break at the scheduled time — the decision falls to the on-field umpires.
Drinks intervals
Within each session, a drinks interval can be taken — typically once per session in hot or humid conditions. Drinks are usually brought onto the field by a team's 12th man at agreed intervals; the fielding captain and batting captain must agree or the umpires facilitate. In some playing conditions, especially in Asian heat, a second drinks break per session is permitted. During drinks, players do not leave the field — the break is taken on the pitch with everyone remaining in position.
Limited-overs match breaks
ODIs and T20s have a single innings break (typically 45 minutes in ODIs, 20 minutes in T20s) between the two team innings. Drinks intervals occur after every 10 overs in ODIs, and once in the middle of a T20 innings (around the 10-over mark in ODIs). Strategic timeouts — formal two-minute timeouts used tactically by captains — are a T20-specific rule used in domestic T20 leagues including IPL, but are not universal across all T20 competitions.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the lunch break in Test cricket?
The lunch break in Test cricket is typically 40 minutes. It falls between the morning and afternoon sessions, usually around 13:00–13:40 local time, depending on the host country's playing conditions.
Can the lunch break be delayed in cricket?
Yes. If a wicket falls within 30 minutes of a scheduled break, the umpires have discretion to delay the break. If a team is nine wickets down close to a break, the umpires may play through to the fall of the next wicket to prevent tactical exploitation of the interval.
What is a drinks interval in cricket?
A drinks interval is a short pause within a session where players receive refreshments on the field. Unlike lunch and tea, players do not leave the field during a drinks break. They occur once or twice per session depending on weather conditions.