# What is a test century? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 17, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766 "2008-04-17T19:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/1 "2008-04-17T19:21:36Z")
It’s something in cricket… ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/2 "2008-04-17T19:24:26Z")
A century in cricket is when the batsman scores 100 runs. A Test Match is the name for a match between two international teams. A test century is a batsman scoring 100 runs in an international match. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/3 "2008-04-17T19:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=cainxinth] It’s something in cricket… [/QUOTE] It’s a century (100 runs scored by a single batsman in an innings), scored in a Test match (international match played over five days). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/4 "2008-04-17T21:24:49Z")
Two accurate simul posts! Cricket also rejoices in jargon like ‘long leg’, ‘short leg’, mid-on’, ‘silly mid-on’ and ‘bowling a maiden over’. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/5 "2008-04-17T21:41:01Z")
Test match status doesn’t apply to all international matches, only those between countries with the relevant status. This is currently England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand. (I’ll admit to checking Wikipedia for that list - and I had forgotten Bangladesh.) ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/6 "2008-04-17T21:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Cricket also rejoices in jargon like ‘long leg’, ‘short leg’, mid-on’, ‘silly mid-on’ and ‘bowling a maiden over’. :eek: [/QUOTE] Silly mid-on has to be the greatest name ever for a field position. Is it because you have to be nuts to play it? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-test-century/445766/7 "2008-04-17T21:50:10Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Silly mid-on has to be the greatest name ever for a field position. Is it because you have to be nuts to play it? [/QUOTE] Actually, yes, “silly” anything is a lot closer to the bat than the regular position of that name - “silly mid-on” is five to ten yards away, almost straight in front - and don’t forget that cricket fielders don’t have gloves (apart from the wicketkeeper, who’s like baseball’s catcher). So it’s a mite dangerous. Some fielders at “silly point” (right-angles to the batsman’s off side) lurk almost within reach of a wild swing of the bat. The etymology of “chinaman” is less clear, though. 😃