Professional cricket matches are held in either the first class, List A, or T20 formats. First class matches are those that follow the test cricket format wherein each match lasts at least four days and both sides can bat twice. T20 is the shortest format where each side bats for no more than 20 overs. The List A format is one where each side bats between forty to sixty overs. The most common format in List A cricket is the One Day International, where each innings lasts 50 overs.
Philip Bailey of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians was the first to propose the List A category. This was mainly to come up with an equivalent of the already existing first class format to maintain better records for the limited overs format. The International Cricket Council thus endorsed the List A format. As a result, the List A format was instead and the first match traced back was between Lancashire and Leicestershire that was held in May 1963.
Apart from One Day Internationals, domestic tournaments at state levels that are played in the 50-over format are also a part of the List A category. Player statistics from the warm up matches and exhibition matches are not counted. Almost every test playing nation has a circuit of limited overs format and each of those matches are counted as List A. These members of the International Cricket Council are Australia, West Indies, England, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Ireland, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe. The women’s game saw the introduction of the List A category in 2021.
Graham Gooch of England holds the record for the most runs scored in List A matches (22,211 runs). Pakistan’s Wasim Akram holds the record for taking the most wickets (881 wickets). South Africa’s Clive Rice is the only player to score over 13000 runs and also take over 500 wickets in List A cricket. Graeme Hick of England holds the record for playing the maximum List A matches (651 matches).
