One-Day International matches (ODIs) are a short form of cricket scheduled to take place within one day. The first ODI took place at Melbourne on January 5, 1971, played on the final scheduled day of a rain-aborted Test match to appease a disappointed public.

The Test teams, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have one-day international status, as do Kenya.

ODI cricket, like all cricket, is single combat at any given point in time in that an individual batsman takes on an individual bowler, who has helpers known as fielders.

The batsman stands in the crease in front of one set of stumps while the bowler propels the ball with a straight arm from the other end of the pitch in an attempt to dismiss him, which can be achieved by hitting the batsman's stumps, or causing the batsman to hit the ball into a fielder' s grasp before it bounces, or through a number of other indiscretions.

The batsman attempts to defend his stumps with a bat and to score runs by striking the ball to the boundary of the playing area, or far enough from any fielders to allow the batsman to run to the other end of the pitch before the ball can be returned.

At least two bowlers must take turns (each turn is known as an over) to bowl, from alternating ends of the pitch. There are always two batsmen on the field, each to take turn as required. A team also has one highly specialist fielder who acts as wicket-keeper, standing behind the batsman's stumps to gather deliveries from the bowler, whether the batsman has hit them or not, and returns from fielders.

When all but one of the batting team has been dismissed or their allotment of 50 overs to face is completed, the batting side's opportunity to score runs is closed, and the roles of the teams are reversed. Each opportunity to bat, either for a team or an individual is called an innings (never inning).

In an ODI each side only has one innings, which is limited to 50 overs, although they may be dismissed before those overs are completed.

The most prominent ODI tournament is the ICC Cricket World Cup, the next ICC Cricket World Cup will be held in West Indies in 2007.

Players wear coloured clothing in all ODIs.