The longest Test match ever played was the "Timeless Test" between England and South Africa in 1939. It lasted 12 days, from March 3 to March 14, with nine days of actual play. The match had to be abandoned as a draw because the English team needed to catch their ship back home. England was chasing a target of 696 runs and had reached 654/5 when the match ended. A total of 5,447 balls were bowled, making it the longest Test match in history