1

Possible Duplicate:
Where did the singular “innings” come from?

Is there any difference between inning and innings? I think both can be used interchangeably.

But I haven't seen inning frequently used by any news channel or English newspaper. Is there any particular reason behind using innings more frequently than inning?

Community
  • 1
Sudhir
  • 1,226

2 Answers2

3

The word in cricket is innings (which is singular). I believe the corresponding word in baseball is inning.

Colin Fine
  • 77,173
  • @Collin Fole It means both words can't be used interchangeably? – Sudhir Nov 25 '12 at 14:51
  • If you use the wrong one for the context, people will understand, but know you are unfamiliar with the game in question. – Colin Fine Nov 25 '12 at 14:56
  • 1
    Baseball requires the distinction because every game has many innings, each of which is an inning - the first inning, second inning, &c. My understanding is that in a cricket match each team has only one innings, so there's ordinarily no need to distinguish singular and plural. – StoneyB on hiatus Nov 25 '12 at 15:10
  • @Stoney If we are referring to a test match in cricket then it has two innings viz. first and second innings. Can we use inning there according to your first statement? – Sudhir Nov 25 '12 at 15:30
  • @sudhir Probably not; the dictionaries say that in cricket innings is both singular and plural; but I follow baseball (Go Cards!), not cricket, so look to someone more knowledgeable for a definitive answer. – StoneyB on hiatus Nov 25 '12 at 15:38
  • 1
    A recognised cricketing authority uses his own plural, inningses, to make it clear when he's invoking the plural sense. Even though he only claims authority in his own field of expertise, I wouldn't argue with him - and I think he's actually found a sensible way of dealing with this corridor of uncertainty. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 25 '12 at 15:52
  • Observe also that in baseball, both teams appear during an inning, the visiting team in the top half and the home team in the bottom half. "Going into the bottom of the fourth inning, David Freese leading off for the Cardinals." A pitcher, however, is credited with an inning pitched for pitching a half-inning. If he comes out of the half-inning before it's completed, he's credited with a third of an inning pitched for each out recorded in that half-inning. – StoneyB on hiatus Nov 25 '12 at 16:16
  • 1
    @EdwinAshworth- His name wouldn't be Gollum would it? – Jim Nov 25 '12 at 16:47
  • 1
    @StoneyB, wow - and yet this is a nation that claims to find cricket too complicated? – mgb Nov 25 '12 at 21:49
  • @mgb I don't find cricket complicated; I just don't have any opportunity to watch it and learn the finer points. – StoneyB on hiatus Nov 25 '12 at 21:59
0

I can only answer with regards to American baseball (or softball), as I have no frame of reference for cricket. In baseball, inning is singular and innings is plural. So you can use both, but not interchangeably.

We will go get popcorn during the fifth inning.

They sing music during the seventh inning stretch.

He pitched for three innings.

Baseball normally lasts for nine innings.

Community
  • 1
Lynn
  • 17,801