Test cricket is renowned for its mental toughness, technical skill, and attrition-based matches. However, even the most successful teams occasionally fall apart in spectacular fashion. The lowest team totals in Test cricket serve as a reminder of how harsh this format can be, whether it is due to swinging conditions, a nasty surface, or pure bowling genius.
The ten lowest team scores in Test cricket history are shown here:
| Team | Score | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
| New Zealand | 26 | v England | Auckland | 25 Mar 1955 |
| South Africa | 30 | v England | Gqeberha | 13 Feb 1896 |
| South Africa | 30 | v England | Birmingham | 14 Jun 1924 |
| South Africa | 35 | v England | Cape Town | 1 Apr 1899 |
| South Africa | 36 | v Australia | Melbourne | 12 Feb 1932 |
| Australia | 36 | v England | Birmingham | 29 May 1902 |
| India | 36 | v Australia | Adelaide | 17 Dec 2020 |
| Ireland | 38 | v England | Lord’s | 24 Jul 2019 |
| New Zealand | 42 | v Australia | Wellington | 29 Mar 1946 |
| Australia | 42 | v England | Sydney | 10 Feb 1888 |
1. New Zealand – 26 vs England (1955, Auckland)
Overs: 27 overs
Top Scorer: Bert Sutcliffe (11).
Bowler’s Havoc: Bob Appleyard and Alec Bedser
The lowest total in Test history is still from this awful innings. Six players failed to score as England destroyed New Zealand in less than 30 overs.
2. South Africa – 30 vs England (1896, Port Elizabeth)
Overs: 18.4
Top scorer: George Rowe (6)
Bowler’s havoc: George Lohmann (8/7)
The lowest total in Test history is still from this awful innings. Six players failed to score as England destroyed New Zealand in less than 30 overs.
3. South Africa – 30 vs England (1924, Birmingham)
Overs: 12.3
Top scorer: Herbie Taylor (7)
Bowler’s havoc: Maurice Tate (4/12), Arthur Gilligan (6/7)
Yes, it’s South Africa once more. They were removed before noon on Day 1 after this collapse on the bowler-friendly Edgbaston ground.
4. South Africa – 35 vs England (1899, Cape Town)
Overs: 22
Top scorer: Jimmy Sinclair (16)
Bowler’s havoc: Schofield Haigh (6/11)
In the early days of cricket in South Africa, another crushing defeat was evidence that England’s bowlers were formidable.
5. Australia – 36 vs England (1902, Birmingham)
Overs: 23
Top scorer: Joe Darling (10)
Bowler’s havoc: Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst
Not even the powerful Australians were exempt. In Test cricket, this score remains Australia’s lowest.
6. South Africa – 36 vs Australia (1932, Melbourne)
Overs: 23.2
Top scorer: Herby Wade (10)
Bowler’s havoc: Bert Ironmonger (5/6), Tim Wall (4/14)
South Africa appears once more with a total of 36. Australia’s scorching pace and spin were too much for their batting lineup to handle.
7. India – 36 vs Australia (2020, Adelaide)
Overs: 21.2
Top scorer: Mayank Agarwal (9)
Bowler’s havoc: Josh Hazlewood (5/8), Pat Cummins (4/21)
India’s most notorious batting collapse in the history of the modern Test match. In an astonishing pink-ball Test, none of their batsmen scored more than ten runs.
8. Ireland – 38 vs England (2019, Lord’s)
Overs: 15.4
Top scorer: James McCollum (11)
Bowler’s havoc: Chris Woakes (6/17), Stuart Broad (4/19)
9. New Zealand – 42 vs Australia (1946, Wellington)
Overs: 39
Top scorer: Walter Hadlee (10)
Bowler’s havoc: Bill O’Reilly (5/14)
The hosts struggled against excellent spin during Australia’s brief and severe post-war visit to New Zealand.
10. Australia – 42 vs England (1888, Sydney)
Overs: 23.2
Top scorer: Percy McDonnell (13)
Bowler’s havoc: Bobby Peel (4/14), Johnny Briggs (4/11)
Batsmen had a nightmare in this and many other Ashes contests where pitches were unreliable.
Most Recent Collapse: Will There Be a New Entry Soon?
Even today’s batting units are susceptible, as demonstrated by the 2020 India vs. Australia match in Adelaide, even if several of these records are more than 80 years old. There’s always a risk that a new name may make it onto this dreaded list as bowlers become more adept at using reverse swing and surfaces throughout the world get hotter.
Why Do These Collapses Happen?
Such low totals are caused by a number of factors:
- Wet or green surfaces that facilitate seam and swing
- Cloudy weather, particularly in England
- Tests with the pink ball during the day and night
- Pressure on the mind during crucial occasions
- The opposition bowling attack’s quality
Even dominant teams like South Africa, Australia, and India have experienced humiliating totals. Test cricket may change the course of a match in a single session.
Conclusion
The lowest totals for teams in The format is the ultimate test of skill and mental toughness, as test cricket serves as a grim reminder. These notorious innings will live on in cricket history books as warning tales for all time, even as teams commemorate achievements like 500+ runs or double hundreds.
Fans of cricket adore these infrequent collapses because they highlight the drama and magic that only Test cricket can provide, not because they want failure.
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