Table of Contents
The Lowest Scores in Test cricket of All Time
26 – New Zealand against England – 1955
The lowest total in the history of test cricket is just 26. This record breaking score was made by New Zealand against England at Auckland in 1955.
30 – South Africa against England – 1896
South Africa had previously held the record low score for 59 years. This total of 30 was made against England in the early days of test cricket at Gqerbha in 1896.
30 – South Africa against England – 1924
The South Africans managed to equal their unwanted record in 1924. Another total of 30 came in a test against England at Edgbaston.
35 – South Africa against England – 1899
South African cricket fans really won’t want to read this list. Against England in Cape Town in 1899, the newest test nation at the time capitulated to 35 all out.
36 – South Africa against Australia – 1932
Here we go again with the South Africans. The team rounds things off here with another pitiful total of 36 which was made against Australia at the MCG in 1932.
Lowest Totals by India in Test History
36 – India against Australia – 17 Dec 2020
India tied South Africa’s total of 36 when they played in this astonishing test match. The country is known for its prolific batters but this time they collapsed to 36 all out against Australia at Adelaide in 2020.
42 – India against England – 20 Jun 1974
Prior to that capitulation in Adelaide, India’s lowest score in a test match came against England on the 1974 tour. Worse still was the fact that this effort of 42 came at the home of cricket – Lord’s – on June 20th.
58 – India against Australia – 28 November 1947
India have made a total of 58 in a test match on two occasions. The first of these came against Australia at Brisbane on the 1947/48 tour.
58 – India against England – 17 Jul 1952
Five years later, India matched a total which was their lowest in test cricket at the time. This score of 58 was made against England at Old Trafford.
66 – India against South Africa – 26 Dec 1996
Completing the set is another recent result. Playing against South Africa in Durban on the 1996/97 tour, the visiting Indians could make just 66.
Lowest Team Scores In ODI Cricket
35 – Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka – 25 April 2004
The lowest team total in the history of One Day Internationals is 35. This poor effort was compiled by Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka at Harare in 2004.
35 – USA against Nepal 2020
Two teams have made 35 in a One Day International. In 2020, the USA matched the record lowest score with this innings against Nepal at Kirtipur.
36 – Canada against Sri Lanka – 19 February 2003
Canada have the misfortune of recording the lowest team total in a World Cup. This innings of 36 came against Sri Lanka at Paarl in the 2003 tournament.
38 – Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka – 08 December 2001
Zimbabwe feature for the second time in this top five list. Their total of 38 came in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2001.
43 – Pakistan against West Indies – 25 February 1993
Two sides have made 43 in ODI cricket but Pakistan were the first so they squeeze into the top five. This effort came in a match against the West Indies at Cape Town in 1993.
Lowest Scores in T20 Cricket
10 – Isle of Man against Spain in 2023
Since this list was first compiled, there have been some ridiculously low scores in T20 internationals, but will anyone ever beat this record of 10. The Isle of Man reached this score against Spain at Cartegena in February 2023. No boundaries were hit, and the highest individual score was 4 by Joseph Burrows.
12 – Mongolia against Japan in 2024
Mongolia came close to getting under the Isle of Man’s record low score a few months later. Against Japan in Sano in May 2024, the team made just 12 while chasing a target of 217.
15 – Sydney Thunder against Adelaide Strikers in 2022
In the 2022/23 edition of the Big Bash League, Sydney Thunder set a new world record for the lowest total in T20 cricket. The side were bowled out for just 15 with Brendan Doggett top scoring with four.
Sydney Thunder lost the match by 124 runs and, their total of 35 balls faced, was also a record low in this form of the game.
21 – Turkey against Czech Republic in 2019
The record for the lowest score in T20 international cricket used to be held by Turkey. Playing against the Czech Republic at Ilfov County in 2019, they made just 21.
23 – China against Malaysia in 2023
China batted first against Malaysia in this match at Kuala Lumpur, but could only set 23 for their opponents to chase down. Wei Guo Lei top scored with 7, and the Malaysians reached their target after 4.5 overs.
24 – Rwanda against Nigeria in 2023
Rwanda are another emerging nation that is finding its way in international cricket. They will improve, but they’ll want to forget this total of 23 against Nigeria which saw them lose by eight wickets in the West Africa Trophy.
26 – Lesotho against Uganda in 2021
Lesotho slot in with their lowest score in T20is. This dismal total of 26 was made against Uganda in Kigali in 2021.
26 – Mongolia against Japan in 2024
Mongolia will not look back on their 2024 series of games against Japan with fondness. Along with their total of 12, they made 26 in a game which they lost by ten wickets. The Japanese needed just eight balls to knock off the runs.
26 – China against Thailand in 2023
The Chinese national cricket team had another day to forget in this encounter. A total of 26 featured a top scoring contribution from extras with 9.
28 – Turkey against Luxembourg in 2019
Turkey are back with another low score from 2019. This time, an innings of just 28 was compiled against Luxembourg at the Ilfov County Ground once again.
30 – Thailand against Malaysia in 2022
This is another recent low score which has since been eclipsed. Against Malaysia in Bangi in 2022, Thailand made just 30.
32 – Turkey against Austria in 2019
2019 was a bad year for the Turkish T20 national team. The Ilfov County Ground was the scene once again as the team made just 32 against Austria.
What is a Sub-Par Total?
Cricket Commentators will often speak about par and sub-par totals, but what do they mean? Generally, a par total is calculated by taking an average score from previous matches played on the ground.
For example, the statisticians may look at all T20 matches played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They may then do the calculations to find that the average first innings score is 165, so this is considered to be the par total. If the team batting first hits 180, this is above par, while a score of 140 would be below par.
A par total could be influenced by a number of factors. A short boundary on one side, would mean that the batting side should be looking for a higher score to be competitive. In contrast, poor pitch conditions and a wet outfield may be among the factors that suggest a lower scoring match.
What is Considered to be a Low Total?
This is open for debate and would depend on some of the factors we mentioned in the previous section. Obviously, the scores on this list are all low and are the worst returns in professional cricket to date.
I would suggest that anything below 100 is a low total, and this applies to all formats of the game. Scores below this level have been defended, but are unlikely to be competitive in tests, ODIs or T20 matches.
26 – Lesotho against Uganda in 2021
Lesotho slot in with the second lowest score in T20is. This dismal total of 26 was made against Uganda in Kigali in 2021.
28 – Turkey against Luxembourg in 2019
Turkey are back with another low score from 2019. This time, an innings of just 28 was compiled against Luxembourg at the Ilfov County Ground once again.
30 – Thailand against Malaysia in 2022
This is the most recent of the top five low scores. Against Malaysia in Bangi in 2022, Thailand made just 30.
32 – Turkey against Austria in 2019
2019 was a bad year for the Turkish T20 national team. The Ilfov County Ground was the scene once again as the team made just 32 against Austria.
Conclusion
The teams involved will not want to recall these games but they have all played their part in cricket history with lowest scores of all time.
The records in test and ODI cricket may stand for many more years. In T20 international cricket, some very inexperienced names have been added to the ICC roster. There could well be some more updates to come in this section so watch this space.
