Australia’s lowest Test total of all time

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As we write, Australia are 22-9 in 12.5 overs.

Their lowest total ever is 36 and the lowest Test total of all time is New Zealand’s 26 (both those scores were against England, incidentally).

Bizarrely, Australia are actually 210 ahead, thanks to Michael Clarke’s increasingly spectacular 151 in the first innings and South Africa’s 96 all out.

Australia could quite easily record an utterly humiliating victory in this Test match.

DON'T BE LIKE GATT!

Mike Gatting wasn't receiving the King Cricket email when he dropped that ludicrously easy chance against India in 1993.

Coincidence?

Why risk it when it's so easy to sign up?

22 comments

  1. Here are the numbers you need for comparisons with today’s play:

    Most wickets in a day – 27 (in 1888)

    All four innings in a day – Twice previously

    Australia’s lowest total – 35

    Lowest by anyone ever – 26

    More wickets than runs (for an opening batsman) – Twice previously

    1. To quote from Cricinfo (where I nicked that and all the other stats from):

      John Goddard of WI scored 1 and 3 and took 6 wickets against England 1948

      Dirk Viljoen (Zim) scored a pair then took a wicket with last ball of the match on debut vs Pakistan in 1998

      Watson hasn’t actually done it yet; he needs three 2nd innings wickets to get there. As I think we can confidently predict a ten-wicket win for SA from here, it looks like he’ll miss out.

    2. Thanks. Plagerism makes it no less remarkable.

      Incidentally, to rewind a few days as I’d just noticed your reply, I quite the Asif and Amir clues- and good ones they were too… I was just suggesting adding “before time” to add the second “t” in Butt.

      But anyway, i must get back to wallowing in schadenfreude

    3. Ah, I see. I had them the other way round.

      Cheating bastard? I hardly think so = Asif
      (I hardly think so = As if)

      On the other hand, the first cheating bastard = Butt
      (On the other hand = “but”; the first = “t”)

      But you’re right, they are fairly interchangeable.

  2. 47 all out is still funny though. South Africa winning from here would be even better, but that may be too much to ask

  3. I’m new to cricket. Can someone explain the difference between T20 and test matches?

    Is it that in one format two teams get through a complete innings each in 40 overs in total, whereas the other is called T20?

  4. It was such a great day’s play. If only all test matches could be so bonkers.

    I’m an Aussie and I was hoping they’d get the record for the lowest score.

    That is what they have reduced me to. Hoping for the ultimate embarrassment instead of not even being able to do that with any commitment.

    1. That’s Aussie fan ambition for you. If England had been in that humiliating position, I would have been cowering in a near fetal-position just hoping for a few extra runs to avoid the ultimate “lowest” record.

      Contrast with the Aussie fan who thinks “heck there’s another record to be had here – here’s hoping for that one as well. Crack another tube and throw another prawn on the barby. I’m laughing the corks off my hat!” And doubtless other words to that effect.

      (Cork) hats off to you, Lucretia. I’m sorry your wish did not come true.

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