Test cricket has witnessed some extraordinary batting collapses. Here are the five lowest team totals ever recorded in the history of Test cricket:
- New-Zealand vs England: New Zealand’s record for the lowest Test innings total in cricket history remains unbroken. The most dramatic breakdown happened at Eden Park in Auckland in March 1955, when New Zealand were bowled out by England for just 26 runs in 27 overs, a record that still stands as the lowest in Test cricket. In Spite of West Indies coming close with 27 all out against Australia in July 2025, New Zealand’s 70-year-old unwanted milestone stays intact, Highlighting one of Test cricket’s most remarkable and Lasting feats of bowling dominance.
- West-Indies vs Australia: West Indies endured a historic downfall in the third Test against Australia at Sabina Park, Kingston, get bowled out for just 27 runs, the second-lowest total ever recorded in Test cricket, barely avoiding the all-time record of 26 set by New Zealand in 1955. In a destructive opening spell, Australia’s Mitchell Starc took the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history, while Scott Boland took a hat-trick, blending to dismantle the West Indies’ batting lineup in only 14.3 overs. This dramatic collapse saw West Indies beaten by 176 runs, securing a 3-0 series a clean sweep for Australia and prompting the West Indies cricket board to call an emergency meeting with legendary former players like Brian Lara,Viv Richards etc to address the team’s decline.
- South Africa vs England: In one of Test cricket’s most infamous batting collapses, South Africa was bowled out for just 30 runs against England at St George’s Park, Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth) in February 1896, not 1986. Chasing a target of 319 in the fourth innings, South Africa’s batsmen had no answer to England’s George Lohmann, who took a remarkable 8 wickets for 7 runs on a difficult pitch, resulting in one of the lowest team totals in Test history. England won the match by a massive 288-run margin, and South Africa’s total of 30 remains the joint second-lowest innings score ever recorded in Test cricket.
- South Africa vs England: In the third Test of the 1924 series between South Africa and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, South Africa suffered one of the lowest innings totals in Test cricket history, being dismissed for just 30 runs. This disastrous batting collapse, which unfolded in only 12.3 overs and featured 11 extras, saw none of the South African batsmen reach double figures, the only time in Test match history this has occurred in a completed innings. Although South Africa recovered to post 390 in their second innings, they ultimately lost the match by an innings and 18 runs, with that infamous 30 all out still standing as one of Test cricket’s most shocking records.
- South Africa vs England: South Africa’s third lowest Test total against England came at Newlands, Cape Town in April 1899, they got bowled out in just 35 runs. underlining England’s historical dominance with the ball over South Africa in the early era of Test cricket. The 35 all out at Newlands remains etched in cricket history for its dramatic collapse, reflecting the challenges teams faced against potent bowling attacks on uncovered pitches of that time.
Also Read: Test Cricket Records: Five Biggest Individual Scores of All Time
These records reflect the unpredictable and challenging nature of Test cricket, where one good spell of bowling can change the outcome dramatically.
