Test cricket is known for long matches and big scores. But every now and then a team will have a complete collapse and end their innings with a shockingly low score. These are the moments fans can’t believe and become part of cricket history for all the wrong reasons. Recently Australia bowled out the West Indies for 27 in a pink ball Test.
So here are the 5 lowest team scores in Test history:
1. New Zealand – 26 All Out vs England (Auckland, 1955)
This is still the lowest team score in a Test match. It happened way back in March 1955 at Eden Park in Auckland. England got New Zealand all out for 26 in their 2nd innings. The pitch helped the bowlers but the batting collapse was still intense. New Zealand’s top scorer only managed 11 and 5 batsmen didn’t score any runs at all. Bob Appleyard took 4 wickets for 7 runs, Brian Statham 3 and Frank Tyson 2 to bowl out the Kiwis for 26. A record no team wants to break.
2. West Indies – 27 All out vs Australia (Kingston, 2025)
This might be the most shocking collapse in recent Test cricket. West Indies were bowled out for 27 in Kingston in 2025. The Australian pace attack went through the batting line-up and the second lowest score in Test history. The pitch wasn’t impossible to bat on but Mitchell Starc caused problems with the pink ball. He took 5 wickets in 15 balls of the final innings. He ended up with 6 wickets for 9 runs in 7.3 overs to destroy the Windies and limit them to 27. This will be remembered as a bad day for Caribbean cricket.
3. South Africa – 30 All Out vs England (Gqeberha, 1896)
In the early days of Test cricket South Africa played England in Gqeberha (then called Port Elizabeth). They were bowled out for 30 in their 2nd innings while trying to chase a big target. England’s bowlers, especially George Lohmann, were too much for the South African batsmen. Lohmann took 8 wickets for 7 runs in this innings, one of the best bowling performances ever. It was a tough time for South African cricket which was still developing.
4. South Africa – 30 All Out vs England (Birmingham, 1924)
South Africa had problems again in 1924 when they were out for 30 in their 2nd innings of the Birmingham Test. Maurice Tate and Arthur Gilligan shared the wickets and didn’t let the batsmen score easily. The home team had scored 438 in the 1st innings and enforced the follow-on to win the game by an innings and 18 runs. It showed how South Africa struggled in their early Test history.
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5. South Africa – 35 All Out vs England (Cape Town, 1899)
This was in Cape Town during England’s 1899 tour of South Africa. South Africa were bowled out for a tiny 35. Schofield Haigh and Albert Trott used the conditions to good effect and took 6 and 4 wickets respectively. One of many times England beat South Africa during that period as they won the Cape Town Test by 210 runs.
