The bowlers behind the low scores

We have heard a lot about low Test scores in the last few days. Here we list the bowlers who were responsible.

Here we see the Lowest Test scores (40 and below, 8 or more wickets lost):

While the 35/8 in 1953 was not an all-out score, it probably would have been quite low if the match had lasted a few more overs before time ran out. India’s 36 had one batsman retired hurt.

Listing all the bowlers in these innings:

NZ 26 (Tyson 2-10, Statham 3-9, Wardle 1-0, Appleyard 4-7)

SA 30 (1896): (Lohmann 8-7, Bromley-Davenport 1-23, Hayward 1-0)

SA 30 (1924): (AER Gilligan 6-7, M Tate 4-12)

SA 35 (Haigh 6-11, AE Trott 4-19)

Aus 35/8 (Bedser 2-14, Laker 2-11, Wardle 4-7)

Aus 36 (Hirst 3-15, Rhodes 7-17, Braund 0-1)

SA 36 (Nash 4-18, McCabe 1-4, Ironmonger 5-6)

Ind 36 (Starc 0-7, Cummins 4-21, Hazlewood 5-8)

Ire 38 (Broad 4-19, Woakes 6-17)

Note that in some cases only 2 bowlers bowled through the innings.

Now we look at India’s lowest Test scores (75 or less, 8 or more wickets lost):

36 (Starc 0-7, Cummins 4-21, Hazlewood 5-8)

42 (Arnold 4-19, Old 5-21, Hendrick 0-2)

58 (1947) (Lindwall 2-11, Johnston 2-17, Miller 1-26, Toshack 5-2)

58 (1952) (Bedser 2-19, Trueman 8-31, Laker 0-7)

66 (Donald 4-14, SM Pollock 3-25, Klusener 2-16, McMillan 0-9)

67 (Lindwall 1-9, L Johnson 3-8, Loxton 1-10, Johnston 2-15, Ring 3-17)

75 (Patterson 5-24, WW Davis 3-20, W Benjamin 1-17, Walsh 1-13)

As we can see, India had the misfortune to run into the leading attacks of Australia, England and South Africa at various times.

The scores of 36 had the No 11 batsman retired hurt, and the 42 had one batsman absent hurt (though he was also No 11, so it should not have mattered much).

Toshack’s 5-2 is the best analysis by any bowler with 5 or more wickets in an innings. The next best is 6-3 by J Lawson vs Bangladesh in 2002. However, CA Walsh has taken 5-1 in an ODI.

L Johnson (Aus, 1948) was playing in his only Test.

Trueman’s 8-31 came in his 3rd Test and it remained his career-best analysis.

Bangladesh cricket hits a new low

Only a few days ago we noticed that Bangladesh had finally got a Test ranking (8th) higher than that of the West Indies (9th). It was therefore hoped that Bangladesh would be competitive in the 2-Test series in the West Indies starting on July 4.

That did not happen, as Bangladesh was dismissed for 43 before lunch on the first day of the series at North Point. The main wrecker was Kemar Roach (5-1-8-5 with an injured knee).

In the following tables I have considered 9 or 10 wickets down, to cover cases where teams batted one man short.

This is the lowest score by Bangladesh in all Tests:

It also has the lowest number of balls in any Test innings by Bangladesh (112), the next lowest being 152 for their 62-run effort in 2007.

It is also the lowest Test score by any side since 2000 ( the list shows scores below 75)

However, they lasted for 112 balls which is higher than that for Australia (108 balls for 47 in 2011) and 111 balls for 60 in 2015).

And you can see that 43 all out is fairly low down in the all-time Test lows (below 50). India was dismissed for 42 (one man absent) in 1974.

We also look at the all-time Test lows by balls faced (less than 120 balls):

The all-time low is 75 balls by SA for 30 all out in 1924. The NZ team which made 26 all out did survive for 162 balls and thus does not appear here. India’s record low of 102 balls for 42 can be seen here.

The Bangladesh team’s 112 balls is one more than Australia’s 111 balls for 60 in 2015 and 108 balls in 2011, which are the lowest in recent years.

Finally we look at the lowest scores in the first innings of the match (below 60);

Bangladesh’s 43 today is the 3rd lowest here, and the lowest since 1946.

Also note that England won after being dismissed for 45 in 1887.

And the lowest number of balls faced in the first innings of the match (below 120):

Here Bangladesh has survived for one ball more than Australia’s famous 60 in 2015, which is the record.

And the 43 is the lowest Test score in the West Indies:

Records of Pak-WI T20I on April 1, 2018

Here are the records which were set in this match, which was one of the most one-sided T20I matches ever. First, the scorecard:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18597/scorecard/1140069/pakistan-vs-west-indies-1st-t20i-wi-in-pakistan-2018/ 

All figures are correct on April 1, 2018.

Lowest-ever T20I scores (85 and below):

Live link: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283172.html

We see that WI’s total is among the lowest in all T20Is, but still ahead of the record of 39 all out by Netherlands in 2014, in the course of the T20I World Championships. Their previous lowest was 79/7 against Zimbabwe in 2010, which you can see in the above total. The previous lowest all-out total was 101 against Sri Lanka in 2009, in the course of the T20I World Championship.

Pakistan recorded its joint-highest T20I total, as it had also made 203/5 against Bangladesh at Karachi in 2008. This is however not too high in the all-time list of high T20I scores, which is headed by Australia’s 263/6 against Sri Lanka in 2016.

Highest T20I totals by Pakistan:

And Pakistan also recorded its highest margin of victory:

It can be seen that it is the second-highest margin (by runs) in all T20Is, surpassed only by Sri Lanka’s demolition of Kenya in the first T20I World Championship. It is also the largest victory margin in matches between full members. Pakistan’s previous record was 103 runs against New Zealand in 2010.

Live link: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283283.html