Teams with Most ‘Below 50 All Out Totals’ in Test Cricket

Teams with Most Below 50 Totals in Tests

Key Insights

South Africa are the only team to get all out for less than 50 runs in a Test innings more than five times. To be exact, seven.

Five of South Africa’s below-50 totals came against England, the most by a team against a single Test opponent. Four of those instances came in South Africa, the most by a team at home, with three of them taking place in Cape Town, the most by a team at a single venue.

South Africa have twin scores of below 50 runs in a Test twice, the most by a team. Their first instance was against England in the 1889 Cape Town Test, where they mustered 47 and 43 runs. The second incident happened in the 1932 Melbourne Test, as Australia bundled them out for 36 and 45. This is also the lowest match aggregate (by both teams) in a completed Test match.

South Africa’s innings aggregate of 81 in Melbourne is the lowest by a team in a Test.

New Zealand and the West Indies are two teams with an all-out score below 30 each. New Zealand have, in fact, recorded the lowest Test innings total. They were all out on 26 against England in the third innings of the 1955 Auckland Test.

England were the first team to register a below-50 all-out total in Tests. They went down for 45 runs against Australia in the first innings of the 1887 Sydney Test.

England’s 45 all out is also the lowest innings total to end up in a Test victory. This is, in fact, the only below 50 total in a winning cause. The Englishmen made a turnaround in the next three innings to win the Test by 13 runs.

Australia are the other team not to lose a Test after getting all out below 50 in an innings. England wrapped them up for 36 runs in the second innings of the 1902 Birmingham Test, which ended in a draw.