NONE FOR WON

South Africa recently beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets, and only needed two runs in the fourth innings to win the match. This made me wonder how often the side batting fourth had won a Test with so few runs. Turns out five Tests have been decided with the team batting fourth only needing one run. In four of those Tests a batsmen scored a single to stitch up the game, but in one, the Windies v. Indies Test at Bridgetown, the winning run was scored by No Ball.

Australia	1/0	South Africa	Cape Town	26 Nov 1921
England		1/0	Australia	Sydney		02 Dec 1932
Australia	1/0	South Africa	Johannesburg	07 Feb 1958
West Indies	1/0	England		Manchester	06 Jun 1963
West Indies	1/0	India		Bridgetown	15 Apr 1983

Comments

[Tony]

Any chance we Strayans can get up a protest to turn the alien 1/0 into the earthbound 0/1.

[Russ]

Australia has long since started compromising by being 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 etc.

[Tony]

It's funny. As I was composing the post I was thinking about which Aussie batsmen would get out chasing such a daunting target as 1. Hughes obviously came to mind, as did Slatts.

[Russ]

This list might also be of interest, being lead at the end of the 3rd innings in losses. There were also two instances of 1 run 4th innings chases being scored with boundaries, and 3 games where the team lost by an innings and 1. The worst loss of wickets chasing a total of 10 or under was Sri Lanka, who were 2/0 after 5 balls, and 2/10 after 11. On your last comment, the answer is Langer.

[David Barry]

There are two Tests that you missed, in which the chasing team hit a boundary when they only needed a single. Pak v NZ 1976/7, Eng v WI 2004.

[Jonathan]

You set me wondering who managed to get out chasing the lowest target. Turns out it was the BNG.

[Tony]

That's a good spot, Dave. As it happens I started off wondering about sides facing a one run target to win, but half way changed to sides who only scored one run to win.

I was also looking for sides facing a one run target, who then scored a weird total like 5, courtesy of overthrows, hit helmet, or the like.

[Russ]

Tony, my comment went awol, although Dave and Jonathan addressed the main points. It was full of links, no doubt typepad thinks I'm a spammer.

[m0nty]

Gnome B.N. is a trendsetter.

[Tony]

Russ, you were right. Consider it found, fished and published.

[Tony]

For some reason - possibly even because it is true - I thought there was an instance in Australia where the Aussies, chasing 30-odd, lost three or four wickets.

By the way, my linked list does contain 27 such low chases.

[@TKYC]

Another form of 'None for one'...
http://m.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/english-cricketer-guilty-of-matchfixing-20120113-1pxw6.html

[Russ]

There aren't a huge number of low chases with more than 3 wickets lost. Australia's worst recent effort was 64/3 against England in Perth. Doesn't hold a candle to NZ's 33/5 vs. West Indies in '87 or Pakistan's 66/7 vs. England in '84.

[Tony]

Reckon that 3/64 in Perth was the match I was thinking of, with both Slogger and Gnome B.N. being dismissed in the chase.

[Spark]

This match was unique in its own right though - a completed innings with no legitimate deliveries bowled! Apparently a first in Tests.