Chronicling the 5 lowest targets ever defended in ODI cricket

Cricket is often dubbed as a game of uncertainty and that is what makes the sport such a delight to watch. Often in cricket, teams that have chased down huge totals (read SA vs Aus at Jo’burg in ’06) are remembered but there are cases where teams have been dismissed for paltry totals but have gone on to successfully defend it.Low totals tend to produce some amazing matches as the margin for error is very minimal.Here are the stats of the teams who have defended the lowest scores in ODI cricket.

#1 India 105 , Bangladesh 58 , Mirpur 2014

Stuart Binny bowled a magical spell of 6/4

What transpired in the second ODI of the India-Bangladesh 2014 ODI series was something no cricket fan could imagine. Bangladesh’s debutant Taskin Ahmed took 5/28 to dismiss India for a meagre total of 105 with stand-in skipper Suresh Raina top scoring with 27.

With the evening temperature and moisture setting in at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, the pitch became highly conducive for swing bowling. India’s new ball bowlers Mohit Sharma and Stuart Binny made the most of this situation and ran through the Bangladeshi batting line up dismissing them for 58 runs. Binny was declared man of the match for his magical spell of 6/4.

#2 India 125, Pakistan 87, Sharjah 1985

Imran Khan’s 6/14 is still the best figures by a bowler in a lost match

Pakistan put India in on a typical Sharjah pitch and India could muster just 125 runs with contributions from Mohd. Azharuddin and Captain Kapil Dev. Imran destroyed the experienced Indian batting line up with bowling figures of 6/14.

Kapil Dev then turned the match on its head by taking the wickets of Rameez Raja early and spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan accounting for Imran Khan. The Pakistani batsmen fell like a pack of cards as they lost their way to end up 87 all out and losing the match by 38 runs.

Imran Khan was awarded the Man of the match for his 6/14, the best figures by a bowler in a lost match till date.

#3 West Indies 128, England 125, Kingston 1980

Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner

England's famous 1980-81 tour of West Indies began with a defeat that ranks third in our table. Vivian Richards, who was at his peak at the time, did not play that match and the West Indians had been dismissed for 127 with debutant Everton Mattis’ 62 being the saving grace for them.

The English batsmen, up against Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner, had inched to 14 for no loss before four wickets tumbled. A brilliant spell from Colin Croft resulted in him scalping 6 wickets for just 15 runs as England fell short by two runs.

#4 South Africa 130, England 115, East London 1996

Man of the Match Paul Adams bowled a superb spell of 3/26

At Number 4 on our list we have South Africa defending a total of 129. England medium pacer Darren Gough’s 3/25 led the English demolition of the South African batting. Thanks to Brian McMillan’s 45, South Africa huffed to 129 runs after they were reduced to 98/8 at one stage.

In reply, terrific bowling spells by Fanie de Villiers (2/10) and Paul Adams (3/26) reduced England to 115 runs and they lost the game by 14 runs. Graeme Hick top scored for England with 33 runs. Paul Adams was the Man of the Match. This match also marked the debut of famous all-rounder Lance Klusner.

#5 Kenya 135, Zimbabwe 69, Harare 2005

Kenya made a spirited comeback to ODI cricket in 2006

It was a series that passed by with few even realising. In 2006, Kenya toured Zimbabwe to play a five-match series. Kenya, whose players were recovering from a dispute of their own which had undermined their progress for almost two years, had not played an ODI since September 2004.

What happened in the third ODI of the series garnered some attention though. David Obuya’s 22 helped Kenya to 134 runs in the first innings of the game. But Peter Ongondo (4/14) and Thomas Odoyo (3/13) made life difficult for the Zimbabwean batsmen. They failed to even put up a fight with just Brendan Taylor making 33 runs.

Kenya won the match by 65 runs thanking to their spirited bowling.