Pakistan TV have set a new record for the lowest target successfully defended, when they set Sui Northern Gas Pipelines 40 to win and bowled
them out for 37.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-tv-break-232-year-old- record-for-defending-the-lowest-total-in-first-class-cricket-1519850
The previous record was 41, when Oldfield bowled out MCC for 34 at
Lord's Old Ground in 1794, a match in which Thomas Lord himself played.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-domestic-season-1794-537114/ marylebone-cricket-club-vs-oldfield-537311/full-scorecard
The names of the Oldfield bowlers who did most of the damage - Gates and Timber - seem rather appropriate.
On 17/01/2026 18:27, David North wrote:
Pakistan TV have set a new record for the lowest target successfully
defended, when they set Sui Northern Gas Pipelines 40 to win and
bowled them out for 37.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-tv-break-232-year-old-
record-for-defending-the-lowest-total-in-first-class-cricket-1519850
The previous record was 41, when Oldfield bowled out MCC for 34 at
Lord's Old Ground in 1794, a match in which Thomas Lord himself played.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-domestic-
season-1794-537114/ marylebone-cricket-club-vs-oldfield-537311/full-
scorecard
The names of the Oldfield bowlers who did most of the damage - Gates
and Timber - seem rather appropriate.
I've just read a BBC news item about that. Sounds like it wasn't the
best of pitches. I wonder if, when a few batsmen were out cheaply, the
rst panicked.
It's debatable whether that 1794 match should be counted as first-class,
and I don't think all authorities would do do. ISTR that CricketArchive doesn't count anything prior to 1800.
Do you know what the old record
would have been if the Oldfield match was to be discounted?
On 17/01/2026 18:48, John Hall wrote:
On 17/01/2026 18:27, David North wrote:
Pakistan TV have set a new record for the lowest target successfully
defended, when they set Sui Northern Gas Pipelines 40 to win and
bowled them out for 37.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-tv-break-232-year-old-
record-for-defending-the-lowest-total-in-first-class-cricket-1519850
The previous record was 41, when Oldfield bowled out MCC for 34 at
Lord's Old Ground in 1794, a match in which Thomas Lord himself played.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-domestic-
season-1794-537114/ marylebone-cricket-club-vs-oldfield-537311/full-
scorecard
The names of the Oldfield bowlers who did most of the damage - Gates
and Timber - seem rather appropriate.
I've just read a BBC news item about that. Sounds like it wasn't the
best of pitches. I wonder if, when a few batsmen were out cheaply, the
rst panicked.
It's debatable whether that 1794 match should be counted as first-
class, and I don't think all authorities would do do. ISTR that
CricketArchive doesn't count anything prior to 1800.
CA does count it as FC.
https://web.archive.org/web/20251219042949/https://cricketarchive.com/ Archive/Scorecards/0/199.html
Looking at their list of FC matches for 1794, I noticed that the same
sides started a second match on the second day of the first match, and completed it on the following day!
https://web.archive.org/web/20251219043907/https://cricketarchive.com/ Archive/Scorecards/0/200.html
The first match now classified as First Class was Hampshire v England at Hambledon in 1772.
https://web.archive.org/web/20251010130247/https://cricketarchive.com/ Archive/Scorecards/0/4.html
Do you know what the old record would have been if the Oldfield match
was to be discounted?
42 - Border 34 all out v Eastern Province, East London 1946/47
That was the only instance under 60 in the last 100 years.
https://stats.acscricket.com/Records/First_Class/Overall/Team/ Smallest_Targets_not_Achieved.html
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