The smallest margin wins in test cricket, as presented to you today. Although several of these team battles ended in draws, some were mild, and others were close, the past five days of cricket have witnessed some fantastic team confrontations. However, a handful of these games that “might be a draw” ended up being wins for one of the two teams. While there have been games when the last wicket was in play, there have also been games where the final few runs determined the outcome. In this article, we only discuss test cricket wins by runs, which have the smallest margin of victory. Here are some interesting cricket matches.
Best & Interesting Cricket Matches
In test cricket, the team with the smallest margin prevails:
2018 Abu Dhabi Test (New Zealand won by 4 runs v Pakistan)
A three-match test series between Pakistan and New Zealand took place in November 2018. New Zealand chose to bat first in the opening test at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi after winning the toss. The squad was bowled out for 153, thus they were unable to benefit significantly from the choice. Yasir Shah claimed three wickets, while Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Abbas each claimed two. The only Kiwi combatant was Kane Williamson (age 64). In response, Pakistan scored 227 points, with Babar Azam scoring 62. Trent Boult claimed four wickets, while de Grandhomme and Ajaz Patel each claimed two.
Nicholls and Watling helped New Zealand score 249 runs after falling behind by 74 runs in the second inning. Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali each took five wickets. Pakistan was knocked out for 171 while chasing 176 in the fourth innings, despite Azhar Ali scoring 65. Ajaz Patel claimed five wickets, while Sodhi and Wagner both claimed two wickets. Because of his 7-wicket haul throughout the game, Patel was named player of the match. This victory by four runs is one of the victories by runs with the smallest margins in Test cricket.
1982 Melbourne Test (England won by 3 runs v Australia)
England traveled to Australia in December 1982 for a 5-match test series. During the fourth test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. With 89 points from Chris Tavaré and 83 from Allan Lamb, the England team scored 284. While Jeff Thomson grabbed the final two wickets, Rodney Hogg and Bruce Yardley both collected four wickets. In response, Australia scored 287 runs in their first innings, with Kim Hughes (66), David Hookes (53), and Rod Marsh (53) leading the way. Norman Cowans grabbed two wickets, and Bob Willis and Geoff Miller each took three.
England scored 294 despite being 3 runs down in their second innings, thanks to Graeme Fowler’s 65 and Ian Botham’s 46. While Geoff Lawson grabbed four wickets, Rodney Hogg and Jeff Thomson both claimed three. Despite David Hookes’ 68 and Allan Border’s 62 not out, Australia were bowled out for 288 when chasing 292 in the fourth innings. While Ian Botham grabbed 2 wickets, Norman Cowans collected 6. Cowans’ eight wickets throughout the game earned him the title of player of the match. This three-run victory was one of the smallest margins of victory in test cricket. This match was one of the best interesting cricket matches.
1902 Old Trafford Test (Australia won by 3 runs v England)
Australia traveled to England in July 1902 for a 5-match test series. Australia won the toss for the fourth test match in Manchester and elected to bat first. Victor Trumper (104), Clem Hill (65), Reggie Duff (54), and Joe Darling each contributed 54 runs, and the squad would go on to score 299 runs from these innings (51). Wilfred Rhodes got four wickets, compared to six for Bill Lockwood. The hosts England responded with 262 points, led by Stanley Jackson’s 128 and Len Braund’s 65. Jack Saunders got three wickets, compared to Hugh Trumble’s four.
Australia was bowled out for 86 despite having a lead of 37 runs in their second innings. Bill Lockwood and Wilfred Rhodes both claimed five wickets. England was knocked out for 120 in the fourth inning while chasing 124, handing Australia a 3-run victory. Jack Saunders grabbed 3 wickets, while Hugh Trumble claimed 6 assists. Because of his 7-wicket haul throughout the game, Patel was named player of the match. This victory by three runs is one of the victories by runs with the smallest margins in Test cricket.
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2005 Edgbaston Test (England won by 2 runs v Australia)
Ricky Ponting led Australia on a tour of England and Scotland in August 2005. Australia won the toss and elected to send the opposition in to bat first in the second test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Marcus Trescothick (90), Kevin Pietersen (71), and Andrew Flintoff (68) scored the most of the hosts’ 407 runs in the innings. Michael Kasprowicz grabbed three wickets, while Shane Warne claimed four. In response, Australia was bowled out for 308 with scores of 1 from Ricky Ponting and 82 from Justin Langer. Both Flintoff and Ashley Giles claimed three wickets.
Despite having a second-inning lead of 99 runs, England was bowled out for 182 despite Andrew Flintoff scoring 73. Six wickets were taken by Shane Warne, and four by Brett Lee. Australia was dismissed for 279 in their fourth-inning attempt to chase down 282. While Steve Harmison and Ashley Giles each got 2 wickets, Andrew Flintoff claimed 4 wickets. For his overall effort in the game, Andrew Flintoff was named player of the match. This two-run victory is one of the smallest margins of victory in Test cricket.
1993 Adelaide Test (West Indies won by 1 run v Australia)
West Indies, captained by Richie Richardson, visited Australia in January 1993 for a 5-match test series. West Indies won the toss for the fourth test at Adelaide Oval and elected to bat first. Only Brian Lara scored a 50+ when the squad was bowled out for 252, thus they weren’t able to benefit much from the decision (52). Tim May claimed 2 wickets, compared to 5 for Merv Hughes. Australia scored 213 in response, with Carl Hooper and Curtly Ambrose both taking 2 wickets.
Richie Richardson’s 72 runs helped the West Indies score 146 runs while leading by 39 runs in the second inning. Craig McDermott collected three wickets, and Tim May took five. Australia was knocked out for 184 in their fourth innings while chasing 186, despite Justin Langer scoring 54. Courtney Walsh claimed three wickets, while Curtly Ambrose claimed four. Because of his 10 wickets throughout the game, Curtly Ambrose was named player of the match. This one-run victory ranks among test cricket’s victories with the smallest margins of victory.
In test cricket, these victories had the smallest margins. As we advance, more matches will be added to the list in the future. I hope you like it, and please leave comments with your ideas and inquiries. Continue reading about our Test Cricket teams while staying healthy. So this was all about interesting cricket matches.
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