Lowest Team Scores in Cricket History: Test, ODI and T20I Records

There is no single “lowest score in cricket history” until the format and population are named. The lowest men’s Test innings is 26 by New Zealand, the men’s ODI low is 35, shared by Zimbabwe and the USA, and the men’s T20I low is 7 by Ivory Coast. Women’s records stay separate; the cited women’s Test low is 35 by England Women.

For related record definitions, see most runs in ODI cricket, most runs in a Test series and how many wickets are in cricket.

What is the lowest men’s Test score?

New Zealand were dismissed for 26 against England at Eden Park, Auckland, on 28 March 1955.

Guinness and New Zealand’s historical record both identify the innings as the men’s Test low. The total came in New Zealand’s second innings, after the side had made 200 in the first innings and England had built a lead. It remains a useful warning against comparing a five-day Test collapse directly with a 20-over innings.

Total	Team	Opponent	Venue	Date	Format
26	New Zealand	England	Eden Park, Auckland	28 Mar 1955	Men’s Test
30	South Africa	England	Port Elizabeth	1896	Men’s Test
30	South Africa	England	Edgbaston	1924	Men’s Test

The table lists the record context, not a complete all-time leaderboard. A future update should use the current record database and preserve the innings number.

What is the lowest men’s ODI score?

The men’s ODI low is 35 all out, shared by Zimbabwe and the USA.

Zimbabwe made 35 against Sri Lanka in Harare in April 2004. The USA matched 35 against Nepal at Kirtipur in February 2020; the ICC described the result as a joint-lowest ODI innings total.

ODIs have a 50-over ceiling, but a team can be dismissed much earlier. That makes “35 all out” a team innings total, not a target, a match aggregate or the lowest score after using all 50 overs.

What is the lowest men’s T20I score?

Ivory Coast made 7 all out against Nigeria in a men’s T20I World Cup Africa qualifier in November 2024.

The ICC called it the lowest total in men’s T20I history, passing the previous 10-run marks by Mongolia and the Isle of Man. The team lost all ten wickets inside 7.3 overs, so the record is both a low total and a rapid collapse.

T20I records need careful status checks because more associate nations have joined the format. A low total in an unrecognised club game must not be inserted into an international table.

What is the lowest women’s Test score?

England Women made 35 against Australia Women at Melbourne in the 1957-58 season in the ACS record table.

This is a separate women’s Test population, not a footnote to the men’s 26. Women’s Tests have their own history, match schedules and record tables, and a responsible page should not merge the numbers merely because both are called Test cricket.

Women’s ODI and T20I lowest totals also require a current gender-specific record source. Where the accessible source does not expose a complete all-time table, SportsMuntra leaves the claim open rather than filling the gap with an incomplete database.

Why should lowest scores be split by format and gender?

The populations differ in overs, match length, competition history and the number of teams with official status.

Scope	Innings opportunity	Headline low in this guide	Source status
Men’s Tests	Unlimited overs, two innings per match	26	Guinness and historical record sources
Men’s ODIs	Up to 50 overs	35, joint	ICC match report
Men’s T20Is	Up to 20 overs	7	ICC record report
Women’s Tests	Unlimited overs, separate history	35	ACS record table

This structure stops a seven-run T20I innings from being presented as “lower” in a way that ignores the format’s much shorter opportunity to bat.

How should a lowest-score record be verified?

Verify the match status, innings, total, opponent, date and source before publishing a record.

1. Confirm it is an official Test, ODI or T20I.
2. Confirm the team was all out or the innings legally ended at that score.
3. Record men’s and women’s populations separately.
4. Name the innings number for multi-innings Tests.
5. Save the cutoff date because a new match can change a short-format record immediately.

Frequently asked questions

What is the lowest Test total?

New Zealand’s 26 against England at Auckland in 1955.

What is the lowest ODI total?

35, shared by Zimbabwe and the USA in the cited ICC record account.

What is the lowest men’s T20I total?

Ivory Coast’s 7 against Nigeria in 2024.

What is the women’s Test low?

England Women’s 35 against Australia Women in 1957-58.

Do club scores count?

Not in these international records.

Why separate formats?

They offer different innings lengths, over limits and record populations.

Bottom line

The lowest international total depends on the format and gender. New Zealand’s 26 is the men’s Test low, 35 is the joint men’s ODI low, Ivory Coast’s 7 is the men’s T20I low and England Women’s 35 is the cited women’s Test low. Keep those populations separate, name the cutoff and verify each scorecard before changing the table.