Lowest Total Defended In Cricket World Cups History (1975-2023)

Lowest Total Defended In World Cups – Cricket is a close game where small actions matter a lot. Catching a ball or making a fast run can change the game’s outcome. Sometimes, a match is won or lost by just one run. Matches have also ended in ties many times.

Cricket has a lot of records. In the Cricket World Cup, some teams have successfully Defended low scores. There are a few teams that are really skilled at defending, and a handful of them have even created historical records in the cricket world cup.

Let’s check the Lowest Score Defended in World Cup. Also read, Highest Individual Scores in ODI World Cup History.

Lowest Score Defended in ODI World Cup

The list of Lowest Total Defended in World Cups is below:

Team	Score Defended	Opposition	Overs	RPO	Ground	Date
Zimbabwe	134	England	46	3	Albury	18 Mar 1992
New Zealand	162/3	Zimbabwe	21	8	Napier	3 Mar 1992
England	165/9	Pakistan	60	3	Leeds	16 Jun 1979
Kenya	166	West Indies	49	3	Pune	29 Feb 1996
Australia	170/2	Netherlands	36	5	Potchefstroom	20 Feb 2003
England	171	South Africa	45	4	Chennai	6 Mar 2011
Canada	180	Bangladesh	49	4	Durban	11 Feb 2003
India	183	West Indies	54	3	Lord’s	25 Jun 1983
Pakistan	184	Canada	43	4	Colombo (RPS)	3 Mar 2011
Bangladesh	185/9	Scotland	50	4	Edinburgh	24 May 1999

Lowest Run Totals Successfully Defended In Cricket World Cup

You can check the list of the lowest totals defended in the ICC Cricket World Cup below.

#1. Zimbabwe vs England (1992) – 134 runs

On March 18, 1992, Zimbabwe played against England in Albury, Australia during the Cricket World Cup. Zimbabwe batted first and scored only 134 runs in 46.1 overs.

Despite scoring such a small total, Zimbabwe’s bowlers did an amazing job. They bowled out England for just 125 runs in 49.1 overs to win the match by 9 runs.

This 134-run total by Zimbabwe is the lowest ever defended by any team in a World Cup match. No other team has defended a smaller score in World Cup history.

Zimbabwe’s brilliant bowling performance made their low score of 134 runs enough to beat a strong team like England. It was a huge upset victory and a record that still stands today after over 30 years.

Lowest Total Defended: 134 runs
Team: Zimbabwe
Opposition: England
Venue: Albury, Australia
Year: 1992 World Cup
Zimbabwe scored 134 and bowled out England for 125 to win by 9 runs. 

Also read, Highest Partnerships in ODI World Cup History.

#2. New Zealand vs Zimbabwe – 162/3

In this list, New Zealand holds the second position. They had a strong performance against Zimbabwe in Napier, achieving a winning score of 162/3. The match occurred during the 1992 World Cup on 3 March.

Rain caused three interruptions during the match, and eventually, Zimbabwe used up all their overs and reached a score of 105/7. This led to New Zealand’s victory.

#3. England vs Pakistan (1979) – 165 runs

England holds the third-lowest defended total in World Cup history. On June 16, 1979, during the World Cup, England narrowly defeated Pakistan by just 14 runs. It was a disappointing match for Pakistan as all their batters were dismissed quickly.

England scored 165 runs for 9 wickets in their innings. Pakistan could only manage 151 runs before being all out. This low-scoring match took place in Leeds, where England secured victory within the 60 overs, scoring at a modest rate of 2.75 runs per over.

165 runs
Team: England
Opposition: Pakistan
Venue: Leeds, England
Year: 1979 World Cup
England scored 165/9 and bowled out Pakistan for 151 to win by 14 runs.

#4. Kenya vs West Indies (1996)

The 1996 Cricket World Cup witnessed one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history. The mighty West Indies, former champions and a powerhouse team, suffered a humiliating 73-run defeat against Kenya, a relatively unknown team at the time. 

Kenya, after being put in to bat first, managed to score a modest total of 166 runs in their allotted 50 overs. However, their bowlers rose to the occasion, with Rajab Ali leading the charge. Ali’s brilliant spell of 3/17 rattled the West Indies top order, dismissing star batsman Brian Lara for just 8 runs. 

Despite their reputation and star-studded lineup, the West Indies batting lineup crumbled under pressure. They were bundled out for a paltry 93 runs in 35.2 overs, handing Kenya a historic 73-run victory.

166 runs
Team: Kenya
Opposition: West Indies
Venue: Pune, India
Year: 1996 World Cup
Kenya scored 166 and dismissed West Indies for 93 to win by 73 runs. 

Also read, Highest Opening Partnerships in ODI World Cup History.

#5. Australia vs Netherlands – 170/2

Securing the fifth spot, Australia emerged victorious over the Netherlands. During the 2003 World Cup on 20 February, Australia achieved a score of 170 and won by a margin of 48 runs. Despite the Netherlands’ bowlers putting up a splendid performance, they couldn’t turn the match in their favor.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, the Netherlands managed to restrict Australia to 170/2. However, they struggled to keep up and were eventually all out at a score of 122, leading to Australia’s win.

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