Big collapses in little chases

On Sunday, while most of you were watching the World Cup, recovering from vuvuzela-induced headaches, or snoozing through the India-Zimbabwe Twenty20, the Intercontinental Cup match between Netherlands and Scotland in Deventer was building up to a thrilling finish. Chasing a target of 77, Scotland had plummeted to 6 for 5, and then 18 for 6, raising visions of a remarkable Netherlands heist, which ultimately did not happen. This week we've dug up Tests in which teams suffered tremendous collapses in the fourth innings while chasing small targets. And most of them didn't end happily.

The matches have been grouped according to the number of wickets in the collapse - ten-wicket ones in one table, seven wickets in another - and ordered according to degree, using a qualification of 20 runs needed to win per wicket remaining when the slide started.

England have suffered four of the six most violent collapses while chasing a target in Tests. Two of them were in the 19th century - England lost ten wickets for 33 runs at Lord's in 1888 and 10 for 62 at The Oval in 1882, the match that spawned the Ashes. The other two are more recent. Chasing 137 in Wellington in 1978, England collapsed for 64 against Richard Hadlee, and at the Queen's Parl Oval in 1994, they crashed to 46 all out against West Indies - their lowest score ever in Tests.

The most recent ten-wicket collapse to make the cut was in the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Galle in 2009. After recovering from a deficit of 50, Sri Lanka had set a target of 168, to which Pakistan's openers responded by adding 36. Then Khurram Manzoor was dismissed, Younis Khan followed, and once Mohammad Yousuf fell with the score on 71 for 3, the innings imploded spectacularly and Pakistan fell short by 50 runs.

Ten-wicket collapses in fourth-innings chases (qualification: less than 20 runs required per wicket remaining)

Team	From	To	Diff	Target	Score	Result	Opposition	Ground	Start Date	Scorecard
England	29/0	62/10	33/10	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
Australia	0/0	44/10	44/10	111	44	lost	v England	The Oval	Aug 10, 1896	Test 52
England	0/0	46/10	46/10	194	46	lost	v West Indies	Port of Spain	Mar 25, 1994	Test 1257
Zimbabwe	4/0	63/10	59/10	99	63	lost	v West Indies	Port of Spain	Mar 16, 2000	Test 1490
England	15/0	77/10	62/10	85	77	lost	v Australia	The Oval	Aug 28, 1882	Test 9
England	2/0	64/10	62/10	137	64	lost	v New Zealand	Wellington	Feb 10, 1978	Test 817
New Zealand	35/0	100/10	65/10	233	100	lost	v South Africa	Johannesburg	Dec 24, 1953	Test 378
South Africa	6/0	72/10	66/10	204	72	lost	v England	Johannesburg	Dec 24, 1956	Test 434
Pakistan	23/0	92/10	69/10	146	92	lost	v South Africa	Faisalabad	Oct 24, 1997	Test 1382
Australia	11/0	83/10	72/10	153	83	lost	v England	Sydney	Jan 26, 1883	Test 12
Australia	11/0	83/10	72/10	143	83	lost	v India	Melbourne	Feb 7, 1981	Test 895
Australia	38/0	111/10	73/10	205	111	lost	v England	Sydney	Jan 6, 1979	Test 840
New Zealand	19/0	93/10	74/10	127	93	lost	v Pakistan	Hamilton	Jan 2, 1993	Test 1207
South Africa	0/0	75/10	75/10	129	75	lost	v England	Leeds	Jul 29, 1907	Test 94
England	44/0	120/10	76/10	124	120	lost	v Australia	Manchester	Jul 24, 1902	Test 73
India	3/0	81/10	78/10	120	81	lost	v West Indies	Bridgetown	Mar 27, 1997	Test 1363
South Africa	1/0	80/10	79/10	170	80	lost	v Australia	Melbourne	Dec 31, 1910	Test 112
Pakistan	36/0	117/10	81/10	168	117	lost	v Sri Lanka	Galle	Jul 4, 2009	Test 1921
South Africa	13/0	99/10	86/10	132	99	lost	v England	Johannesburg	Feb 14, 1899	Test 58
England	53/0	139/10	86/10	251	139	lost	v Australia	Melbourne	Dec 30, 1932	Test 221

The table of the worst nine-wicket collapses in run-chases contains most of the matches in the table above, as does the table with worst eight-wicket collapses. Unlike ten and nine though, eight includes a drawn Test amid the abundance of defeats, a match that also features twice among the worst seven-wicket slides.

New Zealand had triggered two top-order wobbles against England at Christchurch in 1966 but both times the visitors fought back. The hosts were eventually set 197 to win but hopes of a maiden victory against England vaporized once the chase disintegrated from 5 for 0 to 22 for 7 and then 32 for 8. Ken Higgs, the Lancashire seamer, caused most of the damage during a spell of 9-7-5-4. However, Vic Pollard, who batted 92 minutes for 6, and Bob Cunis survived the last half hour to secure a draw.

Seven-wicket collapses in fourth-innings chases (qualification: less than 20 runs required per wicket remaining)

Team	From	To	Diff	Target	Score	Result	Opposition	Ground	Start Date	Scorecard
Australia	305/3	310/10	5/7	382	310	lost	v Pakistan	Melbourne	Mar 10, 1979	Test 849
New Zealand	19/1	32/8	13/7	197	48/8	drawn	v England	Christchurch	Feb 25, 1966	Test 602
Australia	0/0	14/7	14/7	111	44	lost	v England	The Oval	Aug 10, 1896	Test 52
Australia	3/1	19/8	16/7	111	44	lost	v England	The Oval	Aug 10, 1896	Test 52
Zimbabwe	47/3	63/10	16/7	99	63	lost	v West Indies	Port of Spain	Mar 16, 2000	Test 1490
New Zealand	5/0	22/7	17/7	197	48/8	drawn	v England	Christchurch	Feb 25, 1966	Test 602
Australia	7/2	25/9	18/7	111	44	lost	v England	The Oval	Aug 10, 1896	Test 52
South Africa	130/3	148/10	18/7	201	148	lost	v West Indies	Bridgetown	Apr 18, 1992	Test 1188
England	38/2	57/9	19/7	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
Australia	56/1	75/8	19/7	130	111	lost	v England	Leeds	Jul 16, 1981	Test 905
England	143/3	162/10	19/7	246	162	lost	v New Zealand	The Oval	Aug 19, 1999	Test 1458
England	34/1	57/8	23/7	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
England	39/3	62/10	23/7	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
Pakistan	83/3	106/10	23/7	159	106	lost	v Australia	Sydney	Jan 6, 1973	Test 707
England	51/2	75/9	24/7	85	77	lost	v Australia	The Oval	Aug 28, 1882	Test 9
England	53/3	77/10	24/7	85	77	lost	v Australia	The Oval	Aug 28, 1882	Test 9
Australia	51/1	75/8	24/7	117	111	lost	v South Africa	Sydney	Jan 2, 1994	Test 1243
South Africa	123/2	148/9	25/7	201	148	lost	v West Indies	Bridgetown	Apr 18, 1992	Test 1188
Zimbabwe	37/2	63/9	26/7	99	63	lost	v West Indies	Port of Spain	Mar 16, 2000	Test 1490
England	29/0	56/7	27/7	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28

South Africa's first Test match after their return from isolation also features in the table above. They had the opportunity to come back with a thumping victory after dominating four days against West Indies in Barbados in 1992 and needed 201 to win. Andrew Hudson and Mark Rushmere had fallen by the time South Africa scored 27, but a partnership between Kepler Wessels and Hansie Cronje made the visitors favourites. South Africa resumed on 122 for 2 on the fifth morning, full of hope, only to be decimated by Ambrose and Walsh. Eight wickets fell for 25 runs, seven for 18, and West Indies had won before lunch.

Run-chases involving the worst collapses involving five or more wickets have usually ended in defeat. Four-wicket slides provided a slim opportunity for recovery, and only two teams in the table below have taken it. Lord's 1961 - Richie Benaud was injured and Neil Harvey had his only Test as captain. Australia needed 69 to win but the pitch was lively and four wickets went down for four runs (15 for 1 to 19 for 4). Peter Burge, however, scored an unbeaten 37 to secure the win.

Dunedin 1980. New Zealand were chasing 104 but the West Indian attack - Holding, Croft and Garner - have the hosts heartache. From 40 for 2, New Zealand crashed to 44 for 6 and Holding was in a bad mood, having demolished the stumps with his boot after a denial of a wicket. The tail inched New Zealand towards the target and at tea the score was 95 for 8. Wisden reported that, with the addition of only one run after the break, a Holding delivery grazed Lance Carins' off stump but the bails remained intact. Cairns was eventually dismissed by Holding with the score on 100, but Gary Troup and Stephen Boock secured a one-wicket victory, giving New Zealand a 1-0 lead in what would be West Indies' last series defeat for 15 years.

Four-wicket Test collapses in fourth-innings chases (qualification: less than 20 runs required per wicket remaining)

Team	From	To	Diff	Target	Score	Result	Opposition	Ground	Start Date	Scorecard
New Zealand	102/2	102/6	0/4	220	166/7	drawn	v Pakistan	Auckland	Jan 29, 1965	Test 576
England	55/5	57/9	2/4	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
Australia	308/6	310/10	2/4	382	310	lost	v Pakistan	Melbourne	Mar 10, 1979	Test 849
Australia	170/6	172/10	2/4	247	172	lost	v Pakistan	Sydney	Nov 30, 1995	Test 1314
New Zealand	19/1	22/5	3/4	197	48/8	drawn	v England	Christchurch	Feb 25, 1966	Test 602
Australia	305/3	308/7	3/4	382	310	lost	v Pakistan	Melbourne	Mar 10, 1979	Test 849
Australia	158/5	162/9	4/4	177	166	lost	v England	Sydney	Dec 14, 1894	Test 42
Australia	7/2	11/6	4/4	111	44	lost	v England	The Oval	Aug 10, 1896	Test 52
Australia	15/0	19/4	4/4	69	71/5	won	v England	Lord's	Jun 22, 1961	Test 508
Australia	305/4	309/8	4/4	382	310	lost	v Pakistan	Melbourne	Mar 10, 1979	Test 849
Australia	306/5	310/9	4/4	382	310	lost	v Pakistan	Melbourne	Mar 10, 1979	Test 849
New Zealand	40/2	44/6	4/4	104	104/9	won	v West Indies	Dunedin	Feb 8, 1980	Test 873
India	101/1	105/5	4/4	236	174/5	drawn	v England	Birmingham	Jul 3, 1986	Test 1048
South Africa	96/4	100/8	4/4	170	105	lost	v India	Ahmedabad	Nov 20, 1996	Test 1338
India	254/6	258/10	4/4	271	258	lost	v Pakistan	Chennai	Jan 28, 1999	Test 1442
England	70/5	75/9	5/4	85	77	lost	v Australia	The Oval	Aug 28, 1882	Test 9
New Zealand	88/6	93/10	5/4	127	93	lost	v Pakistan	Hamilton	Jan 2, 1993	Test 1207
South Africa	100/6	105/10	5/4	170	105	lost	v India	Ahmedabad	Nov 20, 1996	Test 1338
England	56/6	62/10	6/4	124	62	lost	v Australia	Lord's	Jul 16, 1888	Test 28
Australia	226/6	232/10	6/4	233	232	tied	v West Indies	Brisbane	Dec 9, 1960	Test 498