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.

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.

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.

If there's a particular List you would like to see, email us with your comments and suggestions.