Worst performance by your Country in your time of watching cricket

[Lillian Thomson]

West Indies v England First Test 2009

It's easy to have a knee-jerk reaction to a poor performance and England have been abject on many occasions throughout the years. But taking into account the strength of the opposition the match that has just finished has to go down as the most pitiful performance during my time of watching Test Cricket. The previous one for me was in New Zealand in 1984 (in fact 25 years ago almost to the day) when England allowed New Zealand to make over 300 on an appalling wicket and then failed to make three figures in either innings. The current match surpasses that for ineptitude only because on that occasion they had to contend with Hadlee on a terrible pitch - the main disaster area had been the bowling of Pigott, Botham and Cowans and even Willis had figures that flattered his actual performance. The humiliations suffered over the years at the hands of very strong Australian and West Indies sides were understandable if not entirely acceptable but today was the height of embarrassment - that of course is not to take any credit away from the West Indies who deserved to win.

 

[ozone]

Hmm, hard to think of a worse performance TBH. Would suggest some of our peformances in the Ashes between 97-03, but that was against one of the greatest sides in history so perhaps understandable, as you say. Can't remember ever being as truly embaressed after a performance than this so perhaps it was. Although honestly was just a very mediocre performance had it not been for probably the worst team innings of the 21st century.

 

[wpdavid]

The other contender for me was our first ever defeat to NZ in 1978 - we were dismissed for 64 chasing 137. Hadlee played in that game too, but wasn't the force he was by 1984 even if his figures suggest otherwise. Maybe 1984 was worse because our bowling was so execrable and we twice failed to make 3 figures, but the 1978 game is right down there with the worst of them imo.

Other contenders were being slaughtered at Leeds in 1986 by a moderate Indian side in conditions where we should have cleaned up and the first ashes test in 1989 when a hitherto unremarkable Aus side were made to look like worldbeaters.

 

[Goughy]

I luckily didnt watch a ball of todays play.

Looking back it wasnt a bad opposition and a lot has changed in 10 years but losing so easily to SL in 1998 was at the time shaming

 

[Athlai]

NZ has many times in recent memory put up a bowling performance that has the opposition on the ropes before the batting becomes as limp as Voltman's discretion.
That little glint of hope makes the disappointment all the worse.

Vs. SA 2007
Bowled them to 226
Then we get rolled to 118
They reply with 422/3
We lose by 358 runs

Vs. Eng 2008
NZ 381
Eng 202
NZ 114
Eng 294 win by 6 wickets

Most of all
vs. Aus 2008
Aus 214
NZ 156
Aus 268
NZ 177

Out of the 333 runs we scored:
Taylor scored 115

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ha, with Goughy on this one. Glad I missed it. Heard a bloke on the train home say to his mate on his mobile we'd been bowled out for 51, but was half asleep & didn't dare ask for confirmation in case it was true. Which it sadly was.

I think this tops the lot personally as single performances go. At least when we got rolled for 46 in 1994 we had a prime Curtly Ambrose to contend with.

1999's home loss to a fairly ordinary NZ team was bad as series go tho.

 

[Zinzan]

Ha, with Goughy on this one. Glad I missed it. Heard a bloke on the train home say to his mate on his mobile we'd been bowled out for 51, but was half asleep & didn't dare ask for confirmation in case it was true. Which it sadly was.

I think this tops the lot personally as single performances go. At least when we got rolled for 46 in 1994 we had a prime Curtly Ambrose to contend with.

1999's home loss to a fairly ordinary NZ team was bad as series go tho.

The NZ test side of 99' certainly weren't one of the great teams, but describing them as 'ordinary' is a tad harsh IMO, they were better than ordinary

 

[BoyBrumby]

Probably sounded more pejorative than I intended. No offence meant. Wasn't the New Zealand of Hadlee & Crowe, tho.

 

[Chubb]

Been a lot for Zim in the last 5 years. Probably the 2005 2-day test against SA, when they bowled the lads out for 50-odd and slogged 300+ on the first day was the worst, and then the 2-day test against NZ. But I expected humiliation. The Ireland WC match was awful because I expected Zim to win, and they should have done so.

For NZ, you could take any of the tests v. Aus since 2003, because NZ were either thumped or got into a decent position and threw it away.

I am English born and raised and I can never seperate myself from their fortunes even if I wish to do so, and today was terrible for them. But I can't say it left me personally- as someone who identifies more with Zim and NZ for a variety of reasons- feeling worse than Adelaide.

 

[nightprowler10]

Would have to be our 43 against the Windies in the early 90s. I would include that Test in UAE where Pakistan failed to cross 100 in either innings against Australia, but my cricket interest was on hiatus in those years.

 

[Craig]

I luckily didnt watch a ball of todays play.

Looking back it wasnt a bad opposition and a lot has changed in 10 years but losing so easily to SL in 1998 was at the time shaming

I wonder if Murali was pissed off at Upul Chandana for getting a run out?

As a New Zealand fan, how about This and this. Not only did Shoaib take 6-11, but he also got 37 as well. Although a lot of credit must have gone to New Zealand for touring Pakistan less then 6 months after 9/11. Also noted was Mohamaad Yousef, formerly known as Yousef Youhana.

 

[nightprowler10]

From memory, was that the best bowling attack available for the kiwis in the Inzi match?

 

[roseboy64]

Steve Harmison 7-12.

 

[_Ed_]

I agree with all the NZ ones posted.

For ones when I've been at the ground (plenty of awful performances to choose from there), it has to be this.

 

[GIMH]

Look, a mate was leaving the club and told me we'd been rolled for 51m i told him to **** off, because h e was lying. What a disgarce. Feel emebrassed to ****.

 

[Precambrian]

Look, a mate was leaving the club and told me we'd been rolled for 51m i told him to **** off, because h e was lying. What a disgarce. Feel emebrassed to ****.

75 all out vs SA.

 

[Furball]

Haha, my flatmate who doesn't know a lot about cricket remarked when England were 4 down that it would be funny if England didn't make enough runs for the West Indies to bat again.

I told him there was no chance of that happening. Whoops.

 

[Langeveldt]

The Johannesburg test v Aus where Donald broke down and they hit about 600 in a day.. I think it was in 2004

 

[Matt79]

Us getting rolled by Bangladesh in 05 was pretty dire.

 

[archie mac]

2001 Vs India 2nd Test

Great partnership, but the Aussies had no plan B. Even that was OK, but the batting in the 2nd innings was a disgrace at least 5 batsman through away their wickets