Sat Feb 15 07:11:24 UTC 2025: ## England’s Valentine’s Day Massacre: A Cricket History Lesson
**Gqeberha, South Africa –** February 14th is a day typically associated with romance, but for South African cricket fans, it’s a date etched in painful memory. 129 years ago, on Valentine’s Day 1896, England inflicted a humiliating defeat on the hosts, winning the Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) Test by a staggering 288 runs.
The victory was achieved in breathtaking fashion. After England’s first innings of 185, South Africa was bowled out for a paltry 93 on the first day. England then amassed 226 in their second innings, setting a seemingly achievable target of 319. However, England’s pace bowler George Lohmann wreaked havoc, taking 8 wickets for just 7 runs, including a hat-trick. His match figures were an astonishing 15 wickets for 45 runs. South Africa’s second innings crumbled to a mere 30 runs, a score that remains their lowest ever Test total. This astonishing collapse secured England’s resounding win.
Remarkably, this wasn’t the only time England reduced South Africa to 30 runs in a Test match. In 1924, history repeated itself at Birmingham. This low score remained the lowest Test total until 1955, when New Zealand were bowled out for 26 by England in Auckland.
The lowest Test scores in history are:
1. 26 runs, New Zealand vs England (1955)
2. 30 runs, South Africa vs England (1896 & 1924)
3. 35 runs, South Africa vs England (1899)
4. 36 runs (multiple instances)
This Valentine’s Day serves as a stark reminder of England’s dominance in the early days of Test cricket and a day South African cricket fans would rather forget.
First Piper 