Sat Feb 15 07:11:24 UTC 2025: ## England’s Valentine’s Day Massacre: A Cricket History Lesson
**Gqeberha, South Africa –** Valentine’s Day 1896 wasn’t about romance for South Africa; it was a day of cricketing humiliation at the hands of England. 129 years ago, England crushed South Africa in a resounding victory, ending their Valentine’s Day with a 288-run defeat in a Test match that began on February 13th in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha).
The decisive blow came on February 14th when England bowled out South Africa for a mere 30 runs – a score that remains South Africa’s lowest ever Test total. This astonishing collapse followed England’s first innings of 185 and South Africa’s first innings of 93. England then posted 226 in their second innings, setting a target of 319. The South African second innings never recovered, crumbling to 30 runs, sealing a devastating victory for England.
The architect of this destruction was England’s fast bowler George Lohmann. He claimed a hat-trick en route to 8 wickets for only 7 runs in one innings and an incredible 15 wickets for 45 runs in the match. Remarkably, England repeated this feat in 1924, again bowling out South Africa for 30 runs. This 30-run score remained the lowest Test score until 1955, when New Zealand was bowled out for 26 by England.
The lowest Test scores in history are:
1. 26 runs, New Zealand vs England – 1955 (Auckland)
2. 30 runs, South Africa vs England – 1896 (Gqeberha) & 1924 (Birmingham)
3. 35 runs, South Africa vs England – 1899 (Cape Town)
4. 36 runs, South Africa vs Australia – 1932 (Melbourne); Australia vs England – 1902 (Birmingham); India vs Australia – 2020 (Adelaide)
This Valentine’s Day, cricket fans remember not a romantic encounter but a brutal display of English dominance, etching a unique and unforgettable moment into the annals of cricket history.
First Piper 