A Record Missing for Nearly 200 Years, Now Finally Erased

Pakistan Television (PTV) created history by successfully defending just 40 runs against Sui Northern in the President’s Trophy Grade-I, breaking a 232-year-old first-class cricket record previously held since 1794.

first-class cricket records (Image Source: Google)

Recent news from neighbouring country Pakistan was that their first class side Pakistan Television (PTV) beat Sui Northern in the 2024-25 President's Trophy Grade-I match and broke a 232-year old record in this win. The unique achievement is that they successfully defended the lowest total (40) in first-class cricket.

In a match played at the National Stadium in Karachi, facing a target of 40 runs to win, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) were bundled out for 37 in 19.4 overs, on the third day of the fourth round of President’s Trophy Grade-I and lost by 2 runs.

Previous record: Oldfield defended 41 against MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) to win by six runs in August 1794 at the Lord’s Old Ground.

Match details; Sui Northern (led by Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood) made 238 in their first innings, in reply to Pakistan TV score of 166 to earn a 72-run lead. Pakistan TV then scored only 111 in the second innings and Sui Northern faced a target of only 40 runs to record an easy win.

The five-time President's Trophy champions, Sui Northern however struggled against Ali Usman (6-9) and Amad Butt (4-28) on a deteriorating pitch who bowled 9.4 and 10 overs respectively, on the trot. Ali recorded his career best performance and had a match haul of 10-75. Shan Masood who had scored a record 177 ball 200, a few days back, was dismissed for a duck..

Now we return to the previous record where Oldfield defended 41 against MCC and won by six runs in 1794. Although this record was created more than 200 years ago, if you glance through the cricket record books and Almanac’s of just a few years back, surprisingly you will not find mention of this record.

For decades, reference works listed Eastern Province vs Border 1946-47 (target 42, won by 7 runs) as the record holder in this regard. Near at the end of the last century, the ICC relooked at all the early matches and many of them were accorded first class matches including this 1794 match. So the record was awarded to Oldfield about 200 years later in other words the record was held by a match which took place in 1794 but the feat was recognised fairly recently.

Lowest FC targets defended

Target Score Winner Loser Venue,Season

40 37 PTV SNGPL Karachi,2025/26

41 34 Oldfield MCC Lord’s (Old) ,1794

42 34 Eastern

Province Border East London,1946/47

44 39 England Kent and Sussex Lord’s,1856

49 32 Kent Sussex Hawkhurst,1825

Do you know what is the lowest first class target defended, in India? In a Ranji Trophy 2022/23 match in Jamtha, Nagpur, Vidarbha had successfully defended 73 against Gujarat and this record still exists. They had rewritten the record for first-class cricket on Indian soil, by improving the 1948/49 feat, Delhi facing a target of only 78 against Bihar at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, were 38-2 at one stage but then collapsed to 48 all out. The architects of this collapse were Shute Banerjee (6-22) and ‘Potla’ Bose (4-25).

Chasing 73 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Gujarat almost repeated the same collapse story. At one time, they were at 26-2 with no real threat of a defeat. Then the last eight wickets fell for 28, in 20.2 overs and this time the collapse was caused by left-arm spinners Aditya Sarwate (6-17) and Harsh Dubey (3-11). They recorded match figures of 11-71 and 5-38 respectively and Sarwate was named the Player of the Match. Gujarat were out for 54, which included 10 extras. Only Siddharth Desai (18) managed to score in double figures