England is one of the strongest teams in the white-ball format. They have recorded all three top ODI totals in history and are the only team to reach close to 500 runs in an ODI inning. They are the only team to win the ODI World Cup and T20I World Cup simultaneously.
With the new mindset of aggressive cricket, England has certainly become a dangerous side to beat in white-ball cricket. But there were times when they also went down under. The team that posted a total of close to 500 has also lost by a margin of more than 200. This article will include the biggest ODI defeats for England in history.
Highest Win Margin in ODI vs England
| Team | Margin | Target | Venue | Date |
| Australia | 221 runs | 364 | Melbourne | 22 Nov 2022 |
| Sri Lanka | 219 runs | 352 | Colombo (RPS) | 23 Oct 2018 |
| West Indies | 165 runs | 314 | Kingstown | 2 Mar 1994 |
| Pakistan | 165 runs | 354 | Karachi | 15 Dec 2005 |
| Australia | 162 runs | 273 | Melbourne | 13 Feb 1999 |
| India | 158 runs | 388 | Rajkot | 14 Nov 2008 |
| Sri Lanka | 157 runs | 257 | Chester-le-Street | 25 May 2014 |
| New Zealand | 155 runs | 245 | Wellington | 16 Feb 2002 |
| West Indies | 135 runs | 250 | Bridgetown | 19 Mar 1986 |
| India | 133 runs | 295 | Cardiff | 27 Aug 2014 |
3. West Indies (165 runs) vs England in March 1994
England suffered their third biggest ODI defeat in March 1994 at the hands of West Indies. It came when the English team toured the West Indies for five ODIs. It was recorded in the third ODI game in Kingstown. England won the toss and decided to bowl first. But that decision didn’t go well. The West Indian batters did an amazing job, and four batters scored half-centuries.
West Indies reached a big total of 313/6 in their first inning. Chasing a big target, England had a few batters with good starts. But none of them could convert it into a big one. England managed only 148/9 in 20 overs. Graeme Hick was the top scorer with 32 runs off 85. The English team lost the game by 165 runs.
2. Sri Lanka (219 runs) vs England in October 2018
The English team suffered their second biggest losing margin when they met Sri Lanka in October 2018. England traveled to Sri Lanka for a five-match ODI series. Their second-biggest loss came in the fifth game in Colombo. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat first. Niroshan Dickwella (95) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (54) added 137 runs for the first wicket to give the team a good start.
Dinesh Chandimal (80) and Kusal Mendis (56) also scored half-centuries in the inning. As a result, Sri Lanka posted their highest ODI total against England. They made 366/6 in 50 overs. Chasing the target, England lost their first four wickets for just 28 runs and kept losing wickets. In the end, they ended at 132/9 and lost the game by a huge margin of 219 runs.
1. Australia (221 runs) vs England in November 2022
England’s biggest ODI and Test defeats, both came against Australia. Their biggest ODI loss came recently, in November 2022. It was the last game of the three-match series. After winning the toss, England chose to field first. But their decision backfired on them. Australia got off to a dream start with a 269-run opening stand between Travis Head and David Warner. Both batters scored a century each. Warner made 106 off 102 balls.
Head scored 152 off 130 balls, with 16 fours and four sixes. Australia finished with a total of 355/5 in the first inning. After a rain interruption, England got a target of 364 runs in 48 overs. They failed with the bat as well and got bowled out for 142 runs in 31.4 overs. It helped Australia beat England by a record margin of 221 runs.