South Africa is always a tough team to face for any opponent. The prime reason is that they have some of the legends of the game. Over the years, we have seen the Proteas as one of the most settled teams in the game of cricket. That makes them a strong unit across the format. In 2012, they became the first ever team to top the ICC team rankings in all three formats.
In this article, we will cover the list of the lowest team totals made by South Africa in ODI cricket history. But South Africa is the only team that has got all out under 100 only twice. So let’s check out the details.
List of Lowest Score of South Africa in ODI Cricket
| Score | Overs | Inns | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 28.0 | 2 | Australia | Sydney | 14 Dec 1993 |
| 83 | 20.4 | 2 | England | Manchester | 22 Jul 2022 |
| 83 | 23.0 | 1 | England | Nottingham | 26 Aug 2008 |
| 99 | 27.1 | 1 | India | Delhi | 11 Oct 2022 |
| 101 | 26.5 | 2 | Pakistan | Sharjah | 28 Mar 2000 |
| 106 | 38.3 | 1 | Australia | Sydney | 22 Jan 2002 |
| 107 | 32.1 | 1 | England | Lord’s | 12 Jul 2003 |
| 108 | 34.1 | 2 | New Zealand | Brabourne | 16 Oct 2006 |
| 117 | 48.0 | 1 | India | Nairobi (Gym) | 26 Sep 1999 |
| 118 | 32.2 | 1 | India | Centurion | 4 Feb 2018 |
| 119 | 36.5 | 1 | England | Gqeberha | 29 Nov 2009 |
| 121 | 24.4 | 2 | Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 12 Aug 2018 |
3. South Africa all out for 101 runs against Pakistan at Sharjah
It was the 6th match of the Coca Cola Cup in 2000 between Pakistan and South Africa in Sharjah. This match was a low-scoring thriller. After winning the toss, the Men in Green opted to bat first, but they suffered a horrible start. Pakistan were all out for 168 runs in 49.2 overs. Mohammad Yousuf was the top scorer with 65 runs.
It looked like South Africa would get over the line easily. But it didn’t go that way. The Pakistani pacers didn’t allow them to score runs. As a result, South Africa got all out for just 101 runs and lost the match by 67 runs. Herschelle Gibbs remained unbeaten on 59* from the start.
2. South Africa all out for 83 runs against England at Nottingham
It was a horrible day for South Africa on the field. This was a match against England at Nottingham. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat on the pitch that was offering swing. But that decision backfired on them as the English pacers used the conditions really well. The Proteas were dismissed for just 83 runs in 23 overs. Andre Nel was the top scorer, who made 13 runs.
Stuart Broad picked up five wickets in that match. Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison got three and two wickets, respectively. For England, it was a really easy chase as they won the match with 10 wickets and 215 balls to spare. Ian Bell was unbeaten on 28, while Matt Prior remained not out on 45.
1. South Africa all out for 69 runs against Australia (their lowest in ODI cricket)
The lowest total for South Africa came way back in 1993. It was the 4th match of the Benson & Hedges World Series against Australia in Sydney. South Africa won the toss and asked the Aussies to bat first. The Proteas bowled really well and restricted Australia to just 172/9 in their 50 overs.
Fanie de Villiers and Craig Matthews picked up three wickets each. The Proteas looked confident in chasing down that target, but the Australian bowlers had different plans. They bowled a tight line and didn’t allow South Africa to score runs. Thus, the Proteas were bowled out for their lowest total of 69 runs, losing the match by 103 runs. Paul Reiffel from Australia, who scored 29* runs with the bat also took four wickets and won the “Man of the Match”.