This story is from February 14, 2024

Valentine's Day: 128 years ago on Feb 14, South Africa got blown away on the cricket field

It's intriguing that South Africa appear four times in the top five lowest team totals in Test cricket. On Valentine's Day in 1896, George Lohmann's remarkable performance saw South Africa stumble to their lowest total (30). Lohmann's devastating bowling display resulted in figures of 8 for 7 in 9.5 overs, complementing his impressive 7 for 38 in the first innings.
Valentine's Day: 128 years ago on Feb 14, South Africa got blown away on the cricket field
Representational image (PTI Photo)
Not much love was in the air on the Valentine's Day morning in Port Elizabeth way back in 1896, when hosts South Africa were blown away for 30 all out in the first Test against England in Port Elizabeth (now named Gqeberha).
It remains South Africa's lowest total in Tests and the second lowest overall. In 1955, New Zealand bagged the unwanted record for lowest total in a Test innings, when they were bowled out for 26 by England in Auckland.
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Interestingly, South Africa feature four times in the list of top five lowest team totals in Test cricket, when they were dismissed for 30 (vs England, 1896), 30 (vs England, 1924), 35 (vs England, 1899) and 36 (vs Australia, 1932).
The instance in 1896 happened on the Valentine's Day as George Lohmann wreaked havoc and ended with figures of 8 for 7 in 9.5 overs to add to his 7 for 38 in the first innings that saw South Africa getting bowled out for 93.
Chasing a target of 319, the Proteas' innings wrapped up for just 30, with four batsmen dismissed for zero and the highest being 10, scored by Robert Poore. The innings lasted a mere 18.4 overs as England won the game by 288 runs in under two days.
West Indies also got hammered on Valentine's Day
In 1931, Test cricket saw another finish inside two days when Australia hammered the West Indies in the fourth Test of the series in Melbourne by an innings and 122 runs.
Australia's Bert Ironmonger was the wrecker-in-chief with 11 wickets in the match -- 7 for 23 in first innings and 4 for 56 in the second -- as the visitors succumbed to totals of 99 all out and 107 all out respectively.
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