40 to win, 37 all out: Pakistan domestic team break 231-year world record to defend lowest ever first-class target

Jan 17, 2026 2 minute read News

Pakistan Television (PTV) defended a target of 40 against Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to set a new record in first-class cricket.

Target of 40 defended: PTV set new record in first-class cricket

Amad Butt top-scored with 46 not out as PTV were bowled out for 166 after Shamyl Hussain won the toss and opted to bat at the National Stadium. For SNGPL, Shehzad Gul claimed 4-40. In response, wicketkeeper Saifullah Bangash (71) lifted SNGPL from 129-7 to 238 as Butt (3-42), Israr Hussain (3-66), and Ali Usman (4-66) shared the wickets.

PTV were 99-5 at stumps on the second day: they led by a mere 27. They could add a mere 12 to their overnight total. In fact, they lost all five remaining wickets for five runs in eight balls – in a sequence that read wicket, wicket, four, wicket, dot, leg-bye, wicket, wicket. Gul (5-28) and Sajid Khan (3-28) caused the damage to restrict SNGPL’s target to 40.

Match 15, Pakistan Television vs Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited

LIVE

Pakistan Television vs Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited | President's Trophy Grade-I, 2025/26 | Match 15

National Stadium, Karachi

Thursday, January 15th, 2026 05:00am (UTC:+0000)

25.84C, Few Clouds, 5.14 meter/sec

PTV Pakistan Television

166

(66.2) RR: 2.50

99/5

(36.5) RR: 2.69

vs

SNGPL Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited

238

(67.3) RR: 3.53

Stumps

PTV now needed to break a 231-year-old world record to win the game: defending 41 in 1794, Oldfield had bowled out the MCC for 34, which stood as the lowest successfully defended total in first-class cricket. They did exactly that.

Butt (4-28) and Usman (6-9) bowled unchanged to skittle SNGPL for 37 in 19.4 overs. In fact, SNGPL were 22-7 at one point before, but Bangash (14) gave them a chance before being ninth out.

Lowest targets defended in first-class cricket

Target	Score	Bowling side	Batting side	Venue	Season
40	37	Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited	Pakistan Television	Karachi	2025/26
41	34	Oldfield	Marylebone Cricket Club	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
51	42	East Kent	West Kent	Coxheath	1789
51	26	Marylebone Cricket Club	England	Lord’s	1877
52	27	Marylebone Cricket Club	Kent	Lord’s	1856
53	46	South	North	Scarborough	1891
56	22	Kent	Sussex	Sevenoaks	1828

- It is worth a mention that barring the match in South Africa, every other incident was in England in the 19th or the 20th century. The lowest defended total in the 21st century used to be 64: the Southern Rocks bowled out the Mountaineers for a mere 26 at Masvingo in 2012/13.
- The lowest first-class total on Pakistan soil is 27, by Dera Ismail Khan against Railways in 1964/65 and by Habib Bank Limited against Pakistan International Airlines in 2001/02.

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