This list of first-class cricket records itemises some record team and individual performances in first-class cricket. The list is necessarily selective, since it is in cricket’s nature to generate copious records and statistics. Both instance records (such as highest team and individual scores, lowest team scores and record margins of victory) and season and career records (such as most runs or wickets in a season, and most runs or wickets in a career) are included.
It must be remembered that, officially, there was no “first-class cricket” in Great Britain before 1895 or in the rest of the world before 1947 (see First-class cricket for details of the official rulings). The performances noted in this article include several which occurred in earlier years but it is understood that all were achieved in matches that are retrospectively recognised by most historians or statisticians as first-class (i.e., unofficially so). Some matches have not been universally accepted as first-class for statistical purposes and there are thus variations in published cricket statistics, mainly because of the different proposals that have been made for the starting date of the statistical records, ranging from the 17th century to 1895.
Records shown here are quoted by either CricketArchive or Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, unless otherwise stated.300–3 indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets and the innings was closed, either due to a successful run chase or if no playing time remained.
300-3d indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets, and declared its innings closed.
300 indicates that a team scored 300 runs and was all out.
Batting Notation
100 indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was out.
100* indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was not out.
100* against a partnership means that the two batsmen added 100 runs to the team’s total, and neither of them was out.
Bowling Notation
5–100 indicates that a bowler captured 5 wickets while conceding 100 runs.
Qualification: Innings and 550 runs.
MarginTeamsVenueSeasonInnings and 851 runsPakistan Railwaysbeat Dera Ismail Khan[1]Lahore1964–65Innings and 666 runsVictoria beat Tasmania[2]Melbourne1922–23Innings and 656 runsVictoria beat New South Wales[3]Melbourne1926–27Innings and 605 runsNew South Wales beat South Australia[4]Sydney1900–01Innings and 579 runsEngland beat Australia[5]The Oval1938Innings and 575 runsSind beat Baluchistan[6]Karachi1973–74Source: Wisden 2006. Last updated: 19 May 2006.
Greatest margins of victory by runsEdit
Qualification: 575 runs.
MarginTeamsVenueSeason685 runsNew South Wales beat Queensland[7]Sydney1929–30675 runsEngland beat Australia[8]Brisbane1928–29638 runsNew South Wales beat South Australia[9]Adelaide1920–21609 runsMuslim Commercial Bank beat Water and Power Development Authority[10]Lahore1977–78585 runsSargodha beat Lahore Municipal Corporation[11]Faisalabad1978–79Source: Wisden 2006. Last updated: 19 May 2006.
Victory without losing a wicketEdit
TeamsVenueSeasonLancashire beat Leicestershire[12]Manchester1956Karachi A beat Sind A[13]Karachi1957–58Railways beat Jammu and Kashmir[14]Srinagar1960–61Karnataka beat Kerala[15]Chikmagalur1977–78Source: Wisden 2006. Last updated: 19 May 2006.
TiesEdit
Further information: List of tied first-class cricket matches
There have been 33 ties in first-class cricket since 1948. Before then, a tie was sometimes declared where the scores were level when scheduled play ended, but the side batting last still had wickets in hand. Matches where this happens are considered a draw today, and a tie is now recognised only where the scores are level and the side batting fourth is dismissed.
Highest totalsEdit
Qualification: 900.
RunsTeamsVenueSeason1,107Victoria (v New South Wales)[3]Melbourne1926–271,059Victoria (v Tasmania)[2]Melbourne1922–23952-6dSri Lanka (v India)[16]Colombo1997951-7dSind (v Baluchistan)[6]Karachi1973–74944-6dHyderabad (v Andhra)[17]Secunderabad1993–94918New South Wales (v South Australia)[4]Sydney1900–01912-8dHolkar (v Mysore)[18]Indore1945–46912-6d†Tamil Nadu (v Goa)[19]Panaji1988–89910-6dRailways (v Dera Ismail Khan)[1]Lahore1964–65903-7dEngland (v Australia)[5]The Oval1938900-6dQueensland (v Victoria)[20]Brisbane2005–06† Tamil Nadu’s total of 912-6d included 52 penalty runs.The highest aggregate in a first-class match (both sides) was 2376, Maharashtra v Bombay at Poona, 1948–49.[21][22]Totals of 800 and above have been compiled on 36 occasions, most recently by Meghalaya (scoring 826-7d) against Sikkim at Bhubaneswar in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy.Source: Wisden 2006. Last updated: 7 January 2019.
Lowest totalsEdit
Qualification: 15.
RunsTeamsVenueSeason6The Bs (v All-England)[23]Lord’s181012Oxford University (v MCC)[24]Oxford187712Northamptonshire(v Gloucestershire)[25]Gloucester190713Auckland (v Canterbury)[26]Auckland1877–7813Nottinghamshire (v Yorkshire)[27]Nottingham190114Surrey (v Essex)[28]Chelmsford198315MCC (v Surrey)[29]Lord’s183915Victoria (v MCC)[30]Melbourne1903–0415Northamptonshire (v Yorkshire)[31]Northampton190815Hampshire (v Warwickshire)[32]Birmingham1922The lowest combined total for a side’s two innings is 34 (16 and 18) by Border against Natal at East London in 1959–60.[33]The lowest aggregate for a completed first-class match (both sides) is 85, Quetta v Rawalpindi at Islamabad, 2008–09.[21][34]
The lowest aggregate for a completed first-class match where the winning side bowled their opponents out twice is 105, MCC v Australians at Lord’s, 1878.[21][35]
Sides have been bowled out for 20 or fewer on 35 occasions (including five before 1864 that are not universally considered first-class), the most recent being 20 by Essex against Lancashire at Chelmsford in 2013.Source: CricketArchive. Last updated 16 June 2013.
Highest totals in the fourth inningsEdit
Qualification: 510.
RunsTeamsResultVenueSeason654–5England (v South Africa)[36]DrawnDurban1938–39604Maharashtra (v Bombay)[22]Bombay won by 354 runsPune1948–49576–8Trinidad (v Barbados)[37]DrawnPort-of-Spain1945–46572New South Wales (v South Australia)[38]South Australia won by 20 runsSydney1907–08541–7West Zone (v South Zone)[39]West Zone won by three wicketsHyderabad2009–10529–9Western Australia Combined XI (v South Africans)[40]DrawnPerth1963–64518Victoria (v Queensland)[41]Queensland won by 234 runsBrisbane1926–27513–9Central Province (v Southern Province)[42]Central Province won by one wicketKandy2003–The highest individual score in first-class cricket is 501* scored by Brian Lara for Warwickshire in 1994. There have been nine other scores of 400 or more, including another by Lara and two by Bill Ponsford.
Scorecards began to be kept regularly from the 1772 season which is now seen as the commencement of the statistical first-class record, though historical first-class cricket began a century earlier. There is no certainty of a complete statistical record of any season until well into the 19th century, which is why Roy Webber and others have been reluctant to begin their first-class cricket statistics before the 1864 season, notwithstanding the official commencement of first-class cricket in 1895.[43]
The earliest century definitely recorded in a match generally regarded as first-class is the 136 scored by John Small in the 1775 season (see below). There can be little doubt that centuries had been scored before this but the records are either lost or the known details are incomplete. Some of the main instances of high scoring prior to 1772 are as follows:
1744 – John Harris scored 47 for Slindon v. London at the Artillery Ground in the match which has left the oldest known scorecard. This is the earliest match from which individual scores are known. The oldest known team scores date from 1731.[44]
1745 – Richard Newland scored 88 for All-England v. Kent at the Artillery Ground, almost certainly in the second innings of the match, but there is a slight possibility that it was his match total.[45] This is the highest known score recorded prior to the introduction c.1760 of the pitched delivery and the straight bat.
1767 – two Hampshire batsmen (believed to have been Tom Sueter and either George Leer or Edward “Curry” Aburrow) recorded a first-wicket partnership of 192 against Surrey, but there is no record of their individual scores, although at least one of the batsmen probably made a personal century.[46] It is the earliest known century partnership.
1768 – John Small scored “above seven score notches” for Hampshire v Kent, but it is not known if this was his match total or his performance in the second innings. If it was his match total, he could still have made a century in either innings.[47]
1769 – John Minshull (listed as “J. Minchin” on the scorecard) scored the earliest century in all classes of cricket of which there is a definite record: he made 107 for Duke of Dorset’s XI v Wrotham at Sevenoaks Vine (although the location is not certain), but the match is generally considered a minor one.[48]
The following individual scores in first-class matches from 1772 are progressively the highest definitely recorded on contemporary scorecards:
78 – John Small for Hampshire v All-England at Broadhalfpenny Down in 1772.[49] This was the highest score recorded in the earliest match now designated first-class by some statisticians and remained the highest known score through the 1772 season.
88 – William Yalden for Surrey v Hampshire at Broadhalfpenny Down in 1773.[50]
95 – Joseph Miller for Kent v Hampshire at Sevenoaks Vine in 1774.[51]
136 – John Small for Hampshire v Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down in 1775. This is the earliest known century in a first-class match. Small’s colleague Richard Nyren scored 98 in the same innings so they both beat Miller’s score.[52]
167 – James Aylward for Hampshire v All-England at Sevenoaks Vine in 1777.[53]
170 – Lord Frederick Beauclerk for Homerton v Montpelier at Aram’s New Ground in 1806. This match is considered a minor one in the opinion of some statisticians but several other matches involving either team are rated first-class. Its inclusion in Scores and Biographies is significant and it is first-class on that basis.[54]
278 – William Ward for Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC) v Norfolk at Lord’s in 1820. Again, there is some doubt among certain statisticians about the status of Norfolk but the match’s inclusion in Scores and Biographies is significant and Norfolk is generally considered first-class in the 1820s.[55]
Ward’s record survived for 56 years until W. G. Grace scored the first triple-century in first-class cricket in 1876. The table below shows the progressive world record from 1876.

Bill Ponsford, who twice broke the record for highest individual score
RunsPlayerMatchVenueSeason344W. G. Grace(Gentlemen of MCC)Kent v Gentlemen of MCC[56]Canterbury1876424Archie MacLaren(Lancashire)Somerset v Lancashire[57]Taunton1895429Bill Ponsford(Victoria)Victoria v Tasmania[2]Melbourne1922–23437Bill Ponsford(Victoria)Victoria v Queensland[58]Melbourne1927–28452*Don Bradman(New South Wales)New South Wales v Queensland[7]Sydney1929–30499Hanif Mohammad(Karachi)Karachi v Bahawalpur[59]Karachi1958–59501*Brian Lara(Warwickshire)Warwickshire v Durham[60]Birmingham1994
Most runs in a careerEdit
Qualification: 40,000.
RunsPlayerInningsMatchesAverageCareer span61,760Jack Hobbs(Surrey and England)1,32583450.70from 1905 to 193458,959Frank Woolley(Kent and England)1,53097840.77from 1906 to 193857,611Patsy Hendren(Middlesex and England)1,30083350.80from 1907 to 193855,061Phil Mead(Hampshire and England)1,34081447.67from 1905 to 193654,211W. G. Grace(Gloucestershire, London County, and England)1,47887039.45from 1865 to 190850,670Herbert Sutcliffe(Yorkshire and England)1,09875452.02from 1919 to 194550,551Wally Hammond(Gloucestershire and England)1,00563456.10from 1920 to 195148,426Geoffrey Boycott(Yorkshire and England)1,01460956.83from 1962 to 198647,793Tom Graveney(Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and England)1,22373244.91from 1948 to 1971–7244,846Graham Gooch(Essex and England)99058149.01from 1973 to 1997 (plus one match in 2000)43,551Tom Hayward(Surrey and England)1,13871241.79from 1893 to 191443,423Dennis Amiss(Warwickshire and England)1,13965842.86from 1960 to 198742,719Colin Cowdrey(Kent and England)1,13069242.89from 1950 to 197641,284Andy Sandham(Surrey and England)1,00064344.82from 1911 to 1937–3841,112Graeme Hick(Worcestershire, England, Zimbabwe, Queensland and Northern Districts)87152652.23from 1983–84 to 200840,140Len Hutton(Yorkshire and England)81451355.51from 1934 to 1960Source: Wisden 2006 and CricketArchive – 20,000 or more runs in a first-class career. Last updated: 17 October 2009.
Highest career averageEdit

Don Bradman: his first-class average of 95.14 is, like his Test average of 99.94, much higher than any other batsman’s
Qualification: 20,000 runs, average 54.
AveragePlayerMatchesRunsCareer span95.14Don Bradman(New South Wales, South Australia and Australia)23428,067from 1927–28 to 1948 (plus occasional matches in 1948–49)57.84Sachin Tendulkar(Bombay/Mumbai, Yorkshire and India)31025,396from 1988–89 to 2013–1457.83Darren Lehmann(South Australia, Victoria, Australia and Yorkshire)28425,795from 1987–88 to 2007–0856.83Geoff Boycott(Yorkshire and England)60948,426from 1962 to 198656.37Ranjitsinhji(Sussex and England)30724,692from 1893 to 1912 (plus three matches in 1920)56.22Bob Simpson(New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia)25721,029from 1952–53 to 1977–7856.10Wally Hammond(Gloucestershire and England)63450,551from 1920 to 1947 (plus occasional matches to 1951)55.90Ricky Ponting(Tasmania and Australia)28924,150from 1992–93 to 201355.51Len Hutton(Yorkshire and England)51340,140from 1934 to 1955 (plus occasional matches to 1960)55.33Rahul Dravid(Karnataka and India)29823,794from 1990–91 to 2011–1254.87Gary Sobers(Barbados, West Indies, South Australia and Nottinghamshire)38328,314from 1952–53 to 197454.74Barry Richards(Natal, South Africa, Hampshire and South Australia)33928,358from 1964–65 to 1982–8354.67Graeme Pollock(Eastern Province, Transvaal and South Africa)26220,940from 1960–61 to 1986–87
In addition to Bradman, the following batsmen batted in 50 innings or more with an average of 64.00 or above:
71.64 – Vijay Merchant, 150 matches, 13,470 runs, from 1929–30 to 1950–51
69.86 – George Headley, 103 matches, 9,921 runs, from 1927–28 to 1948–49 plus occasional matches to 1954
67.46 – Ajay Sharma, 129 matches, 10,120 runs, from 1984–85 to 1999–2000
65.18 – Bill Ponsford, 162 matches, 13,819 runs, from 1920–21 to 1934–35
64.99 – Bill Woodfull, 174 matches, 13,388 runs, from 1921–22 to 1934–35
Source: Wisden 2006, CricketArchive – 20,000 or more runs in a first-class career and Cricinfo – Highest career batting average. Last updated: 4 May 2018.
The highest first-class batting career average of all is 207.00, by Norman Callaway, who aged 18 scored 207 in his only first-class innings on his début for New South Wales against Queensland in 1914–15. He died during the Second Battle of Bullecourt in 1917.[61]
Most runs in a seasonEdit
RunsPlayerSeason3,816 runs (50 innings, average 90.85)Denis Compton(Middlesex & England)19473,539 runs (52 innings, average 80.43)Bill Edrich(Middlesex & England)19473,518 runs (61 innings, average 66.37)Tom Hayward(Surrey and England)19063,429 runs (56 innings, average 68.58)Len Hutton(Yorkshire and England)19493,352 runs (59 innings, average 60.94)Frank Woolley (Kent and England)1928These records may never be beaten, because fewer first-class matches are played nowadaysSource: Wisden 2006. Last updated: 19 May 2006.
Most runs in an overEdit
RunsSequenceBatsmanBowlerMatchVenueSeason366 6 6 6 6 6Garfield Sobers(Nottinghamshire)Malcolm Nash(Glamorgan)Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire[62][63]Swansea1968366 6 6 6 6 6Ravi Shastri(Bombay)Tilak Raj(Baroda)Bombay v Baroda[64]Bombay1984–85344 6 6 0 4 4 4 6
(2 no-balls)Ted Alletson(Nottinghamshire)Ernest Killick(Sussex)Sussex v Nottinghamshire[65]Hove1911344 0 4 4 6 6 6 4
(8-ball over)Richard Edwards(New Zealand Governor-General’s XI)Joey Carew(West Indians)Governor-General’s XI v West Indians[66]Auckland1968–69346 4 6 6 6 6Frank Hayes(Lancashire)Malcolm Nash (Glamorgan)Glamorgan v Lancashire[67]Swansea1977346 4 4 4 4 6 6 0
(2 no-balls contributed 2 extras each, so the over cost 38)Andrew Flintoff(Lancashire)Alex Tudor(Surrey)Lancashire v Surrey[68]Manchester1998346 6 6 6 4 6Craig Spearman(Gloucestershire)Stephen Moreton(Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence)Oxford UCCE v Gloucestershire[69]Oxford2005The following instances are not usually included as records because the bowlers deliberately conceded runs in an attempt to manufacture an otherwise unlikely victory750 4 4 4 6 6 4 6 1 4 1 0 6 6 6 6 6 0 0 4 0 1
(including 17 no-balls and only five legitimate deliveries; 2 no-balls not scored off contributed one each, so the over cost 77)Lee Germon and R. M. Ford (Canterbury)R. H. Vance(Wellington)Canterbury v Wellington[70]Christchurch1989–90346 6 6 6 4 6Matthew Maynard(Glamorgan)Steve Marsh(Kent)Glamorgan v Kent[71]Swansea1992346 6 4 6 6 6Glen Chapple(Lancashire)Tony Cottey(Glamorgan)Lancashire v Glamorgan[72]Manchester1993346 4 6 6 6 6Barry Touzel(Western Province B)Frans Viljoen(Griqualand West)Western Province B v Griqualand West[73]Kimberley1993–94Source: Wisden 2006, and Cricinfo. Last updated: 10 June 2006.
High proportion of team’s runsEdit
It is not unusual for a batsman to dominate the scoring while he is at the wicket; it is more unusual for a batsman to dominate his side’s completed total if they are all out.
The lowest completed first-class innings to include a fifty is Indians’ 66 against Yorkshire at Harrogate in 1932, to which Nazir Ali contributed 52 (78.79%) and his partners 9 (there were 5 extras).[74]
The lowest completed first-class innings to include a century is Nottinghamshire’s 143 against Hampshire at Bournemouth in 1981, to which Clive Rice contributed 105* (73.4%) and his partners 35 (there were 3 extras)[75] and Gujranwala’s 143 against Bahawalpur at Bahawalpur in 2001–02, to which Rizwan Malik contributed 100* (69.93%) and his partners 41 (there were 2 extras).[76]
The lowest completed first-class innings to include a double-century is Namibia’s 282 against Kenya at Sharjah in January 2008, to which Gerrie Snymancontributed 230 (81.56%) and his partners 43 (there were 9 extras).[77]
The lowest completed first-class innings to include a triple century is the Rest’s 387 against Hindus at Bombay in 1943–44, to which Vijay Hazarecontributed 309 (79.84%) and his partners 59 (there were 19 extras).[78]
The lowest completed first-class total to include a score of 350 is Otago’s 500 against Canterbury at Christchurch in 1952–53, to which opener Bert Sutcliffe contributed 385 (77.0%) and his partners 86 (there were 29 extras).[79]
The highest percentage of runs scored in any completed innings is 83.43% by Glenn Turner who scored 141* out of Worcestershire’s 169 against Glamorgan at Swansea in 1977. The remaining batsmen scored 27 and there was one extra.[80]
In the 2007 English cricket season, Mark Ramprakash scored a record 30.02% of Surrey’s runs excluding extras. In 16 matches he scored 2,026 runs at an average of 101.30, while his team mates managed 4,721 between them at an average of 26.08.[81]
Most boundaries in an inningsEdit
Qualification: 55 boundaries.
boundariesPlayerMatchSeason72 (10 sixes and 62 fours)Brian Lara(he scored 501*)Warwickshire v Durham at Birmingham[60]199468 (68 fours)Percy Perrin(343*)Essex v Derbyshire at Chesterfield[82]190465 (a six and 64 fours)Archie MacLaren(424)Lancashire v Somerset at Taunton[57]189564 (64 fours)Hanif Mohammad(499)Karachi v Bahawalpur at Karachi[59]1958–5957 (5 sixes and 52 fours)John Edrich(310*)
(The most boundaries in a Test match innings)England v New Zealand at Leeds[83]196557 (5 sixes and 52 fours)Naved Latif(39
cricket records 