The Closest Test Match Finishes in Cricket History
Tests won by one wicket, by one run, or tied entirely. The closest finishes in Test cricket history reveal the format at its most dramatic — every delivery potentially decisive to the last ball.
The Alchemy of the Close Finish
A Test match that ends by an innings is satisfying as a demonstration of superiority. A Test match that ends by one run is something else — a five-day crescendo compressed into a single delivery, a moment where the entire accumulated pressure of ten innings and 200+ wickets resolves into a single question: does the last ball hit the stumps or doesn't it? The closest finishes in Test history represent the format at its irreplaceable best.
Tied Tests: Only Two in History
Only two Test matches in history have ended in a tie — where both teams have exactly equal aggregate scores when the last wicket falls in the final innings. The first was Australia vs West Indies at Brisbane in December 1960. West Indies needed 233 to win. Their last pair, Wes Hall and Kline, came together needing 6 runs. Benaud bowled to Kline, who hit to square leg. Joe Solomon ran out Hall. One run short — a tie. The second tied Test was India vs Australia at Chennai in September 1986, finishing identically: equal scores, last wicket falling.
Australia vs England, 1902: The One-Run Test
Perhaps the most dramatic single-run Test victory in history came at Edgbaston in 1902. Australia were set 105 to win — a seemingly simple target. They were bowled out for 36 in their first innings and reached 8 wickets for 74 chasing 105. Two wickets fell quickly, leaving Australia needing 4 from their last two wickets. They scored 3. England won by 1 run. Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst were the England heroes. The wickets and scores have passed into Ashes mythology.
West Indies vs Australia, 1993: 1 Run at Perth
At the WACA in Perth in 1993, West Indies needed 2 runs to win with their last pair at the crease. Craig McDermott bowled Courtney Walsh. Australia won by 1 run. The dismissal came off the second ball of what would have been the final over — had Walsh survived it and scored the runs needed. The match had swung repeatedly across five days. The final margin was one run.
England vs South Africa, 2012 Headingley: 10 Wicket Loss from Winning Position
The Headingley Test of 2012 was not decided by one run but by one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Test history. England, set 330 to win, were cruising at 214 for 2. Then Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander took 8 wickets for 48 runs. England were all out for 253. South Africa won by 51 runs, but the closeness of the positions at each stage of the match — and Graeme Smith's decision-making throughout — made it one of the most tense Tests of the decade.
The Greatest Comeback: Australia vs England, Headingley 2019
The 2019 Headingley Test between England and Australia is considered by many to be the most extraordinary Test finish in decades. England were 286 for 9 in their final innings, needing 359 to win — effectively a lost cause with last man Jack Leach joining Ben Stokes at the crease. Stokes made 135 not out. Leach faced 17 balls and scored 1 run. England won by 1 wicket. Stokes hit the winning runs off Pat Cummins with a four square of the wicket. The Test is now referred to simply as 'Headingley 2019' in England, requiring no further explanation.
What These Finishes Mean
The one-wicket and one-run victories in Test cricket have a specific function in the game's culture. They are the evidence cited whenever Test cricket's survival is questioned — the answer to the question 'why do we need five days for a cricket match?' The answer is Headingley 2019, Edgbaston 1902, Brisbane 1960. The close finish requires all the accumulated pressure of five days to give it meaning. A five-over match settled by one run is an exciting game. A five-day Test settled by one run is cricket's most complete drama.