duck (cricket)

The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began. When referring to the Prince of Wales' (the future Edward VII) score of nought on 17 July 1866, a contemporary newspaper wrote that the Prince "retired to the royal pavilion on a 'duck's egg{{'"}}.LONDON from THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT, 25 July 1866 can be viewed at [http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18660922.2.6&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0-all Paper's past] The name is believed to come from the shape of the number "0" being similar to that of a duck's egg, as in the case of the American slang term "goose-egg" popular in baseball and the tennis term "love", derived – according to one theory – from French l'œuf ("the egg"). The Concise Oxford Dictionary still cites "duck's egg" as an alternative version of the term.{{cite web | url=http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/duck_3?view=uk | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040923055452/http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/duck_3?view=uk | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 September 2004 | title=duck | access-date=29 March 2009 | publisher=AskOxford.com}}

The first duck in a Test match was made in the first Test, between Australia and England at Melbourne in March 1877, when Ned Gregory was caught by Andrew Greenwood off the bowling of James Lillywhite.{{cite web | url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/2/2077.html | title=Australia v England in 1876/77 | access-date=22 May 2007 | publisher=CricketArchive}}

As of 2017, the record for the most ducks in Test cricket is held by West Indies player Courtney Walsh, who was out for nought on 43 occasions,{{cite web |title=Records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Batting records {{!}} Most ducks in career {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283087.html |website=Cricinfo |access-date=10 July 2019}}

while the overall first-class record is 156, set by Worcestershire and England player Reg Perks.{{cite web | url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Records/Firstclass/Overall/Most_Ducks.html | title=Most Ducks in First-Class Cricket | access-date=22 May 2007 | publisher=CricketArchive | archive-date=3 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203442/http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Records/Firstclass/Overall/Most_Ducks.html | url-status=dead }}

One particularly high-profile example of a duck came in 1948, when Don Bradman was playing his final Test match for Australia, against England at The Oval. In Australia's first innings, Bradman was bowled for a duck by Eric Hollies, causing his Test average to fall from 101.39 to 99.94; had he scored just four runs, his average would have been 100. As things turned out, Australia won the match by an innings, and so Bradman did not get to bat a second time (had he batted, he would have needed at least 104 runs if dismissed or at least four runs if not out to get his average back to 100).

{{cite web | url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/0/492/492.html | title=Don Bradman | access-date=22 May 2007 | publisher=CricketArchive}}

In the first Test of Australia's tour of India in 1986, with the cumulative scores tied, Indian tailender Maninder Singh was trapped LBW by Greg Matthews for a four ball duck, ensuring just the second tied Test in Test Cricket history.

Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar earned the nickname "Bombay Duck" after being dismissed for ducks five consecutive times in test matches against Australia.{{cite book |title=Ask Bearders |last=Frindall |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Frindall |year=2009 |publisher=BBC Books|isbn=978-1-84607-880-4 |pages=80–81 }}

In a 1913 match against Glastonbury, Huish and Langport's batsmen all scored ducks for a total of zero runs.{{Cite news|title = Ducks all round: the cricket team that was all out for nought|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/sep/07/cricket-team-all-out-nought|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 7 September 2011|access-date = 13 February 2016|issn = 0261-3077|language = en-GB|first = Steven|last = Morris}} A similar occurrence in indoor cricket happened in 2016, when Bapchild Cricket Club were dismissed for zero against Christ Church University.{{Cite web|title = Cricket team bowled out for zero in Kent indoor game|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35550946|publisher = BBC Sport|access-date = 13 February 2016|date = 11 February 2016}}

There are several variations used to describe specific types of duck. The usage or prevalence of many of these terms vary regionally, with one term having different meanings in different parts of the world. Even within commentary from ESPN Cricinfo or individual cricket board websites, there is no uniform application of some of these terms.

• A batsman who is dismissed by the first ball they face is said to have been dismissed for a golden duck. This term is applied uniformly throughout the cricket world.

{{cite web | url=http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ABOUT_CRICKET/EXPLANATION/EXPLANATION_OF_CRICKET.html | title=Cricket explained | access-date=22 May 2007 | publisher=Cricinfo}}

• A batsman who is dismissed by the first ball of an innings is said to have been dismissed for a royal or platinum duck.

{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z683qp3 | title=The origins of cricket jargon | access-date=14 October 2023 | publisher=BBC}}

• A batsman who is dismissed without facing a ball (most usually run out from the non-striker's end, but alternatively stumped or run out off a wide delivery) is said to be out for a diamond duck,Victorian Cricket Association Umpires and Scorers Association Association Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 5, 2008–2009 season, p11{{cite web|url=http://ls.cricket.com.au/HomeFullScorecardMatchMilestones81_2360_15.html |title=cricket.com.au Twenty20 Match Commentary |access-date=17 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120152648/http://ls.cricket.com.au/HomeFullScorecardMatchMilestones81_2360_15.html |archive-date=20 January 2009 }}{{cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/diamond-duck-places-katich-in-select-ashes-club-20101203-18jt4.html | title=Diamond duck places Katich in select Ashes club | date=4 December 2010 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} but in some regions that term has an alternative definition. If the batsman is one of the openers, that is said to be a titanium duck. If the batsman is timed out without making it to the crease, that is known as a diamond duck or a platinum duck.

{{Main|Pairs in Test and first-class cricket}}

To be dismissed for nought in both innings of the same two-innings match is to be dismissed for a pair,

{{cite web|url=http://www.middlesexccc.com/report-detail.asp?ReportID=163 |title=Middlesex facing innings defeat at Lord's |date=22 June 2006 |access-date=8 September 2013 |publisher=Middlesex County Cricket Club |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205073133/http://www.middlesexccc.com/report-detail.asp?ReportID=163 |archive-date=5 February 2012 }}

because the two noughts together are thought to resemble a pair of spectacles; the longer form is occasionally used.

{{cite news | first=Henry | last=Blofeld | author-link=Henry Blofeld | title=CRICKET: Smith has the class and character to revive England | url=https://www.questia.com/library/1P2-1780286/cricket-smith-has-the-class-and-character-to-revive | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130908215938/http://www.questia.com/library/1P2-1780286/cricket-smith-has-the-class-and-character-to-revive | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 September 2013 | work=The Independent | via=Find Articles | date=18 August 2003 | access-date=8 September 2013 | quote=Conversely, Graham Gooch made a pair of spectacles in his first Test, against Australia.}} To be dismissed first ball in both innings (i.e., two golden ducks) is to suffer the indignity of making a king pair.

Two consecutive pairs, or (more generally) four consecutive ducks, are referred to as an Audi. The expression alludes to the German car manufacturer, the logo of which is four linked rings. A player who has been dismissed for three consecutive ducks and not yet scored in a further consecutive innings is said to be "on an Audi".{{cite web |last1=Fleming |first1=Stephen |author1-link=Stephen Fleming |title=The sort of Audi that nobody wants |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-sort-of-audi-that-nobody-wants-106696 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=20 November 2021 |date=30 May 2001}}{{cite web |last1=Lynch |first1=Steven |title=Which end of the bat do I hold? Batsmen who went through spells of wretched form |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/espncricinfo-xi-batsmen-who-went-through-spells-of-poor-form-566356 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=20 November 2021 |date=28 May 2012}}{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Ali |title=Joe Root's inspired 228 keeps England in command before rally from Sri Lanka |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/16/joe-root-captain-double-century-cricket-england-sri-lanka-test-match-galle |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=16 January 2021}}

In 1992, Australian batter Mark Waugh scored successive Test pairs against Sri Lanka, and was given the temporary nickname "Audi". In 2023, Australian wicket-keeper-batter Alyssa Healy almost completed a Test Audi when she feathered a ball from Kate Cross towards Amy Jones during a Women's Ashes match at Trent Bridge, but Jones did not take the proffered catch and Healy went on to score an even 50.{{cite news |last1=Lemon |first1=Geoff |title=Alyssa Healy plays pivotal role to steer Australia back on path to victory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/jun/25/alyssa-healy-plays-pivotal-role-to-steer-australia-back-on-path-to-victory |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=26 June 2023}}

A player who has completed an Audi and is yet to score in yet another consecutive innings is said to be "on an Olympic", an expression alluding to the five interlocking Olympic rings. In Test cricket, three players have completed an Olympic: Bob Holland (1985), Ajit Agarkar (1999–2000) and Mohammad Asif (2006).{{cite web |title=5 Batsmen with most consecutive ducks in Test cricket |url=https://www.sports.info/article/5-batsmen-with-most-consecutive-ducks-in-test-cricket |website=Sports.info |access-date=20 November 2021 |language=en}}

• {{annotated link|Glossary of cricket terms}}
• {{annotated link|Daddles}}
• {{annotated link|Golden sombrero}}
• {{annotated link|Hat-trick (cricket)|Hat-trick}}
• {{annotated link|Names for the number 0 in English}}
• {{annotated link|Pairs in test and first-class cricket}}

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Category:Cricket terminology