Why in cricket is it called a duck?
Being dismissed for a duck is a dreaded feat that no batter wishes to suffer when they step up to the crease. But, where does this cricketing term get its name?
An unwanted record was broken during India's tour of England this summer, which the hosts currently lead 2-1. Six of England's batters made ducks in the first innings of the second test, and despite Jamie Smith's heroic knocks of 184 not out and a second-inning 88, this clash was inevitably lost.
Those batting at the tail end and top of the order fear making a duck, the expression given to a batter getting dismissed without getting a single run, but the origin of this term is not as convoluted as one may think.
A duck's egg is an oval shape, similar to the number zero, so the phrase 'out for a duck,' used when a batter is out for zero runs, was coined from this comparison.
The first use of the term in a cricketing sphere dates back to the mid-19th century, though it is of course unclear when exactly it was coined.
Other sports utilise such comparative terminology, with 'goose-egg' being an American slang term used in baseball when a team fails to score in an inning or match.
Tennis is another, as it is thought that the term' love,' used when a player is yet to score a point in a game, is derived from the French term 'L'oeuf,' which translates to 'the egg.' However, this is one of many theories.
In cricket, though, there are many types of duck dismissals, depending on how many balls the batter has faced, and when they are sent packing in the innings.
A regular duck occurs when a batter makes zero runs and is dismissed, any time after they have faced one ball or more. A golden duck occurs when they are dismissed after facing just one ball in their innings.
Furthermore, with increased embarrassment, a diamond duck occurs when a batter is dismissed without facing any legal balls. This typically happens from the non-striker's end, but they could also be struck out on the striker's end from a wide ball.
Lastly, a platinum or royal duck is a feat no batter would ever wish to suffer. This occurs when a batter is dismissed on the first ball of the first innings of the entire match.
There have been some infamous ducks throughout cricket's history, but none more renowned than the late Sir Don Bradman's during his final innings at the 1948 Ashes series.
Australian icon Bradman, adored by the British public despite inflicting pain upon them from the crease for years, stepped up at The Oval over 75 years ago, needing just four runs to bring his Test average over a staggering 100 and sign off a career that produced 6,996 runs.
Yet, in what was one of, if not the greatest batter's final outing before he called it quits, leg-spinner Eric Hollies dismissed the legend for a duck with a googly on only the second ball he faced.
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