🦆 The Duck Pond

A single fixture at Yalding brought the eleven no great fortune with the willow, and the timbers were troubled twice for a cipher apiece. Let us proceed to the melancholy particulars. 1st XI In the first innings against Yalding United, our men found the going hard at the tail. W Crittenden, sent in at number ten, was bowled by R Lipscombe without registering a run — his first duck of the season, and the third of his short career across three innings. He now stands eighth of eight-and-twenty in the club's roll of dubious distinction, a modest but earnest contribution to the art of not scoring. He joins a small fraternity — E Price, F May, J Tompson, T M Dann and W Goad among them — all presently level with him on a single career duck apiece, kindred spirits in nought. Following hard upon his heels, J Woollett came in at number eleven and suffered precisely the same fate, bowled by the same R Lipscombe, for the same solitary blob. This is his first duck of the current season and his first in a career of three innings, placing him sixth of eight-and-twenty on the all-time list — no mean feat of consistency, and one that earns him standing as a paid-up holder of the Duck of the Year 1865 honour, a distinction his club colleagues will no doubt raise a glass to, whatever the state of his batting average. He too finds himself, for the moment, level on career ducks with the aforementioned gentlemen of the zero club. Two wickets, one bowler, one unhappy pattern — R Lipscombe may fairly claim to have found our tail end rather to his liking this particular afternoon. The Week in Summary A single match, a pair of ducks, and both credited to the same visiting bowler — Yalding United's R Lipscombe leaves Linton Park having accounted for our last two batsmen without either troubling the scorer. A tidy piece of work on his part, and a sobering one on ours. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - J Woollett — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50.0% - W Crittenden — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50.0% A Closing Word The season stands young, and the leaderboard shows our two contributors locked at fifty per cent apiece — honours even, for now. The club looks forward with quiet confidence, or perhaps quiet dread, to the next fixture, when the timbers shall doubtless be rattled again and fresh names added to this most exclusive of registers. Until then, the eleven remain, as ever, your obedient servants of the duck's egg.