🦆 The Duck Pond

Week ending the 17th of August, 1881 A single fixture against Leeds Nil Desperandum this week, and yet the timbers proved remarkably hospitable, no fewer than eight of our number being sent back to the pavilion without troubling the scorer. 1st XI - Jack Fryer, at number four, was bowled by G Gibbon for his first nought in the Club's book, a modest opening entry that places him 32nd of 101 upon the all-time roll, level with A Tapsfield on a single career cipher apiece. - A Startup, ever prompt to arrive and depart, contrived the rarer feat of falling twice in the one match — bowled by A Hollands in the earlier innings, run out amid some confusion in the latter — a pair, and no small addition to a record already unrivalled at the head of the all-time table. His tally advances from four career ducks to five, drawing him level first with C Amies and then with W Goad, and sits comfortably beside his standing honours as Duck of the Year for both 1868 and 1870, and his place among the five-in-a-row. - W H Fryer followed, caught W Chambers bowled A Hollands, his third duck's egg of the season and fourth of a career now sixteen innings deep, good enough for fifth upon the all-time table, level with C Amies. - A Tapsfield, bowled A Hollands, has the peculiar distinction of making his very first appearance in senior colours a scoreless one, a genuine duck on debut, and finds himself level with E M Owens on career noughts. - W Lamb followed him back almost directly, caught J Edmed off A Hollands, likewise dismissed without score upon his own first outing, two debutants and two ducks in the very same innings. He presently keeps company with A Tapsfield on a single career duck. - W Eggar, last man but one, was caught A Betts bowled G Gibbon for his second duck of the season, his career total now standing at two, level with C French Snr, whose own second nought, by curious coincidence, arrived in the season that brought him the Duck of the Year honour in 1864. - J Sedgwick closed the procession, caught W Ambrose bowled A Hollands, his third duck of the season and of his career alike, and already carries the Duck of the Year honour for the present season of 1881, a title he may consider himself keeping warm rather handsomely. He draws level with T Tomson on three career ducks. Of the eight ciphers recorded, no fewer than five fell to the bowling of A Hollands, who might fairly claim to have had rather the better of the exchanges with the willow this week. Two debutants departing without score in the same innings is a coincidence worth remarking upon, as is Mr Startup's pair, achieved with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of consistency. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - J Sedgwick — 4 innings, 3 ducks, 75.0% - W H Fryer — 8 innings, 3 ducks, 37.5% - A Startup — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100.0% - C Fryer — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100.0% - J Mallard — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50.0% The Club extends its condolences to all named above, and its confident expectation that the next fixture shall furnish fresh candidates for these pages in due course.

A record of ciphers for the week ending the 20th of July, 1881 1st XI Two members of our eleven were sent back without troubling the scorers in the match at home to Boxley CC, and by a curious chance both bore the same surname, though we are given no cause to make more of that than the coincidence itself allows. J Sedgwick, in at number nine, was bowled by C Chambers, and thereby entered his second duck of the season and the second of his career in as many completed innings, a consistency that keeps him a comfortable 17th of 99 on the club's all-time roll of the dismissed. He remains, for the present, in possession of the Duck of the Year honour for 1881, a distinction he appears determined to defend rather than surrender. We note, not without a certain wonder at the calendar's sense of humour, that on this very day in 1869 one C Amies performed an identical service against Horsmonden CC. G Sedgwick, opening the innings, was run out, the identity of the fielder responsible having escaped the scorer's pencil, and so departed for his second duck of the season, his career figures now reading two ciphers from three innings, placing him 14th of 99 in the club's long and dishonourable memory. He too may draw whatever comfort is on offer from the fact that C Amies, on this same date in 1869, was likewise unable to trouble the scorers. Week in summary One match, one innings begun and ended in disappointment at both its head and its tail, and two ducks laid to the club's account. A modest week's work, but the ledger does not discriminate between the grand failure and the small one, and both Messrs Sedgwick have done their part to keep it filled. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - C Fryer — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100% - J Sedgwick — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100% - G Sedgwick — 3 innings, 2 ducks, 66.67% - J Mallard — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50% - F Danells — 6 innings, 2 ducks, 33.33% A closely fought table at its head, and no sign yet of any gentleman inclined to trouble it by scoring a run. Members are cordially reminded that the next fixture offers every prospect of fresh additions to this distinguished company, and the club awaits its candidates with its customary patience.

Our correspondent is pleased to report a lively afternoon's cricket against Collier Street CC, in the course of which the eleven contributed no fewer than four contributions to the exclusive zero club. A dubious distinction indeed, and one borne with the customary good grace. 1st XI Mr G Sedgwick opened proceedings in this unhappy line by falling to F Laurence's bowling, bowled, in what we are given to understand was his very first innings for the club — an arrival marked, alas, by a cipher rather than a run. He stands 22nd of 95 in the club's melancholy all-time list, and it may interest readers that on this very day in 1870, no fewer than seven of the old brigade — Messrs W Goad, T Goad, J C Crawford, A Startup, C Amies, H Freed and W White — were themselves sent back to the pavilion without troubling the scorer, against Sissinghurst CC. A fine anniversary for the art of not scoring. Mr F Danells followed, caught T B Jackson off the same F Laurence, his second duck of the season and his second of his career in six innings at the wicket — he now occupies 11th place of 95 in the honours board of failure, a position secured, one might say, through consistency of a very particular kind. Mr J Sedgwick, brother in arms if not in scorebook to Mr G Sedgwick, likewise made his bow for the club and was caught Jackson, bowled Laurence, without scoring — his maiden innings yielding a maiden duck, and with it immediate elevation to the season's Duck of the Year honours for 1881. A debut to remember, if not quite in the manner one would wish. Mr Ernest Cruttenden completed the quartet, caught F Laurence off H Cranham, his first duck of the season and, in six innings at the crease, his first career nought — placing him 19th of 95 on the club's roll of dubious distinction, level with a considerable company of gentlemen similarly acquainted with the art of departing empty-handed. The Week in Summary One match, one innings, four ducks — a full house for Mr F Laurence, who accounted for three of the four dismissals himself, and a testing afternoon all round for the home eleven. No golden ducks were recorded, each gentleman having troubled the bowler for at least a stroke before his dismissal, which the correspondent supposes counts as triumph through adversity of a modest kind. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - C Fryer — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100% - J Mallard — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50% - F Danells — 6 innings, 2 ducks, 33.33% - W H Fryer — 6 innings, 2 ducks, 33.33% - J Sedgwick — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% The eleven take the field again shortly, and the correspondent has every confidence that the willow will continue to fail our men at the moment of truth. Members are cordially invited to attend and, should fortune desire it, to add their own names to the roll.

A single fixture engaged our attentions this week, our first eleven away to Boxley CC, and the willow proved a poor friend to three of our number, each returning to the pavilion with a duck's egg against his name. The First Eleven, away to Boxley CC - W H Fryer, at the fourth wicket, was caught by C W Battiscombe off the bowling of Kenneth McAlpine. This is his season's second cipher, and his third in a career of twelve innings, placing him seventh of ninety in the club's roll of dubious distinction — a respectable, if unenviable, standing. He now keeps company with A Startup, of the 1868 to 1870 vintage, who sits on the identical figure of three, though that gentleman additionally holds the Duck of the Year honour in both 1868 and 1870, and a string of five ducks in a row besides — company enough to be modest about. - X Carter, sent in at number eight, was bowled by C Chambers, and does so on his arrival among the club's ranks — a debut of the most particular sort, the timbers disturbed before any real acquaintance with the bowling could be made. It is his first duck for the club, and he joins E M Owens, who played between 1869 and 1875, on a single career duck apiece, Owens presently occupying the sixteenth position of ninety. Mr Carter must hope his second visit to the crease proves a longer one. - J Mallard, last man but one at number ten, was caught by C W Battiscombe off C Chambers, the same bowler who accounted for Mr Carter — Chambers may fairly claim to have enjoyed the better of the afternoon. This is Mallard's second duck of the season and his second in a career of four innings, the fourteenth of ninety on the club's honours board. He draws level with C French Snr, of 1860 to 1864, who holds two career ducks and the Duck of the Year distinction for 1864. In summary, three of our batsmen failed to trouble the scorer in the one match played, and it may be observed that Mr C Chambers's bowling accounted for two of the three, while Mr Battiscombe's safe hands at the wicket were twice called upon. A modest but instructive afternoon for the art of not scoring. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - C Fryer — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100 per cent - J Mallard — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50 per cent - W H Fryer — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50 per cent - W White — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100 per cent - W Eggar — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50 per cent The club awaits its next fixture with due anticipation, confident that further additions to this ledger of ciphers will not long be wanting.

Our correspondent is pleased, in the peculiar way one is pleased by such things, to report a thoroughly productive afternoon against Collier Street CC — eight ciphers were recorded, an innings return that will not soon be forgotten by those who suffered it. The First Eleven F Danells opened proceedings at number four, bowled by C Martin without registering a run — a first appearance for the club and, by the same stroke, a first entry in the ledger of nought. He sits now level upon a single career duck with a goodly company of former members, E M Owens among them. C Fryer, coming in at five, was likewise bowled by C Martin for a debut cipher — and, the eleven having a second innings to offer, returned again to be bowled once more by the same hand for nought. A pair, then, on debut no less, which the correspondent is bound to record as a distinction of the most unenviable sort. Mr Fryer's two ducks now draw him level with W H Fryer's career tally of two, the latter himself among the fallen this day. W Wilson, at number seven, went the way of Danells and Fryer, bowled by C Martin, his maiden failure of the season and first career duck in three innings at the wicket. W Eggar, opening at number two, was also accounted for by C Martin without scoring, his first innings' acquaintance with the game concluding at once in a duck — a debut he will doubtless prefer not to dwell upon, and he too joins the same populous company at one career cipher. J Mallard, batting nine, was caught by E Pettett off the bowling of H Cranham for nought, another debutant undone, and finds himself in the identical fraternity of single-duck men. W H Fryer, at ten, fell to H Cranham without scoring, his second career duck from ten innings, and joins C Fryer, C French Snr and sundry other names of seasons past upon that particular rung of the table. W White, closing the innings at number eleven, was likewise bowled by H Cranham for nought — his fourth career duck, placing him fourth of all who have ever failed to trouble the scorer for this club, and a paid-up member of the honours board for Duck of the Year 1869. He now stands level with C Amies on four apiece. The correspondent notes with some solemnity the case of Mr C Fryer, whose two failures this day at the same fixture constitute what the club's records term simply a pair — a debut and its unhappy sequel, achieved within the compass of a single afternoon. A Summary of the Day's Proceedings Eight batsmen back to the pavilion without score, from a single fixture against Collier Street CC — a display of collective restraint from the willow that the bowling of Messrs Martin and Cranham did much to encourage, the former accounting for four of our number and the latter three, with one further victim to the safe hands of the field. Whether this be misfortune, difficult wickets, or simply a day when the runs declined to come, the correspondent leaves to wiser judges. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - C Fryer — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100 per cent - W White — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100 per cent - F Danells — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50 per cent - J Mallard — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50 per cent - W Eggar — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50 per cent The correspondent commends these gentlemen to the attention of the membership, and looks forward, with the customary mixture of dread and anticipation, to the next fixture's inevitable additions to the roll.