🦆 The Duck Pond

A single fixture graced our books this week, the eleven at home to the Maidstone Junior Liberal Association, and the exclusive zero club welcomed five new entries into its ledger of dubious distinction. Two completed innings were played in the day, and one of our number contrived to visit the pavilion twice before tea. 1st XI - W Wilson, sent in first to face the bowling, was undone lbw to A E Hickmott without troubling the scorer. His fourth duck in eighteen innings of a career, which places him eighth of all our 120 honoured members. He draws level, curiously enough, with C Amies, who compiled his own four ciphers between 1867 and 1870 in a mere nine innings, and now finds a companion in adversity across the years. - B Small, appearing for the club for the first time, was caught by F Wallis off Hickmott for a maiden duck, a debut of the quieter sort. He enters at 27th of 120, and stands upon the very same mark as A R Simpson of 1881 to 1882, a fellowship of one apiece. - J Danells achieved the rarer distinction of a pair upon his very first appearance for the club, batting at number ten in both innings. First he was taken by R T Nicholson off F Wallis, then, evidently unconvinced by the merits of a second attempt, bowled outright by A E Hickmott. Two ducks in an afternoon and two in a fledgling career, a beginning of the most emphatic kind, and one that earns him a place already among the season's foremost, being a name entered upon the Duck of the Year board for 1883. He now shares his tally with C French Snr, whose own pair of ciphers were gathered between 1860 and 1864, a member of the 1864 Duck of the Year board himself. - F Simmons, last man in, was bowled by F Knight for a debut duck of his own, entering the roll at 33rd of 120, and keeping A R Simpson company at one apiece alongside Master Small. A tidy afternoon's work for the opposing bowlers, then, five ciphers from one match, all confined to the 1st XI, and the singular curiosity of a young debutant contriving to fail twice before luncheon was properly digested. The art of not scoring, it seems, was practised with uncommon thoroughness this week. The Season's Duck-Hunting Ledger - J Danells — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100% - B Small — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% - F Simmons — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% - W Wilson — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% The committee trusts the eleven will contrive fresh entries at the earliest opportunity, and looks forward to greeting the next fixture's arrivals into this most select and inglorious of fellowships.