🦆 The Duck Pond

A modest but by no means unworthy showing for the club's exclusive society this week, our men contributing three additions to the roll of dubious distinction in the single fixture played. 1st XI Mr W W Tarrance, promoted to the number four position, was undone caught by F G Stenning off the bowling of A J Thornton — a debut innings, and thus his maiden entry upon the ledger, first of the season and first of a career now standing at one, placing him 85th of 214 in the club's long and melancholy roll. He joins good company on that particular figure: A Barker of the 1885 season, whose solitary duck earned him the Duck of the Year honour that summer, sits level with him at one apiece. At number ten, Mr C A Whittaker fell leg-before to the same indefatigable Mr Thornton, without troubling the scorer. This too was his first appearance upon the club's honours board, his maiden duck in only his second innings for the eleven — an inauspicious beginning, though he keeps distinguished company at one career duck, level again with Mr A Barker of 1885. Mr H Waghorn, at first wicket down, was caught and bowled by the same Mr Thornton, whose afternoon's work read like a benefit performance for the Duck Club. This was no debut mishap but the second nought of an established career now numbering five innings, placing him 26th of the all-time list. He draws level on two career ducks with Mr C French Senior, whose own pair between 1860 and 1864 earned him the Duck of the Year in the latter season. One is bound to observe that Mr A J Thornton, of The Mote CC, appears to have enjoyed a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon at our expense, accounting for all three dismissals himself — a hat-trick of sorts, though not one this correspondent is obliged to celebrate. The Week in Summary Three ducks in the single match played, all falling to one visiting bowler, and all from the 1st XI. No pairs, no golden ducks, and no family ceremonies to report this week — merely three gentlemen returning to the pavilion in steady, unspectacular succession. A quiet week for the club by its own exacting standards, though the timbers and the scorebook alike bore witness to the visitors' evident command of the conditions. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - A Kent — 5 innings, 3 ducks, 60.0% - George Champion — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100.0% - Jack Fryer — 3 innings, 2 ducks, 66.67% - H Waghorn — 5 innings, 2 ducks, 40.0% - W W Tarrance — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100.0% The club extends its compliments to all three gentlemen upon their elevation to the roll, and looks forward, with its customary want of discretion, to the next fixture furnishing further candidates for the honours board.

A full week of misfortune with the willow: three fixtures played, and no fewer than ten ciphers entered upon the club's rolls. The exclusive zero club welcomes its usual mixture of new arrivals and seasoned campaigners. 1st XI Against the Royal Engineers CC on the 14th, the innings unravelled handsomely for our men. A Kent, introducing himself to first-team cricket, was twice sent back to the pavilion without score — bowled by Captain Hamilton, then caught and bowled by A J Woodroffe — a pair on his very arrival that few gentlemen would wish upon themselves. H Waghorn followed at number seven, bowled by A J Woodroffe on his own first outing, and takes his place beside the estimable A Barker of 1885 on a solitary career blemish, 57th of 206 on the club's all-time roll. Further down, Jack Fryer, stumped off Corporal Bayfield in a manner suggesting the willow was scarcely required, recorded the seventh cipher of a career now level with the redoubtable A Startup of the 1870s and 80s — Fryer remains top of the all-time table, 1st of 206, and a past holder of the Duck of the Year honour in 1891. F S W Cornwallis, last man in, fell to Corporal Bayfield for his fourth career duck, keeping distinguished company with C Amies of the 1860s, and stands 7th of 206. Two days later, against the Free Foresters CC, George Champion contrived to be dismissed twice for nought in the one encounter — bowled, then caught by G W Ricketts, both off the bowling of W E W Collins — a grim pair to open his season's account, drawing him level with C French Senior of the 1860s on two career ciphers, 24th of 206. Major Rawson, at number eight, also fell to Collins without troubling the scorer, his maiden duck for the eleven, and joins A Barker's modest company on one, 67th of 206. The Eton Ramblers CC, on the 18th, completed the week's misery. Jack Fryer was bowled by C Heseltine for his second duck of the period and eighth of an ever-lengthening career. A Kent, closing out a week entirely his own, was likewise bowled by Heseltine for a third duck in five short days, drawing level with A Tapsfield of the early 1880s — Kent now stands 12th of 206, and already occupies a place upon this year's Duck of the Year board for 1893. In summary Ten ducks across three matches is a rate of failure the eleven will not care to repeat, though the honours boards are rather better furnished for it. A Kent's three ciphers make him the week's undisputed champion of adversity, with George Champion's pair in a single match running him a close second. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - A Kent — 5 innings, 3 ducks, 60.0% - George Champion — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100.0% - Jack Fryer — 3 innings, 2 ducks, 66.67% - Major Rawson — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50.0% - H Waghorn — 3 innings, 1 duck, 33.33% The next fixture awaits, and with it, no doubt, further candidates for the club's roll of dubious distinction.