🦆 The Duck Pond

🦆 Bearsted CC came calling, and the Linton Park eleven laid on a proper reception at the crease — four gentlemen despatched for nought inside the one innings. A sticky wicket indeed, and the exclusive zero club welcomes a fresh intake. 1st XI - W Turner (No. 2) fell b W White, first blood of the afternoon and his maiden entry to the club — a debut duck, no less, and one imagines the walk back to the pavilion felt considerably longer than the walk out. He joins A Barker on a career tally of 1, in rather distinguished company — Barker took the honour of Duck of the Year back in 1885. - N Merritt (No. 3) followed shortly after, caught L F Wright bowled Walter Watcham, another arrival announcing himself with a duck's egg to his name. Also level with A Barker on 1 for the career — the 1885 vintage keeps good society. - J Barker (No. 4) continued the procession, caught L F Wright bowled W White. Not his first knock for the club, this — his second innings, and now his first career duck — but he too finds himself keeping pace with A Barker's tally of 1. - V Boorman (No. 9), coming in down the order, was caught D Dawes bowled W White for his maiden innings and, naturally, his maiden duck. A third debutant to nought this week, and a third name drawing level with A Barker on 1 — one wonders whether Barker's ghost was at square leg all afternoon. A tidy piece of bowling from W White, who accounted for three of the four ducks himself — a fine afternoon's work, and rather a miserable one for the top and middle order alike. Week in Summary One match, four ducks, and every single one of them a maiden voyage into ignominy for three of the four concerned — a rare cluster of debutants finding the art of not scoring rather easier than the art of batting. No pairs, no families of ducks this week, just four fresh names added to the honours board of dubious distinction. W White may fairly claim to have run the reception committee. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. C Crundwell — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 2. J Fife — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 3. N Merritt — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 4. V Boorman — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 5. W Merritt — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% A congested summit this early in the season, gentlemen — plenty of room yet for someone to distinguish themselves further. The eleven take the field again next week, and Bearsted's bowlers will doubtless have left their compliments. The nought awaits its next volunteer.

A single fixture on the road at Bearsted, and the Zero Club gathers in three new members at a stroke — one from the top of the order, one from the middle, and one from the tail, as if the whole innings had been arranged for the occasion. The First Eleven, away at Bearsted Opening the innings, C Crundwell fell lbw to W White without troubling the scorers — a maiden knock ending in a maiden's egg, and his very first innings for the club besides. A debut duck of this quality earns him the season's own decoration: he stands newly named Duck of the Year 1925, a distinction not every man is fortunate enough to claim on his first afternoon in flannels. He takes his place at 71st of 415 in the club's long and honourable roll of failure. Curiously, on this very date back in 1900, one X Pike suffered an identical fate against the Royal Engineers — the calendar, it seems, has long memories. At first wicket down, W Merritt was bowled by the same W White, another maiden innings concluding in the same fashion, and he enters the book at 153rd of 415. He too finds himself sharing the date with history — the 13th of June 1900 having claimed X Pike in precisely the same manner, against the same Royal Engineers. Down at number eight, J Fife was bowled by Frank Harnett for his first senior duck, taking up residence at 116th of 415 on the all-time list. And once again the almanack turns up the 13th of June 1900, when X Pike made nought against the Royal Engineers — a date, it would appear, with a settled taste for ducks. The week in brief Three ducks from one visit to Bearsted, and all three debutants besides — a plucky eleven undone at both ends, with W White claiming a brace and Frank Harnett tidying up the tail. A sticky sort of afternoon, though the club's ledger, at least, is thriving. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. C Crundwell — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 2. J Fife — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 3. W Merritt — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% An early season, then, but a full house already at its head. The eleven take the field again before long, and the club awaits its next candidates with its customary warmth — the door of the Zero Club stands ever open, and the pavilion steps are never far away.