🦆 The Duck Pond

🦆 A modest showing from the eleven against Bearsted CC this week, four batsmen paying their respects to the zero club, though the wicket seems to have played its part with three of the four falling in the field rather than to the bowler's guile. 1st XI - J Barber, opening the innings, was run out for a duck's egg with the scorers still unsure quite who to blame for it — a debut knock ended before it truly began. His maiden first-class failure sits him at 119th of 445 on the all-time roll, level on a single career duck with the venerable A Barker of 1885 to 1904, a gentleman who went on to be crowned Duck of the Year in his day. Not a bad name to keep company with on one's first outing. - E Cheeseman followed at first wicket down, bowled by Jack Tree without troubling the scorers, his first blemish of the season in what is now his third innings for the club. He carries the honour of Duck of the Year 1935 already upon the board — a man evidently determined to make his mark, one way or another — and joins A Barker on a tally of one apiece. - N Tiley, at first wicket down, was caught by L F Wright off the same Jack Tree, his maiden duck of the summer in only his second knock for the eleven. He too finds himself level with A Barker's solitary career nought, sitting 138th of 445 on the club's roll of dubious distinction. - E Hayes, sent in at nine, was bowled by Molyneux without scoring — a first innings for the club and a first duck to mark it, the traditional welcome to the fold. He joins the same well-populated company on one career duck, ranked 90th of 445. A curious symmetry to the afternoon — three of the four dismissals came without a run being troubled from the bat, and Jack Tree may fairly claim the lion's share of the credit, or blame, depending on one's allegiance. All four ducks were maiden blemishes for the season, and none arrived by the golden route, each batsman at least being permitted to take guard before departing. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. E Cheeseman — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 2. E Hayes — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 3. J Barber — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 4. Percy Brattle — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% 5. N Tiley — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% The eleven take the field again before long, and the zero club stands ever ready to welcome new members to its exclusive and ignominious ranks. Bring your bats, gentlemen — and mind the first ball.

Recording the week of Saturday, 22nd June 1935 A quiet week for the exclusive zero club, but a duck's egg is a duck's egg, and one gentleman of the 1st XI has duly been elected to its ranks for the occasion. 1st XI Percy Brattle, sent in at first wicket down away to Bearsted CC, departed caught by L Monckton off the bowling of Frank Harnett — a plucky enough dismissal, and no golden duck to be recorded against his name, for the scorebook has him surviving at the crease before his luck ran out. It is his first duck of the present season, and his first in a career now standing at two innings, which places him a respectable 137th of 440 upon the club's long and honourable roll of those who have played and missed. A fellow of pleasant company there, it might be said, for by curious coincidence it was on this very day in the year 1881 that one W H Fryer, of the 1867 to 1885 vintage and no stranger himself to the art of not scoring — six ducks to his name, and 7th of 440 upon the same roll — likewise strolled back to the pavilion for nought, against Boxley CC's first innings. Fifty-four years apart, and the wicket claimed its due on the selfsame date. There is something almost providential in that. The Week in Summary One match played, one duck recorded, and Mr Brattle carrying the whole burden of ignominy upon his own shoulders this week — a solitary sort of triumph through adversity, but triumph of a kind nonetheless. The eleven may take some comfort that the tail, on this occasion, was not required to wag, there being only the one wicket of this particular description to report. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Percy Brattle — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100 per cent A modest table this week, with room enough upon it for others to make their mark, or rather to fail to make one, in fixtures yet to come. The eleven takes the field again before long, and the zero club stands ready, as ever, to welcome whichever gentleman the bowlers next persuade back to the pavilion with nothing to show for his visit to the crease.