🦆 The Duck Pond

A single fixture, a single sacrifice to the great god of nought — but where the Duck Club is concerned, one is quite enough to warrant the trumpet. 1st XI - E Hayes, sent in at number eleven and asked to do little more than see out the innings, instead saw out his stumps — caught E A Brooks, bowled L Roberts, for a duck's egg that will not trouble the scorebook further. It is the first blot of the season for Hayes and, sobering thought, the second of a career that has run to just two innings — a strike rate for nought that would make a statistician blush. He takes his place 39th of 453 in the Club's roll of the dismissed-for-nothing, drawing level on career ducks with the venerable B W Haynes, who between 1891 and 1910 contrived the very same brace of two in nineteen innings — kindred spirits separated by the better part of half a century but united, as the honours board has it, in the art of not scoring. Given that this is 1937's own vintage, Hayes may already fancy his chances for the Duck of the Year sash that carries this season's name upon it — early days yet, but a promising start in the wrong direction. The Week in Brief One match, one duck — a modest yield by the Club's usual standards, but a duck's egg is a duck's egg, and the ledger must be kept regardless of season or scarcity. No pairs, no king pairs, and no family gatherings at the crease this week — the Hayeses, whoever they may be elsewhere, kept their noughts to themselves. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - E Hayes — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% A short list this early in the summer, but the season is long and the eleven is willing. Members are warmly reminded that the wicket cares nothing for reputation, and the next fixture will doubtless furnish further candidates for these hallowed and inglorious pages. Until then — mind your off stump.