🦆 The Duck Pond

The season closer at Linton Park delivered exactly what tradition demands: the Married men and the Singles going toe to toe, and six fresh entries for the exclusive zero club before anyone could reach for their tea. Spookily, this very date in 1951 also claimed a duck against Hunton Wanderers CC courtesy of John --'s Taylor (15 career, 16th all time) — the ghost of '51 was evidently watching over all six victims today. 🏏 Married Bob Arnold, in at 5, was trapped lbw by Len Conway for his 6th duck of the season and 45th of an extraordinary career — good enough for 2nd all time out of 783 names. He already wears the Duck of the Year 1963 crown and now extends his Ducks in a Row honour to four on the bounce. Consistency of a very particular kind. Cliff Anscombe fell at 7, bowled by Alan Tucker, for his first duck of the season and 13th career nought from 43 innings, ranking 20th all time. A paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club and a former (1957) Duck of the Year, proving the family tradition of failure has deep roots. 🏏 Singles Norman Mattingley, at 4, was stumped — by Married's own Cliff Anscombe, no less, off Gordon Fenner — for his 2nd duck of the season and career alike, just three innings into his LPCC journey. Rank 151 of 783 and climbing fast. Barry Langridge, at 9, suffered the ultimate indignity: bowled by his own kin, Dick Langridge, earning the exact "Quacked by Kin (1963)" honour the board records. His 5th duck of the season and career, from 14 innings, sits him at 53rd all time. Being undone by family truly is a triumph through adversity. C- Haylor, at 10, was bowled by Terry Donovan for his 3rd of the season and 14th career duck in just 30 innings, ranking a lofty 18th all time. This confirms his Runaway Duck (1963) status — a whole season without troubling the scorers — while his Retirement Duck club membership remains a standing honour from a past farewell, nothing more. Michael Chambers, at 11, became Terry Donovan's second victim in a row, also bowled, for his 5th duck of the season and 8th career, from 27 innings, ranking 36th all time. Donovan can add "brace of ducks" to his afternoon's work. 📊 Week in Summary One match, six ducks, and Terry Donovan doing his bit for the honours board with a tidy two-for. The art of not scoring was alive and well at both ends of the wicket today. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 12 innings, 6 ducks, 50.0% - Dick Langridge — 18 innings, 6 ducks, 33.33% - John Thirkell — 32 innings, 6 ducks, 18.75% - Michael Chambers — 10 innings, 5 ducks, 50.0% - Barry Langridge — 14 innings, 5 ducks, 35.71% That's the season wrapped for now — but the club never truly closes for business. Next time bat and ball meet at Linton Park, the honours board awaits its next volunteers. We watch. We wait. We celebrate. 🦆0️⃣

A quiet weekend by the Club's usual standards of catastrophe, but Staplehurst CC still managed to prise two names loose for the honours board. 1st XI v Staplehurst CC (away) Norman Mattingley, at four, was trapped lbw by C. Smith and departs with his very first senior duck — 1 for the season, 1 for the career, and only his second innings in whites. He joins the exclusive zero club at 299th of 783 in the all-time standings, a debut of the least distinguished kind. Curiously, on this very day back in 1962, Frank Brattle (1937-1963, 19 career ducks, 10th of 783 all-time) was also walking back for nought against Bowaters CC — history, it seems, enjoys a bit of symmetry. Down at seven, Dick Langridge was stumped by Jack Eastland off the bowling of W. Tipples, the wicketkeeper doing the tidying-up honours. It's his 6th duck of the season and, rather more alarmingly, his 6th career duck from just 22 innings — a rate that puts him firmly among the season's frontrunners. He sits 45th of 783 all-time, and — fittingly — the same calendar date in 1962 also claimed a duck from Frank Brattle against Bowaters, making this something of an anniversary fixture for nought-scoring. Dick, incidentally, is not carrying the family torch alone — his relative Barry Langridge has 4 career ducks of his own, so the art of not scoring appears to run in the blood. Week in Summary Two matches, two ducks, both surrendered in the same Staplehurst encounter — a modest haul, but every entry on the honours board started somewhere. Consistency of a very particular kind continues at Linton Park. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Dick Langridge — 17 innings, 6 ducks, 35.3% - John Thirkell — 31 innings, 6 ducks, 19.4% - Bob Arnold — 11 innings, 5 ducks, 45.5% - David Gale — 20 innings, 5 ducks, 25.0% - Roy Clarke — 31 innings, 5 ducks, 16.1% Dick Langridge leads the pack outright, but Bob Arnold's 45.5% strike rate for nought is the kind of "efficiency" nobody should be proud of and everybody secretly is. 🍩 The season rolls on, and Linton Park's batsmen will get further chances to add to this illustrious ledger at the next fixture. The Duck Club never sleeps — we watch, we wait, we celebrate. 🦆

Two matches, two ducks, and the exclusive zero club welcomed its usual suspects down at Maidstone this weekend. Modest numbers, but never let it be said the Duck Club deals in quantity over quality. 🏏 1st XI — St Lukes Maidstone CC (Home) Opening the innings and, evidently, opening the account for the weekend, Frank Brattle was bowled by W. Summerfield without scoring — his 2nd duck of the season and a hefty 19th of an already storied career, good enough for 10th on the all-time list of 783. A fine display of the art of not scoring, and one that clearly runs in the family: his kin Percy Brattle already carries 5 career ducks of his own. Fittingly, on this very day back in 1958 the great Cliff Anscombe (1957–1963, Debutante Duck, Duck of the Year 1957) also trudged off for nought, against Anchorians CC — some anniversaries just keep quacking. At number 4, Terry Donovan fell to George Winter without troubling the scorer, his 2nd duck of the season and 2nd of his career from 24 innings, sitting a modest 162nd of 783 all time. Terry remains the club's most industrious "Full House nearly-man" — having ducked from 10 of the 11 possible batting positions, he sits agonisingly one spot short of a complete set, a feat requiring patience, misfortune, and remarkable positional versatility. Like Frank, he shares his moment with history: this too is the anniversary of Cliff Anscombe's 1958 duck against Anchorians CC — the Duck Club calendar has a habit of repeating itself. 📊 Week in Summary Two ducks from two fixtures, both credited to the 1st XI against St Lukes Maidstone CC — a tidy, if unspectacular, contribution to the 1963 tally. No pairs, no family affairs, no golden ducks this week. Sometimes the art of not scoring is simply a quiet, dignified business. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 🥇 - John Thirkell — 6 ducks, 29 innings (20.69%) - Bob Arnold — 5 ducks, 11 innings (45.45%) - Dick Langridge — 5 ducks, 16 innings (31.25%) - David Gale — 5 ducks, 19 innings (26.32%) - Roy Clarke — 5 ducks, 29 innings (17.24%) Bob Arnold's near-50% strike rate for nought remains the standard by which all aspiring duckers should measure their ambition. 🍩 The season rolls on — who'll be next to make that long walk back? Same time next week, ducks permitting. 0️⃣🦆

Two fixtures, two full scorecards, and not a single nought to show for it. The exclusive zero club held no induction ceremony this week — every batsman who walked to the crease at Linton Park had the discourtesy to actually trouble the scorers. 🏏 A quiet weekend for quackery Frankly, it happens. Even the most dedicated collectors of dubious distinction need a rest, and this weekend the ducks evaded capture entirely. No golden ducks, no pairs, no father-and-son ignominy, no family affairs for the honours board — just eleven men a side getting on with the rather less interesting business of scoring runs. The Committee notes this is not necessarily cause for celebration; consistency of a very particular kind has been temporarily, and disappointingly, interrupted. Rest assured, normal service — the art of not scoring — will resume. It always does. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard The chase for 1963 Duck of the Year rumbles on undisturbed by this weekend's clean sheet: - John Thirkell — 6 ducks from 28 innings (21.43%) — the volume leader, grinding out noughts with the patience of a man who knows quality takes time - Bob Arnold — 5 ducks from just 11 innings (45.45%) — a quite staggering strike rate, nearly one duck every other knock, the sort of efficiency the rest of the club can only dream of - Dick Langridge — 5 ducks from 16 innings (31.25%) — firmly in the hunt, no signs of slowing - David Gale — 5 ducks from 19 innings (26.32%) — quietly keeping pace - Roy Clarke — 5 ducks from 28 innings (17.86%) — the most economical route to 5, taking the scenic path Bob Arnold's percentage is the standout figure here — at that rate he's practically obliged to add another before the season's out. 📅 Looking ahead The ducks may have evaded the net this week, but the pond is far from empty. With Thirkell out in front and Arnold snapping at his heels on sheer conversion rate, next weekend's fixtures offer every opportunity to put things right. Get out there, gentlemen — the honours board doesn't fill itself. We watch. We wait. We celebrate. 🦆🍩0️⃣

A quiet weekend in the paddy fields, but the ranks against Aylesford Paper Mills CC still swelled by two, and both from the home side's lower order. 🏏 1st XI — Aylesford Paper Mills CC (home) Coming in at number 8, H Mannering edged behind off C- Holden for nought — his 2nd of the season and 2nd of a career now standing at just 4 innings, a startling early strike rate for the zero column. He slots in at 137th of 781 on the all-time list, level for career ducks with a long queue of names including Bob Brigden (1955–1958) and Don Clayton (1961–1962), proving good company is never hard to find down here. Fittingly, on this very calendar day back in 1901, J H Coles was also trudging off for a duck against Yalding CC — some things never change on 24 August. Then at number 11, last man Barry Langridge was trapped lbw by R- David without scoring — his 4th duck of the season and 4th of his career from 13 innings. Barry now sits 63rd of 781 all-time, drawing level on career noughts with the likes of Charles Wycherley (1904–1912) and F E Wallis (1887–1908). There's a family flavour to this one too — Barry joins the club's Quacked by Kin board, dismissed this very season by his own kinsman Dick Langridge, who carries 5 career ducks of his own. And once again, the calendar obliges: J H Coles made his Yalding duck on this same date in 1901, keeping Barry company across the decades. 📋 Week in Summary One match, two ducks, both from the home 1st XI's tail — positions 8 and 11 doing their patriotic duty for the exclusive zero club. No pairs, no golden ducks, no family doubles this week — just honest, unspectacular application of the art of not scoring. Dick Langridge will no doubt be dining out on the Langridge household's shared duck heritage for weeks to come. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard — Top 5 1. John Thirkell — 27 innings, 6 ducks (22.22%) 2. Bob Arnold — 11 innings, 5 ducks (45.45%) 3. Dick Langridge — 16 innings, 5 ducks (31.25%) 4. David Gale — 18 innings, 5 ducks (27.78%) 5. Roy Clarke — 28 innings, 5 ducks (17.86%) Bob Arnold remains the season's most efficient failure at a barely believable 45%, but with plenty of fixtures still to come, this table is far from settled. 🦆 Roll on the next match — the zero club never sleeps, and someone's number is always due. See you all at the crease, or rather, on the way back from it.

Step back in time with us this week as the ledger reopens for the weekend of 17-18 August 1963. Six ducks, two matches, one long-suffering 1st XI doing all the honourable damage. The exclusive zero club was thriving even then. 🏏 Saturday 17th — away at Bowaters CC Three exiles for the price of one on the road. Roy Clarke went first, bowled Roy Ecclestone, his 5th duck of the season and 30th career nought — 4th on the all-time list of 781. A Duck of the Year champion from 1959 and a "Quacking Together" veteran alongside John Ames, Roy has form in the blood too, with brother H Clarke sitting on 3 career ducks of his own. Dick Langridge followed, caught Eustace bowled Chick, also his 5th of the season — a tidy 5 from just 19 innings, 53rd on the all-time chart. His relative Barry Langridge already carries 3 career noughts, so the surname is well represented in these pages. H Mannering rounded off the trio, caught Stanton bowled Chick — his 1st career duck, from only 3 innings, 252nd on the all-time list. Welcome to the club. Curiously, all three fell on the very date, in 1957, that club legend John Thirkell also succumbed to Bowaters CC. Some anniversaries are best left uncelebrated. 🌱 Sunday 18th — home to The Mote CC If Saturday's ducks summoned him, Sunday delivered him. John Thirkell — the club's undisputed King of Noughts on 52 career ducks from 442 innings, three-time Duck of the Year (1952, 1954, 1955) and fixture of the Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck top tens — walked out and departed bowled J. Webb without scoring. His 6th of the season sends him clear at the top of this year's race, a crown he wears rather well. Stan Wratten went next, caught Milsted bowled Webb, his 3rd of the season and 20th career duck — 9th on the all-time chart and, like Thirkell, a "Quacking Together" honoree alongside John Ames. Fittingly, it was on this very date in 1956 that Thirkell himself last ducked against Bowaters — the great man's shadow looms large this week. Robert Murray completed the rout, caught Waters bowled Briant, his 2nd of the season and 15th career duck, 17th on the all-time list — falling, like Wratten, on Thirkell's own 1956 anniversary. 📊 Week in Summary Six ducks, two matches, one 1st XI shouldering the lot. Bowaters CC and The Mote CC share the spoils. And after a week of being everyone else's historical comparison, John Thirkell went and reminded the club exactly why he sits top of the pile. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - John Thirkell — 6 ducks, 27 innings (22.2%) - Bob Arnold — 5 ducks, 9 innings (55.6%) - Dick Langridge — 5 ducks, 14 innings (35.7%) - David Gale — 5 ducks, 16 innings (31.3%) - Roy Clarke — 5 ducks, 28 innings (17.9%) Thirkell stands alone at the summit, but with Langridge and Clarke lurking on 5, the chase is well and truly on. Next fixture awaits — who fancies joining the ledger? 🦆🍩

A quiet weekend on the duck-hunting front, but quality over quantity, as ever, and today's solitary entry is a proper heavyweight. 🏏 1st XI — away to Tilling Steven Roy Clarke, promoted to first drop, departed for nought, bowled by B Telfer. No histrionics, no near miss to speak of — just Roy back in the pavilion to add his name to the log once more. This is Roy's 4th duck of the 1963 season and his 29th in a career now spanning 181 innings — figures that plant him at a genuinely rarefied 4th in the entire 780-strong all-time Linton Park standings. That is about as close to the summit of the exclusive zero club as a Duck Club member can climb without actually taking the crown outright. A former Duck of the Year in 1959 and a paid-up member of the "Quacking Together" honours board alongside John Ames, Roy remains one of the great custodians of the art of not scoring — consistency, as they say, of a very particular kind. Fittingly, he's not doing it alone in the family sense either: brother H Clarke carries 3 career ducks of his own, so the Clarke household knows a thing or two about the walk back. And in a pleasing quirk of the calendar — on this day in 1895, J Lampard also made a duck against Maidstone CC, the solitary blemish of his brief 1892–1895 career and good enough for 263rd on the all-time list. Sixty-eight years apart, same date, same fate. 📊 Week in Summary One match, one duck — a modest haul, but Roy's contribution alone was worth the price of admission. No pairs, no family affairs, and nobody troubling the debutante board this week. Sometimes triumph through adversity looks like exactly one man, quietly making history at number four on the all-time list. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Bob Arnold — 5 ducks in 8 innings (62.5%) 2. David Gale — 5 ducks in 16 innings (31.25%) 3. John Thirkell — 5 ducks in 25 innings (20.0%) 4. Michael Chambers — 4 ducks in 9 innings (44.44%) 5. Dick Langridge — 4 ducks in 12 innings (33.33%) Bob Arnold sets the pace with a fearsome 62.5% strike rate — though John Thirkell's sheer weight of innings shows there's more than one way to build a season's tally. 🍩 That's the lot for this week, but the season presses on and the ducks never sleep for long. Get out there next fixture and give the club's newest hopefuls something to aim for — 0️⃣ awaits.

Two fixtures dotted the first weekend of August, but it was the away trip to Bearsted CC on the 5th that did the real damage — three ducks in a single innings, top, middle and tail all paying tribute to the art of not scoring. 🏏 1st XI at Bearsted CC Opening the innings, John Thirkell departed early, caught Colin Robbins bowled David Andrews, for his 5th duck of the summer and — brace yourselves — his 51st in senior colours. That is not merely a fine tally, it is THE tally: Thirkell now sits alone at the summit of the all-time Linton roll of dishonour, 1 of 779, a throne he's held comfortably since sweeping Duck of the Year in 1952, 1954 and 1955. A fixture of both the Ducks on the Road and Homebody Duck top tens, he clearly discriminates against no ground and no postcode. His Quacking Together honour with Bob Arnold feels timely too, given Arnold currently sits jointly top of this very season's charts. Fittingly, on this exact date back in 1895, one Ernest Cruttenden was busy doing much the same thing against Rochester CC — 0️⃣ knows no era. At number seven, Ossie Fryer became the second man back for nought, bowled by Colin Warnett — his 3rd duck of the season and 4th of an already eventful career, in just 10 innings. That's 74th on the all-time list at a canter, and rather a promising strike-rate for someone so early in his membership application. And at eleven, Michael Chambers completed the set, trapped lbw by the same Colin Warnett, for his 4th duck of the season and 7th for the club from 26 innings — good enough for 41st all time. Three Linton batsmen, one long afternoon, one thoroughly satisfied Bearsted attack — and all three, curiously, walked off on the precise anniversary of Ernest Cruttenden's own nought against Rochester CC in 1895. The zero club welcomes company across the centuries. 📅 Week in Summary Three ducks from two fixtures, every one of them concentrated into that unfortunate Bearsted innings, with Colin Warnett doing brisk trade among the wickets. A rare weekend of restraint everywhere else — 🍩 stocks briefly ran low. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 5 ducks in 8 innings (62.5%) - David Gale — 5 ducks in 16 innings (31.25%) - John Thirkell — 5 ducks in 24 innings (20.83%) - Michael Chambers — 4 ducks in 9 innings (44.44%) - Dick Langridge — 4 ducks in 11 innings (36.36%) With Thirkell extending his all-time lead and Chambers closing in behind, the race for Duck of the Year 1963 remains wide open. Roll on the next fixture — the zero club always has room for one more. 🦆🏏

Three days, three fixtures, seven ducks, and a family occasion the club will be dining out on for weeks. The exclusive zero club welcomes its latest inductees below. Saturday 27th July — 1st XI v Tovil A torrid session for the middle-and-lower order at Tovil, where three Linton batsmen shuffled back to the pavilion without scoring — all off the bowling of C- Banes. Dick Langridge went first at six, bowled, his 3rd duck of the season and career from 15 innings, 67th on the all-time list. David Gale followed at eight, caught by M- Taylor, his 5th duck of both season and career from 27 innings, 52nd all-time. And at nine, Barry Langridge, also bowled by Banes, his 3rd of season and career from a mere 8 innings. All three, curiously, share the same historical companion in misfortune: on this day in 1952, Basil Sears likewise departed for nought against Folkestone CC, en route to 17 career ducks across a sixteen-year span from 1947 to 1963. The Langridge pairing is the real story, though — father Dick and son Barry combining for a Duck and Ducklings, the rarest ceremony the club offers, Dick moving to 4 career ducks and Barry to 3 by weekend's end. Barry's contribution also earns him the 1963 "Quacked by Kin" honour, credited to his father. Sunday 28th July — 1st XI v Folkestone CC (away) Dick Langridge wasn't done. Bowled by Derek Waddup, he fell again for his 4th duck of the season and career, completing a grim pair for the weekend — though with bat on ball both times, he stops agonisingly short of King Pair immortality. On this day in 1957, D- Jordan also ducked against Folkestone CC, one of just two in a brief single-season career. Monday 29th July — Midweek XI v Birkenhead Grasshoppers CC The Grasshoppers hopped away with three Linton wickets for nought apiece. Gordon Fenner, trapped lbw by K Acton, took his 2nd duck of the season and 20th of his career from 158 innings — 8th on the all-time list, a family trait shared by brothers Joe Fenner (5 career ducks) and Maurice Fenner (1). Ossie Fryer, stumped off R Stears, made his 2nd of the season, 3rd of his career from 9 innings. And Alan Wilkes, bowled by Stears, brought up his 1st of the season and 17th of his career from 70 innings — 12th all-time, and a paid-up double member of the "Only Two Quacks" club, alongside both Bob Arnold and John Ames. All three Grasshoppers victims share their on-this-day companion too: in 1896, Ernest Cruttenden made a duck against Headcorn CC on his way to 10 career noughts across three decades, 1881 to 1912. Week in Summary Seven ducks, three matches, one glorious father-son double at Tovil, and a clean sweep of Birkenhead's afternoon at the Grasshoppers' expense. Dick Langridge's weekend pair keeps him firmly in the season's title race. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 5 ducks in 7 innings (71.43%) - David Gale — 5 ducks in 15 innings (33.33%) - Dick Langridge — 4 ducks in 10 innings (40.0%) - John Thirkell — 4 ducks in 22 innings (18.18%) - Barry Langridge — 3 ducks in 8 innings (37.5%) Bob Arnold sits imperious atop the table on a positively alarming strike rate. Who dares challenge him before the season's out? Same time next week — the crease awaits its next volunteer. 🦆🍩

🏏 Saturday, 1st XI v Rumwood CC (h) A vintage afternoon for the exclusive zero club, as four Linton batsmen queued up to demonstrate the art of not scoring. Basil Sears led the way, caught Mike Iliffe bowled B- Hayes — his 2nd duck of the season and 17th of an increasingly decorated career, good enough for 12th of 777 in the all-time roll. Splendidly, on this very day back in 1906, R W Mitchell was doing precisely the same thing against the Royal West Kent Regiment CC Officers' XI. Some habits span the centuries. David Gale, bowled John Carter, banked his 3rd of the season and 3rd of his career alike — level pegging, as career and season are still one and the same for our newest addition. He too keeps Mitchell's 1906 company today, though as we'll see, Rumwood-week wasn't done with him yet. Barry Langridge fell bowled B- Buckland for his 2nd of the season and career, joining Mitchell's 1906 club for a third time this innings. A paid-up member of this year's Quacked by Kin honours besides, having watched father Dick Langridge notch his own duck earlier in 1963 — the family evidently believes in shared hobbies. And then, majestically, Bob Arnold — bowled John Carter for his 5th duck of the season, taking a career tally of 44 that stands 2nd of 777 all-time. Arnold sits proudly atop the Duck of the Year 1963 table, with a Ducks in a Row honour and a Quacking Together nod alongside John Thirkell already banked. A genuine great of the format, and Mitchell's fourth companion of the day. 🏏 Wednesday, Midweek XI v Senacre Staff XI (h) Gordon Fenner was undone by Cridland for his 1st duck of the season, his 19th in 157 innings and 8th of 777 all-time — a family trade, with siblings Joe (5 career ducks) and Maurice (1) also enrolled. He shares his date with Brian Relf, who ducked against Tovil on this same day back in 1960. And returning for an unwelcome encore, David Gale fell bowled Tucker for his 4th of the season and career — a proper pair for the week, Rumwood to Senacre without so much as troubling the scoreboard in between. Two matches, two ducks, nought to show for either. 📋 Week in Summary Six ducks in three matches, with Rumwood doing the early damage and Senacre mopping up midweek. No golden ducks and no king pairs to report, but David Gale's grim double and Bob Arnold's continued assault on the club's all-time summit gave the week its shape. Consistency of a very particular kind. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 6 innings, 5 ducks, 83.33% - David Gale — 13 innings, 4 ducks, 30.77% - John Thirkell — 19 innings, 4 ducks, 21.05% - Michael Chambers — 8 innings, 3 ducks, 37.5% - William Buck — 9 innings, 3 ducks, 33.33% Arnold's grip on the top spot looks vice-like for now, but the season's still young. Get yourselves out to the middle this weekend, gentlemen — the club's zero column is always open for new subscribers. 🍩0️⃣

A slim but characterful haul this week — just the two ducks, though both come from players with plenty of previous. Saturday 13th July — 1st XI v Terry Whittaker's XI Terry Whittaker, batting at 11, fell to the wonderfully self-referential dismissal "b Terry Whittaker" — presumably a namesake with the ball, though the Duck Club never asks too many questions. It's his 1st duck of the season and 12th of a career now spanning 81 innings, good enough for 23rd on the all-time list of 776. Terry remains a paid-up member of Quacking Together (with Brian Relf) and, more solemnly, of the Retirement Duck club — a standing honour from a past farewell, no comment on his future. On this very day in 1940, Ernie Chiesman also departed for nought, against Loose CC, en route to 2 career ducks across a stint running 1940 to 1956. Sunday 14th July — 1st XI v Anchorians CC Opener John Ames didn't trouble the scorers either, caught P- Lawrence bowled B- Snelling for his 1st duck of the season and 28th of his career — 206 innings deep and sitting a mighty 4th of 776 all time. John's honours board reads like a small trophy cabinet: Ducks in a Row (four consecutive, no less), a place in the Homebody Duck top 10, and shared quacking credits with Alan Wilkes, Roy Clarke and Stan Wratten. Fittingly, on this day in 1956, A Hughes also fell for nought against A.Trembeths, on his way to a solitary career duck and a spot in the Debutante Duck club. Week in Summary Two matches, two ducks, both courtesy of the 1st XI on successive days — a tidy weekend's work for the Club, if not for the batsmen. No pairs, no family affairs, nothing golden — just honest, top-order and tail-end failure in equal measure. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 4 ducks in 5 innings (80%) - John Thirkell — 4 ducks in 18 innings (22.22%) - Michael Chambers — 3 ducks in 7 innings (42.86%) - William Buck — 3 ducks in 9 innings (33.33%) - Roy Clarke — 3 ducks in 18 innings (16.67%) Bob Arnold sets the pace with a frankly alarming 80% strike rate for failure — the rest of the chasing pack will need to pull their socks up, or their pads off, if they're to catch him. Next match, next chance. The Duck Club never sleeps — see you at the crease. 🦆🍩

A grim afternoon away at Aylesford Paper Mills CC, where one bowler did the lot. Colin Watson helped himself to four Linton wickets, every one of them bowled, every one of them for nought. The exclusive zero club welcomes four fresh entries in a single innings — a proper cluster of quacking. 1st XI — away to Aylesford Paper Mills CC Stan Wratten (3) fell b Colin Watson, his 2nd duck of the season and 19th of a long career spanning 219 innings — 8th in the all-time standings, where he still shares "Quacking Together" honours with club great John Ames. On this very day in 1906, B W Haynes (1891–1910) was also dismissed for nought, against Sutton Valence School — history repeating itself to the day. Len Conway (4) followed, b Colin Watson, his 2nd of the season and 10th career duck from 98 innings, 28th all-time. A long-standing member of the Debutante Duck club from his own first-ever innings, Len shares that same eerie calendar echo — 7th July 1906, B W Haynes, Sutton Valence School — proving some dates simply belong to the ducks. John Thirkell (6) then departed, b Colin Watson, his 4th duck of the season and, more significantly, his 50th career duck — Full Membership of the Hall of Fame secured, and from 433 innings he now sits 1st in the entire all-time standings of 776 entries, a colossus of the art of not scoring. Three Duck of the Year titles (1952, 1954, 1955) and top-10 placings in Lone Duck, Homebody Duck and Ducks on the Road round out a truly imperial collection. Fittingly, his old "Quacking Together" partner William Buck fell in this very innings too — old comrades reunited in ignominy. William Buck (7) completed the rout, b Colin Watson, his 3rd of the season and 21st career duck from 257 innings, 7th all-time — drawing level with Robert Wood (1958–1963, 151 innings) on the same tally. As the honours board already knew, William's name sits paired with John Thirkell's — and today they proved it wasn't just paperwork. Week in Summary One match, one rampant bowler, four ducks — the entire tally supplied by a single Aylesford spell. Positions 3, 4, 6 and 7 all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorer. Colin Watson will not be remembered fondly at Linton Park. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Bob Arnold — 4 ducks / 5 innings (80.0%) 2. John Thirkell — 4 ducks / 18 innings (22.22%) 3. Michael Chambers — 3 ducks / 7 innings (42.86%) 4. William Buck — 3 ducks / 9 innings (33.33%) 5. Roy Clarke — 3 ducks / 17 innings (17.65%) 🍩 The season presses on, and with it the race for Duck of the Year. Roll on the next fixture — the ducks are surely just getting started. 0️⃣🏏

Just the one fixture on the books this week, but Tilling Steven at home proved fertile hunting ground for the exclusive zero club — five ducks in a single innings, two of them from the very same household. Not a bad afternoon's work for a place of dubious distinction. 🏏 1st XI v Tilling Steven (Home) Oddly, every departure today shares the same footnote in the record books: on this very day back in 1956, R- Robinson also trudged back for nought against St Lukes Maidstone CC. Some anniversaries you plan for. This plainly wasn't one of them. The top order wobbled early. William Buck fell to R- Bailey for their 2nd duck of the season, moving to a lofty 20 career ducks — 7th on the all-time list of 776. Buck shares the "Quacking Together" board with today's next victim, John Thirkell, and the pair are evidently determined to keep the tradition alive in person as well as on paper. Speaking of which — Thirkell followed almost immediately, bowled by Fred Baker for their 3rd duck of the campaign. Thirkell sits utterly alone at the summit of the all-time charts, an imperious 49 ducks from 432 innings, a three-time Duck of the Year (1952, 1954, 1955) and a fixture of the Lone Duck, Homebody Duck and Ducks on the Road top tens. Fifty — and Full Membership — looms. They also sit 4th in this season's own Duck Hunting race. X Rayner chipped in with a 1st duck of the season, lbw to Bailey, and now carries 2 from a brutal 3 career innings — a paid-up, if premature-sounding, member of the Retirement Duck club from a past farewell, though there's plainly plenty of cricket left in them yet. Then came the afternoon's real ceremony. Dick Langridge (bowled Baker, their 2nd duck of the season and 2nd of their career) was followed to the middle — and straight back to the pavilion — by fellow Langridge Barry (lbw Bailey, their 1st senior duck). Together they completed a Duck and Ducklings double: a parent and child brought down in the very same innings, the rarest ceremony the club offers, now permanently enshrined on Barry's honours board as "Quacked by Kin". One over, two Langridges, nought between them. 📊 Week in Summary One match, five ducks, and a family entry to boot — Bailey and Baker shared the damage for Tilling Steven between them. The Langridge household will want a quiet word before next weekend. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Bob Arnold — 4 ducks / 5 innings (80%) 2. Michael Chambers — 3 ducks / 6 innings (50%) 3. Roy Clarke — 3 ducks / 16 innings (18.75%) 4. John Thirkell — 3 ducks / 17 innings (17.65%) 5. C- Haylor — 2 ducks / 2 innings (100%) Bring on the next fixture — the ducks are circling, and the club stands ready to welcome its newest, and most persistent, members. 🍩0️⃣🦆

A quieter weekend for the Duck Club overall, but the 1st XI did their bit to keep the honours board ticking over with a tidy hat-trick of noughts across two fixtures. 🏏 Saturday 22 June — Rumwood CC (away) 1st XI's day at Rumwood brought first blood for the weekend. In at five, C- Haylor was undone by John Carter and trudged back for nought — his 12th career duck, good enough for 19th on the all-time list of 776. Haylor already carries the 1963 Runaway Duck watch on his CV, a whole campaign without troubling the scorers, and this one keeps that grim ledger open for business. Curiously, on this very day back in 1935, Percy Brattle — who turned out for the club from 1934 to 1962 — also strolled back for a duck, one of five in a career now sitting 56th all-time. Some things, it seems, are written in the calendar. 🏏 Sunday 23 June — Maidstone AKCC (home) Home comforts proved no comfort at all, with two more names added to the weekend's tally. C- Haylor was back at it, bowled by Terry Whittaker at number six for his 13th career duck — and, notably, his second in as many days. That completes a proper pair for the weekend, not quite the rarefied air of a king pair, but a grim brace of blobs all the same. On this same day in 1906, club stalwart Jack Fryer — twice Duck of the Year, in 1891 and 1900 no less — also made a duck of his own on the way to a career total of 12. Down at 11, Ossie Fryer fell to Eddie Page, chalking up his first duck of the season and only his second in a career still finding its feet at 7 innings — 147th on the all-time roll of dishonour. Fittingly, he shares this day in history with a fellow Fryer, Jack, though the record shows no family link between the two — just a shared surname and a shared fondness, apparently, for late-June ducks. 📋 Week in Summary Three ducks from two matches, the lot of them courtesy of the 1st XI, with C- Haylor doing the damage twice over for a weekend pair. Quiet elsewhere, but the season's engine keeps turning. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 4 ducks from 5 innings (80%) - Michael Chambers — 3 ducks from 5 innings (60%) - Roy Clarke — 3 ducks from 15 innings (20%) - C- Haylor — 2 ducks from 2 innings (100%) - E- Bevan — 2 ducks from 2 innings (100%) Bob Arnold sits pretty at the summit, but with Haylor now perfect at 100% for the season, the chasing pack will want to watch their backs. Roll on the next fixture — the ducks, as ever, will be waiting. 🍩🏏

A modest weekend in the annals of the exclusive zero club, but three names were added to the ledger all the same — and one of them was doing it in a losing cause against Bobbing Court, always the way. 🏏 1st XI Saturday at Headcorn saw Roy Clarke depart for nought, caught L Woodcock off S Parnham at first drop, his third of the season and his 28th career duck — a tally that keeps him a very solid 4th of 776 on the all-time list, a rarefied altitude few ever reach. Roy remains a paid-up member of the 1959 Duck of the Year honours board and stands shoulder to shoulder with John Ames in the Quacking Together club. And on this very day back in 1887, Jack Fryer — twice Duck of the Year himself in the 1890s — was making his own duck against 1st Innings East Peckham CC. History does love to repeat itself on a calendar. Sunday's away trip to Bobbing Court proved unkind to the middle and lower order. William Buck fell for his first of the season, caught C Robinson bowled P Bedelle, taking him to 19 career ducks — 8th of 776 all-time, and level company with Tony Snell, the 1958 Duck of the Year himself, who reached the same 19 in just 58 innings between 1952 and 1960. William also carries the Quacking Together honour alongside John Thirkell. Neatly enough, on this same date in 1951, the legendary Bob Arnold — Duck of the Year 1963 no less, and still active this very season — was also walking back against Maths School Rochester on his way to what is now 43 career ducks. Michael Chambers completed the misery at Bobbing Court, caught P Goodwin bowled P Bedelle at number ten, his third duck of the season and sixth of his career — a tidy little cluster that puts him level with a small crowd on exactly six, including the unfortunate Frank Wright, who managed the rare and dubious Quack-to-Quack double of duck on debut and duck on farewell. Michael, mercifully, remains very much an active concern. His parallel is the same Bob Arnold fixture of 1951 — quite the popular calendar date for ducks, it would seem. 📊 Week in Summary Two matches, three ducks, and Bobbing Court doing the lion's share of the damage with a brace in one innings. No pairs, no family affairs this week — just honest, workmanlike failure with the bat, the kind this club was built to celebrate. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard — 1963 1. Bob Arnold — 4 ducks in 5 innings (80%) 2. Michael Chambers — 3 in 5 (60%) 3. Roy Clarke — 3 in 13 (23.08%) 4. E- Bevan — 2 in 2 (100%) 5. David Gale — 2 in 6 (33.33%) Bob Arnold sets the pace by some distance, though E- Bevan's flawless 100% record from just two innings is the sort of consistency the club can only applaud. Plenty of season left for the standings to shuffle — bring on the next fixture and let's see who else the ducks come calling for. 🦆🏏0️⃣

The 1963 season rolls on and the exclusive zero club welcomed three new entries across the weekend's two fixtures. Tovil and Gore Court CC both took their pound of Linton flesh — or rather, their nought. 🏏 Saturday 8th — 1st XI v Tovil (Home) E- Bevan, in at 7, was bowled by M- Taylor without so much as a nudge to get going. His second duck of the campaign, and remarkably his second in as many career innings — a Debutante Duck whose maiden knock was also a blob, meaning the LPCC scorebook has yet to see him trouble it at all. That's 2 from 2, rank 125 of 776 in the all-time reckoning. Fittingly, on this very day in 1940, Stan Pierce (1939–1946) was also walking back for nought, against Loose CC. Not to be outdone, Bob Arnold departed for the fourth time this season, caught Banes off White. Duck number 43 for his career moves him to a staggering 2nd of 776 all-time, propped up by his "Ducks in a Row" honour of four on the bounce and his standing as reigning Duck of the Year 1963 — a title looking increasingly secure. He too shares Stan Pierce's 1940 date with Loose CC as his on-this-day companion, and remains a card-carrying member of the club's Quacking Together fraternity alongside John Thirkell. 🌱 Sunday 9th — 1st XI v Gore Court CC (Away) Ron Hickman, at 9, was caught Cutmore off the bowling of Gerald Lukehurst for his first duck of the season and just his second in senior colours from two innings — rank 313 of 776. A quieter entry to the club, but a member nonetheless, alongside his Quacking Together billing with Alan Cradduck. On this same day in 1962, Basil Sears (1947–1963) was performing an identical vanishing act against Tovil. 📅 Week in Summary Three ducks from two matches, all courtesy of the 1st XI, with Tovil doing the double damage on Saturday. Bob Arnold continues to make the Duck of the Year race very much his own — four ducks and counting, and nobody else is close. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 4 innings, 4 ducks, 100% - E- Bevan — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100% - Michael Chambers — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50% - David Gale — 5 innings, 2 ducks, 40% - Roy Clarke — 11 innings, 2 ducks, 18.18% The season presses on, and with it the eternal question — who fancies joining the honours board next weekend? 🦆🍩

A quieter week in the paddock, but the Duck Club's ledger never rests. Three fresh entries this week, and a bowler at Folkestone who fancied himself a specialist. 1st XI Saturday, home to A.Trembeths — Bob Arnold strode out at seven and departed as he so often does, bowled by B- Stalley without deposit. It's his 3rd duck of the season already, and his 42nd career quack from 184 innings, keeping him lodged at a magnificent 2nd on the all-time list. With three ducks from three attempts this season he's currently 100% on brand and sits top of the Duck of the Year table — the honours board already has his name pencilled in for 1963, and he's riding a streak entered on the board as Ducks in a Row (4 consecutive), which is either a tremendous achievement or a cry for help. On this very day in 1903, Rev W A Carr was doing much the same thing against Maidstone CC — some traditions span the centuries. Sunday, home to Folkestone CC — Gerald Jeanes evidently decided two wickets for nought was a fair afternoon's work. First to fall was Len Conway at first drop, trapped lbw without scoring for his 1st duck of the season and 9th of an increasingly distinguished career from 96 innings, good enough for 32nd all-time. Len is, of course, a long-serving member of the Debutante Duck club, having opened his account with a nought on his own first-ever appearance — old habits. On this day in 1962, Basil Sears was likewise walking back for nought against A.Trembeths. In walked Terry Donovan at three, and out he went too, bowled by the same relentless Jeanes for his very first career duck in 9 innings — number 328 on the all-time list and a debut entry to the club proper, though not his cricketing debut, mind. Terry remains agonisingly close to the Full House nearly-man board, having now batted in 10 of the 11 possible positions — number eleven awaits. Fittingly, Basil Sears also made his mark on this exact date back in 1962. Week in Summary Three ducks from four matches, two of them back-to-back at Folkestone courtesy of one persistent Mr Jeanes — a fine early rehearsal for anyone hoping to open the bowling averages this season. Bob Arnold continues to make the Duck of the Year race look like a foregone conclusion. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 3 innings, 3 ducks, 100% - Michael Chambers — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50% - David Gale — 5 innings, 2 ducks, 40% - Roy Clarke — 9 innings, 2 ducks, 22.22% - John Thirkell — 13 innings, 2 ducks, 15.38% The season presses on, and so does the exclusive zero club. Who'll be adding to the tally next weekend? We watch, we wait, we celebrate. 🦆🍩

Two fixtures on the books this weekend, and the Duck Club's entire harvest came from one glorious collapse away at The Mote CC. 🍩 1st XI — away at The Mote CC, 26th May - Basil Sears (No. 5) departed c Ian Milsted b Phil Briant for his 1st duck of the season, moving to a healthy 16 career ducks from 247 innings — good enough for 14th on the all-time list. On this very date back in 1957, Cliff Anscombe was up to exactly the same trick against Ron Aiston's XI, one of the 12 ducks that carried him to that season's Duck of the Year honours. - Robert Wood (No. 7) went lbw b Malcolm Bristow, his 1st duck of the season but a weighty 21st for his career — 6th in the all-time table and firmly among Linton's most accomplished non-scorers. Wood remains a paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club from his own long-ago introduction to nought, and like Sears he keeps company with Cliff Anscombe's 1957 vintage on this same May date. - David Gale (No. 9) was cleaned up b Phil Briant to complete the rout, his 2nd duck of the season already, career tally now standing at 2 from just 15 innings — 121st on the all-time list and moving fast. Gale too finds himself sharing this calendar date with the well-travelled Cliff Anscombe of 1957. Week in Summary Three ducks, two fixtures, one innings — Phil Briant did for two of the three on his own, a proper afternoon's toil at The Mote. Consistency of a very particular kind. 🏏0️⃣ Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 🥇 1. Bob Arnold — 2 ducks / 2 innings (100%) 2. David Gale — 2 ducks / 3 innings (66.67%) 3. Michael Chambers — 2 ducks / 4 innings (50%) 4. Roy Clarke — 2 ducks / 7 innings (28.57%) 5. John Thirkell — 2 ducks / 10 innings (20%) The season's still young and the leaderboard is wide open — bring on the next fixture and let's see who joins the exclusive zero club. 🦆

A rare and faintly embarrassing bulletin from your correspondent this week: across both fixtures on the weekend of the 18th and 19th, not a single Linton Park batsman troubled the exclusive zero club. Not one. The ducks, it seems, took evasive action and lived to swim another day. This is, by the strange arithmetic of the Duck Club, itself a kind of failure. Two full matches came and went and the nought column stayed resolutely blank — a shutout for batsmen everywhere and a quiet Saturday for the honours board. Even the most committed of duck hunters could find no quarry. Somewhere, presumably, a bowler is feeling very hard done by. Do not, however, mistake this for the season going soft. The 1963 campaign already has some serious form on the board, and the leaderboard below shows exactly who is doing the heavy lifting in the art of not scoring. 🏏 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 🥇 Bob Arnold — 2 ducks from 2 innings, a flawless 100% strike rate. Triumph through adversity, applied twice in a row. 🥈 Michael Chambers — 2 ducks from 3 innings, 66.67%. Consistency of a very particular kind. 🥉 Roy Clarke — 2 ducks from 5 innings, 40%. Keeping good company at the sharp end. 4️⃣ John Thirkell — 2 ducks from 8 innings, 25%. The patient approach to the same dubious distinction. 5️⃣ B Norman — 1 duck from a single innings, 100%. Early into the race and setting a fearsome early pace. 🍩 A word of warning to the top five: a quiet weekend for the club is not a quiet weekend for the individual. The season is young, the ducks are only resting, and 1963's Duck of the Year is still very much up for grabs. 0️⃣ Next fixture, normal service will almost certainly resume. The nets remain open, the bowlers remain hostile, and somewhere out there a Linton Park batsman is already shouldering arms to one that's straightening. Bring your bat, and bring your sense of humour — the Duck Club will see you then. 🦆

A grim weekend for the 1st XI, who shipped five ducks across two matches and did precious little to trouble the scoreboard for it. Pull up a stool, this is one for the connoisseurs of nought. 🏏 Saturday — v Charles Arkcoll (h) Roy Clarke went first, bowled Ron Hickman at five — his 2nd duck of the season and 27th of a career now 5th on the all-time list of 774. Roy is a paid-up member of the 1959 Duck of the Year honours and shares a Quacking Together board with John Ames, and clearly keeps it in the family — sibling H Clarke carries 3 career noughts of his own. On this day in 1952, John Thirkell also strolled back for company, against Folkestone CC. In came E- Bevan, undone by the same Hickman spell, on his very first senior appearance — a proper Debutante Duck, cricket's cruellest possible welcome. E- also arrives, rather prematurely, on the Retirement Duck honours roll, a badge normally earned rather later in a career. On this day in 1952, John Thirkell was doing exactly the same thing. Then Bob Arnold, bowled John Ames at nine, his 2nd of the season and 41st for the club, 2nd on the all-time chart. With two from two this term Bob currently leads the 1963 Duck of the Year race, sits proudly on Ducks in a Row for four consecutive, and holds Quacking Together status with both Alan Wilkes and John Thirkell. On this day in 1952, John Thirkell got there first too. 🌱 Sunday — v Bobbing Court CC (h) John Thirkell joined the party himself, caught L Taylor bowled P Goodwin at four — his 2nd duck of the season and a 48th career nought that keeps him utterly untouchable atop the all-time list. A three-time Duck of the Year (1952, 1954, 1955), fixture of the Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck top tens, and Quacking Together with both Bob Arnold and William Buck, John's company down the decades includes D H Luck, who made a duck against Town Malling CC on this very day in 1906. Stan Wratten kept him company, bowled W Webb at six, his 1st duck of the season and 18th of his career — 10th on the all-time list, and another Quacking Together entry alongside John Ames. D H Luck, again, was up to the same trick on this day in 1906. 📊 Week in Brief Five ducks, two matches, and a 1st XI middle order that simply couldn't get out of its own way. No pairs and no family affairs this week — small mercies. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Bob Arnold — 2 ducks / 2 innings (100%) - Michael Chambers — 2 ducks / 3 innings (66.67%) - Roy Clarke — 2 ducks / 4 innings (50%) - John Thirkell — 2 ducks / 6 innings (33.33%) - B Norman — 1 duck / 1 innings (100%) The next fixture looms, and with it, no doubt, further recruits to the club. Bat carefully out there. 🦆🍩

A brutal double-header against West Farleigh CC, home and away, and the ducks came thick and fast — six of them in two matches, with one bowler doing most of the damage. 1st XI Saturday at home, West Farleigh's Peter J Day had himself a field day, bowling three Linton batsmen for nought and trapping a fourth lbw inside the same innings — a proper procession through the top order. - Frank Brattle (b Peter J Day) opened and fell for his 1st duck of the season, 18th of a career that now sits 8th on the all-time list of 772 — a chip off the old block, with kinsman Percy Brattle carrying 5 career ducks of his own. On this day in 1956, Richard Harris was doing exactly the same thing against Marden CC, en route to a barnstorming 36. - Robert Murray (b Peter J Day) followed him back for his 1st of the season, 14th career, 18th all-time. Same date, seven years earlier, Richard Harris was also making a duck — against Marden CC rather than West Farleigh. - Richard Ashby (lbw b Peter J Day) fell for his 1st this season and 3rd career, 102nd all-time, and remains a paid-up member of both the Ducks in a Row club (five on the spin) and the Tourist Duck top 10 — a man who travels well, just not with the bat. Harris's 1956 effort keeps him company on the anniversary front. - David Gale (b Micky Back) broke Day's stranglehold only in name — Micky Back finished the job — for his 1st ever senior duck in 14 innings, 209th all-time. The date belongs to Harris again, 1956, against Marden. - Michael Chambers (b Peter J Day) rounded off the innings with his 2nd duck of the season already, moving to 5 career and 55th all-time. A fifth appearance for Harris's 1956 duck on this same May date. Over at the return fixture on the Wednesday, away this time, Dick Langridge (b Ray Ford) picked up his 1st senior duck from just 6 innings, 210th all-time. On this day in 1960, Alan Wilkes was doing likewise against Halfway House — one of only two clubs ever to get him, Bob Arnold and John Ames sharing that dubious "Only Two Quacks" double. Week in Summary Six ducks from two matches against the same opponents, four of them off the same over-worked arm of Peter J Day, who might fairly claim honorary Duck Club membership for services rendered. West Farleigh clearly enjoyed themselves. Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Michael Chambers — 2 ducks / 2 innings (100%) - B Norman — 1/1 (100%) - Bob Arnold — 1/1 (100%) - Dick Langridge — 1/1 (100%) - David Gale — 1/2 (50%) Early season, and the honours board is filling nicely already. Same again next fixture, gentlemen — the ducks are watching. 🦆

Two fixtures, five noughts, and Linton's 1st XI doing all the damage to themselves this week. The zero club welcomes fresh blood and old faithfuls alike. 🏏 Saturday 27th — away to West Farleigh CC A rough afternoon at the crease, with West Farleigh's Ron Kemp helping himself to three LPCC ducks in a single innings — a proper spell of quack-making. First to go was John Thirkell, bowled by Kemp for his 1st duck of the season and a scarcely believable 47th of his career — still the club's all-time leader on 1 of 772, a three-time Duck of the Year (1952, '54 and '55) and a fixture of the Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck top tens. The old master, still setting the standard for not scoring. Roy Clarke followed, caught behind off Kemp for his 1st of the season and 26th career duck, good enough for 5th on the all-time list and a Duck of the Year winner back in 1959. Handily, his fall echoes down the years neatly — on this very day in 1952, John Thirkell made his own duck against Maidstone Trades, and here he was doing it again eleven years on, this time dragging company with him. That company was Bob Arnold, also bowled by Kemp, his 1st of 1963 and 40th career duck, 2nd on the all-time chart. Bob's honours board already carries Duck of the Year 1963 — bang up to date — plus a historic Ducks in a Row of four on the bounce. His board also lists "Quacking Together with John Thirkell", and with both men back in the pavilion for nought in the same innings, that pairing has never looked more current. 🏏 Sunday 28th — home to Maidstone AKCC A quieter harvest, but a historic one. B Norman, on debut, was bowled by William Dover for a golden entry into the Debutante Duck honours — the purest way to start a career. It stands as his 1st duck for 1963, and the record book has already filed him under One and Done for the season. Whatever comes next, this is one for the archive. Michael Chambers also fell, bowled by Eddie Page, his 4th career duck from 18 innings, 71st on the all-time list. Sunday's pair both land on a well-thumbed page in the archive — on this same calendar day in 1956, R Vincent made his own duck, his 1st for a career that ran to just one season. 📊 Week in Summary Five ducks, two matches, one very productive bowler in Ron Kemp, and Linton's newest member arriving in style with a debut nought. The 1st XI carried the entire weekend's misfortune — the 2nds, 3rds and Sunday sides escaped unscathed, for now. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - B Norman — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - Bob Arnold — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - Michael Chambers — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - John Thirkell — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% - Roy Clarke — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% Early doors yet in the hunt for Duck of the Year 1963 — plenty of time for the chasing pack to catch Bob Arnold. 🍩 See you next round, Linton — the ducks are never far away. 0️⃣🏏