🦆 The Duck Pond

Five fresh entries to the exclusive zero club this week, every one of them courtesy of the 1st XI across two testing fixtures. A properly sodden week for the top order. 🏏 1st XI Saturday at Hastings & St Leonards Priory CC brought early sorrow for Peter Whyte, lbw Keith Turk for nought at number four — his 1st duck of the season and 1st of his career from 18 innings, good (or bad) enough for 245th on the all-time list. Roy Clarke sits on that same landmark tally, having made his own duck against Linton Park CC on this very date back in 1965. Whyte wasn't finished. Opening the very next day against Lord Cornwallis XI, he fell lbw to S Ross without scoring — his 2nd duck of the season and career, completing a grim weekend pair. Consistency of a very particular kind. Robert Murray was doing exactly the same thing on this date in 1964. S Ross struck again in that innings, removing Adrian Simmonds caught by M Estorick for nought at six — his 2nd duck of the season, 3rd of his career from just 11 innings, 146th on the all-time list and level with Robert Murray for the date. Adrian already carries the Debutante Duck and Quack-to-Quack honours from earlier chapters of his Linton story. At eight, Matt Large fell caught Jefferson bowled S Ross for his 6th duck of the season and 13th of his career, 48th on the all-time list and matching Derek Pantony (1947–1963) and Sean Cook (1982–1987). Matt reigns as this season's Duck of the Year and holds Homebody, Lone Duck and Ducks on the Road top-ten status besides — the complete package, and triumph through adversity personified. Rounding things off, Nigel Thirkell was caught Jefferson bowled Dilip Doshi at nine for his 1st duck of the season but a colossal 39th career duck from 604 innings — 10th on the all-time list. He hails from proper Duck Club stock: father John on 90 career ducks, brothers Tim and Simon on 59 and 18, relative Stuart on 1. Robert Murray keeps him company on the date front too. 📊 The Week Five ducks in three matches, all in the 1st XI, with S Ross claiming three of the five himself. The top order will want a word with itself before the season's out. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Matt Large — 6 ducks, 22 innings (27%) 2. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks, 8 innings (38%) 3. Stewart Morrison — 3 ducks, 8 innings (38%) 4. Tim Thirkell — 3 ducks, 20 innings (15%) 5. David Castle — 3 ducks, 46 innings (7%) Next fixture awaits — plenty of time yet for one more name to join the club. 🦆🏏0️⃣

Two fixtures on the books this weekend, but it was the 1st XI's meeting with Anchorians CC that did all the damage for the exclusive zero club. One bowler, Don Wykes, claimed all three ducks in the same innings, with S Grubb doing the honest work of pouching two of them behind the stumps. The other fixture, disappointingly, stayed entirely vegan. 🏏 1st XI vs Anchorians CC (home) First to go was Simon Thirkell, bowled Wykes at number four, for his 1st duck of the season and 18th of his LPCC career — good enough for 38th on the all-time list of 1,093. Simon already sits on the 50 Before a 50 board, a top score of 48 his personal best, alongside a Duck of the Year 1983 credit and spots in the Ducks on the Road and Tourist Duck top tens. On this very day back in 1959, Eddie Lawrence (1956–1967) was making his own duck against Tilling Steven — some things never change. Next in, and next out, was his brother Tim Thirkell, caught Grubb bowled Wykes at five, for his 3rd duck of the season and 59th of an extraordinary career that sits him 4th on the all-time roll of 1,093 — with a Full House, a duck at every position from one to eleven, already safely banked. Tim's third of the campaign also lifts him to 4th on the current season standings. Eddie Lawrence keeps him company too, obliging with a duck on this same date in 1959. And with both Thirkell boys back in the pavilion inside the same innings, the honours board records a proper Two of a Quack — siblings, both undone without scoring, a feat the family name wears well given patriarch John Thirkell's all-time-leading 90 career ducks and brother Nigel's quiet 38 in the background. Completing Wykes' clean sweep was Ian McKechnie, caught Grubb at number nine, for his 1st LPCC duck in just 3 career innings — 378th on the all-time list of 1,093. Ian already carries the Retirement Duck honour from some past swansong, though today's effort is very much business as usual. Eddie Lawrence, 1959, rounds off his hat-trick of company for the day. 📋 The Week in Brief Three ducks, one match, one bowler responsible for the lot — Don Wykes can retire the ball on this one. Fittingly, all three fell to the identical growth curve, with 1959 echoing back at every one of them. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Matt Large — 5 ducks in 21 innings (23.81%) 2. Stewart Morrison — 3 ducks in 7 innings (42.86%) 3. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks in 8 innings (37.5%) 4. Tim Thirkell — 3 ducks in 18 innings (16.67%) 5. David Castle — 3 ducks in 43 innings (6.98%)

A quiet week in the exclusive zero club, ducklings. Three fixtures came and went across the period and, remarkably, not a single Linton bat found its way back to the pavilion for nought. The Duck escaped the net entirely. Whether this represents a sudden and alarming outbreak of competence, or simply everyone having an unusually good week with the willow, the correspondent cannot say. Either way, the honours board gathers dust for once, no fresh names troubled the Debutante Duck club, no pairs, no kings, and certainly no Family of Ducks ceremonies to report. The scorers, frankly, have had it easy. Do not mistake this for the Duck Club closing its doors, however. A blank week is merely the calm before the next collapse — as any student of the art of not scoring knows, form is temporary, but the zero is eternal. Somewhere out there a golden duck is being quietly, patiently prepared for someone. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1987 1. Matt Large — 5 ducks from 20 innings (25%) 2. Stewart Morrison — 3 ducks from 7 innings (a startling 42.86%) 3. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks from 8 innings (37.5%) 4. David Castle — 3 ducks from 41 innings, the model of grim consistency at 7.32% 5. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks from just 2 innings, a flawless 100% strike rate for those keeping score Stewart Morrison and Ian Brattle remain locked in a fine arm-wrestle for second, while Steve Cheale's perfect record continues to loom over proceedings like a man who has simply decided batting isn't for him. Matt Large sits proudly atop the pile — a genuine contender for Duck of the Year 1987 if this rate of attrition keeps up. 📅 Onwards to the next fixture, where normal service — one hopes — will resume. The ducks are out there somewhere, biding their time. Pad up, and good luck to all. 🦆 0️⃣ 🏏

A vintage bank holiday weekend for the exclusive zero club, with the 1st XI shouldering the entire burden — five ducks across three matches, and not a single other team troubling the honours board. Consistency of a very particular kind. Saturday 29th — v Yalding CC (h) Paul Gibson opened the innings and the scoring stayed shut, bowled by Alan Snowden for his 2nd duck of the season and 11th of a 122-innings career — 58th on the all-time list of 1,093. On this very day in 1954, Stan Wratten (1943–1984, 35 ducks, a member of Quacking Together with John Ames) was doing exactly the same thing against D Hambrook XI. Some traditions simply refuse to die. Sunday 30th — v Brighton & Hove CC (a) A proper cluster at the seaside. Brian Piper went lbw to Tony Payne at four, his 15th career duck from 238 innings, rank 42 overall — a chip off the old block, with sibling David Piper sat on 7 of his own. Frank Brattle (1937–1971, 38 ducks) was last seen doing likewise on this date back in 1965. Then A Hansford got to work and simply wouldn't stop. Huckstep, on senior debut, fell for nought at number 8 — an instant and complete Duck Club career, opening the account with Debutante Duck, One and Done (1987), and a presumptive Retirement Duck all in a single ball. A baptism the honours board will remember fondly even if the scorebook won't. One place later Alan Boyns joined the same bowler's tally, his 2nd duck of the season and 4th of a 26-innings career, rank 120 — the same fixture, the same wrecking ball, the same fate as Huckstep, both keeping Frank Brattle's 1965 company. Monday 31st — v Bearsted CC (h) The headline act. Matt Large, caught and bowled by Steve Dudhill off just two balls at six, brings up his 5th duck of the season — and with it, retains top spot in the current Duck Hunting Season standings. His 12th career duck from 49 innings puts him level with Bert Buckoke (1928–1953), Jack Fryer (1881–1906) and Len Conway (1954–1965), rank 52 of 1,093. The board is groaning under the weight of his season alone: Duck of the Year 1987 confirmed live, plus entries in Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck's respective top tens, and agonisingly one position shy of the full set at Full House nearly-man. Back in 1980 Allan Cooper — a veteran of three separate Only Two Quacks pairings — was doing his own version of this against Staplehurst. Week in brief Five ducks, three matches, one long-suffering XI. Brighton & Hove alone conceded three of them, with A Hansford claiming a fine brace. Not a bad advert for the art of not scoring. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Matt Large — 20 inns, 5 ducks (25%) 2. Stewart Morrison — 7 inns, 3 ducks (42.86%) 3. Ian Brattle — 8 inns, 3 ducks (37.5%) 4. David Castle — 39 inns, 3 ducks (7.69%) 5. Steve Cheale — 2 inns, 2 ducks (100%) Matt Large sits pretty at the top for now, but the season's not done yet. Next fixture, someone's number is surely up — see you at the crease. 🦆🏏0️⃣

A quiet weekend in the exclusive zero club — just two matches ventured out and only one soul returned with a nought to his name. Sometimes the ducks go to ground. 1st XI Away at Horsmonden CC on the Saturday, Stewart Morrison strode out at number nine and departed b A Boarer without troubling the scorers. It's his 3rd duck of the season and his 3rd career duck from just 5 innings — a startling rate of attrition that lands him 180th of 1092 in the all-time standings. Morrison already holds a seat in the Debutante Duck club from a first-innings nought long since banked, sits as a nearly-man on the Full House board with ducks recorded at 10 of the 11 batting positions, and keeps a permanent spot in the Lone Duck top 10. History was watching too — on this very day back in 1953, J Barclay also made a duck, against Charles Arkcoll, on his way to that season's Duck of the Year crown. Morrison keeps distinguished company. Week in brief One duck from two matches — hardly a vintage haul, but Morrison's effort was enough to fire him straight up the current season charts on a frankly alarming 60% strike rate. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 🥇 1. Matt Large — 4 ducks, 17 innings (23.53%) 2. Stewart Morrison — 3 ducks, 5 innings (60.0%) 3. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks, 8 innings (37.5%) 4. David Castle — 3 ducks, 38 innings (7.89%) 5. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks, 2 innings (100.0%) Steve Cheale's flawless 100% remains the standard nobody's chasing on purpose, and Morrison is now breathing down Matt Large's neck at the top. Bring your bat to the next fixture — and perhaps leave your confidence at home. 🍩🏏

Three matches out on the paddock this week and the Duck Club harvested a modest but perfectly formed brace, both arriving in the same innings against Whitstable CC. Slim pickings, but quality over quantity, as ever. 🏏 1st XI v Whitstable CC (16 August, home) Trevor Back departed at number five, caught Andy Robertson bowled Duncan Hardy, for his 2nd duck of the season and 28th of an increasingly distinguished career - good enough for 22nd on the all-time list of 1092. Trevor arrives with a well-stocked mantelpiece already: top ten finishes in both the Ducks on the Road and Homebody Duck charts (rare to manage both), a place in the exclusive Lone Duck top ten, and shared honours in Only Two Quacks with Allan Cooper and Quacking Together with Jon Harris. On this very day in 1953, John Ames - he of 49 career ducks and a name permanently etched into the Ducks in a Row and Homebody Duck honours boards - was doing much the same thing against Mote A. Some traditions never die. One place down the order, David Iliffe followed him back to the pavilion, caught I Hadfield bowled Duncan Hardy, for his own 2nd of the season and 31st career duck, edging him to 17th all-time. David is a paid-up Duck of the Year alumnus from 1982, a season that also saw him inducted into the rather more unusual Quacked by Kin board, dismissed by relative Mike Iliffe - himself no stranger to nought, with 43 career ducks of his own. And, extraordinarily, the very same 16th of August 1953 also claimed John Ames against Mote A - so David finds himself keeping historical company with Trevor this week, both linked to a duck laid down 34 years earlier almost to the day. 📅 Week in Summary Two ducks from three matches, both from the same top order, in the same over of misfortune against Whitstable. The other two fixtures of the week passed off suspiciously duck-free - either good batting or good luck, we make no judgement. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Matt Large - 4 ducks from 16 innings (25%) 2. Ian Brattle - 3 ducks from 7 innings (42.86%) 3. David Castle - 3 ducks from 38 innings (7.89%) 4. Steve Cheale - 2 ducks from 2 innings (100%) 5. David Iliffe - 2 ducks from 3 innings (66.67%) David climbs straight into the top five off the back of this week's effort - one more and he'll be giving Ian Brattle something to think about. As ever, the season rolls on and the Duck Club awaits its next intake with open arms. Get out there, get bowled, and give us something to write about next week. 🦆

Only two of the three fixtures troubled the scorers this weekend, but between Headcorn and Benenden the exclusive zero club took in four fresh members with the usual mix of ceremony and consolation. Saturday 8th August — 1st XI v Headcorn CC Matt Large departed at number 10, caught Alastair Lee off John Phipps, for his 4th duck of the season and 11th of a growing career — 44 innings in, now 56th in the all-time table. That's four in 1987 already, and with the season standings showing him out in front, Matt is the man currently wearing the (thoroughly unwanted) Duck of the Year crown. He remains a nearly-man on the Full House board, one lonely position short of having ducked everywhere from 1 to 11 — the completists among us live in hope. On this very day back in 1979, Paul Brattle made a duck of his own against Maidstone police, so Matt keeps good historical company. Following him back was Jon Harris, bowled John Phipps at number 11 for his 1st duck of the season but a startling 62nd of an illustrious career — 434 innings and 3rd on the all-time chart, a rung below immortality. Jon is a fully paid-up Full House member, having ducked at every position the order offers, and carries a small constellation of shared-quack honours with Allan Cooper, Jim Hall and Trevor Back for company. A chip off a duck-prone block too — his relative Richard Harris carries 36 career noughts of his own. Jon shares Saturday's on-this-day parallel with Matt: Paul Brattle, Maidstone police, 1979. Sunday 9th August — 1st XI v Benenden CC Bob Lines went for nought at first drop, bowled D Marshall, his 2nd duck of the season and 5th career, 100 innings into his Linton life and 108th in the all-time reckoning. His relative David Lines is himself on 4 career ducks — clearly a family with an eye for the art of not scoring. On this day in 1964, John Thirkell — the club's all-time duck emperor on 90 — made a nought of his own against Harrietsham CC. And speaking of the Thirkell dynasty — Tim Thirkell was run out for nought at number 5, his 2nd duck of the season and 58th career, 480 innings deep and sitting proudly 4th in the all-time standings. Tim is another Full House graduate and keeps a Jim Hall pairing on his honours shelf besides. The duck ducks don't fall far from the tree here: father John Thirkell (90, the all-time record holder), siblings Nigel (38) and Simon (17), and cousin Stuart (1) round out a genuinely fearsome family collection. Fittingly, Tim's own on-this-day parallel is his father — John Thirkell's 1964 duck against Harrietsham CC, made on this very date. Week in Summary Four ducks from two matches, both falling to Linton's top order and tail in roughly equal measure — Headcorn claimed a pair via John Phipps' opening burst, Benenden helped themselves to one bowled and one run out for good measure. The 3rd fixture in the period stayed refreshingly, or disappointingly, fowl-free. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Matt Large — 15 inns, 4 ducks (26.67%) 2. Ian Brattle — 7 inns, 3 ducks (42.86%) 3. David Castle — 35 inns, 3 ducks (8.57%) 4. Steve Cheale — 2 inns, 2 ducks (100.0%) 5. Stewart Morrison — 3 inns, 2 ducks (66.67%) Matt Large leads the charge, but with Ian Brattle and Steve Cheale both maintaining eye-watering duck rates, the race for 1987's crown is very much alive. Next weekend's fixtures await — same crease, same bowlers, same beautifully cruel game. See you there 🏏0️⃣

A rare and frankly disappointing occurrence to report this week, members of the exclusive zero club: not a single duck fell across the one match played in the period. Every batsman at the crease got off the mark, denying the honours board its due and leaving your correspondent with precisely nothing to celebrate. The art of not scoring, it seems, took the weekend off. Let it be noted for the record — a blank week is not an insult to the institution, merely a hiatus. The ducks are out there, biding their time. Rest assured they will return, as they always do, usually when least expected and often to a batsman who thought himself perfectly safe on 4. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard — 1987 With no fresh casualties to report, the season standings remain exactly as they were, and what a ferociously competitive top five it is: 1. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks from 7 innings (42.86%) — a startling rate of attrition, more than four knocks in every ten ending in a walk of shame 2. Matt Large — 3 ducks from 14 innings (21.43%) — steady, reliable, quietly prolific in the wrong department 3. David Castle — 3 ducks from 32 innings (9.38%) — proof that volume alone can carry a man onto this podium 4. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks from just 2 innings (100.00%) — a flawless, unblemished record of blemish, every single trip to the crease ending in nought 5. Stewart Morrison — 2 ducks from 3 innings (66.67%) — breathing down Cheale's neck and one soft dismissal away from matching him stroke for stroke Ian Brattle sits atop the pile for now, but with Steve Cheale posting a perfect 100% strike rate for futility, nobody at the summit should feel remotely comfortable. 📅 Looking ahead The Duck Club abhors a vacuum, and this drought will not last. Somewhere out there a batsman is shouldering arms to one that's straightening, or shuffling across his stumps for the very last time this innings. Next weekend's fixtures offer fresh opportunity for glory of the most ignominious kind. We watch. We wait. We celebrate — just not today. 🦆 0️⃣

Six ducks paddled into the record books this weekend across three fixtures — the exclusive zero club welcomes a busy new intake. 🏏 Saturday 25th — 1st XI v Ashford CC, Kent (h) A rare treble at Linton Park as three batsmen queued up to donate their wickets in the same innings. Paul Gibson fell first, bowled by Russell Swain — his 1st duck of the season and 10th for his career in 111 innings, a tidy 69th on the all-time list. In walked Bob Lines, undone by Andrew Jones for his 1st of the campaign and 4th career duck from 98 innings (120th all-time) — and, fittingly, kin to fellow club member David Lines, who sits on exactly the same tally of 4. Then David Iliffe, bowled by Des High, brought up his 1st duck of 1987 and a hefty 30th career duck overall — good enough for 18th all-time, and a proud holder of "Duck of the Year 1982" plus a "Quacked by Kin" credit courtesy of Mike Iliffe. All three share a curious parallel: on this very calendar day in 1982, Trevor Back was doing precisely the same thing — perishing for nought against The Mote CC. Which brings us neatly to... 🌀 Sunday 26th — 1st XI v The Mote CC (a) Trevor Back, evidently a man of habit, marked his 1st duck of the 1987 season falling caught Dubec bowled David Barkaway against — you guessed it — The Mote CC. Five years almost to the day since that 1982 vintage against the very same opposition. History does not so much repeat as heckle. His 27 career ducks keep him serenely at 24th all-time, comfortably installed on the Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck top tens. Elsewhere on this day in 1940, one J Short was quietly doing his own bit for the cause against Boughton Monchelsea CC. 🏏 2nd XI v Newchapel and Horne (a) Stewart Morrison, lbw to Bennett, chalked up his 2nd duck of the season and, remarkably, his 2nd career duck — in only 3 innings, ranking 257th all-time. A paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club from his actual debut, and a "Full House nearly-man" with ducks logged at 10 of 11 batting positions, he's now firmly on this season's watch-list. Joining him was A Hayward, run out without troubling the scorers on his very first senior appearance for the club — a genuine baptism of nought, and a brand-new name freshly inducted onto the Debutante Duck honours board. 📊 Week in Summary Six ducks, three matches, one uncanny five-year echo at The Mote. The Ashford fixture alone accounted for half the weekend's harvest — their bowlers will sleep well tonight. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks / 7 inns (42.86%) 2. Matt Large — 3 ducks / 14 inns (21.43%) 3. David Castle — 3 ducks / 31 inns (9.68%) 4. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks / 2 inns (100%) 5. Stewart Morrison — 2 ducks / 3 inns (66.67%) Steve Cheale still holds a flawless strike rate for futility. Can anyone catch him before season's end? 🍩 See you all at the next fixture — the ducks never sleep, and neither, apparently, does The Mote CC.

A single fixture out on the park this week, and — for once — the ducks made themselves scarce. All eleven wielded the willow, all eleven troubled the scorers for at least one run, and the exclusive zero club is left with no new inductees to process. Even the art of not scoring has its off days. Somewhere in the pavilion, the honours board sighs with relief. Somewhere else, the regulars are quietly disappointed — a whole innings of opportunity, squandered on runs. Still, the season standings don't rest just because one Saturday went clean. The chase for Duck of the Year rolls on undisturbed, and there's plenty of cricket left in 1987 for the naughty nought to make its return. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 🥇 Ian Brattle — 3 ducks from 6 innings, a startling 50% strike rate. Coin-flip cricket at its finest. 🥈 Matt Large — 3 ducks from 13 innings (23%). Building a collection at a steadier pace. 🥉 David Castle — 3 ducks from 29 innings (10%). Volume over velocity, but the tally still climbs. 4️⃣ Steve Cheale — 2 ducks from just 2 innings. A flawless 100% record — truly nothing to write home about, and yet here we are, writing home about it. 5️⃣ Nigel Morton — 2 ducks from 4 innings (50%). Keeping good company at the head of the table. Ian Brattle sits pretty at the top for now, but with a 50% duck rate he's really only ever one innings from extending the lead — or one from Steve Cheale quietly overtaking him with the season's grimmest consistency. So — a quiet week for quackers, but never fear. The 0️⃣ always comes home to roost eventually. Get down to the next fixture, take guard, and give the club something to celebrate properly. The ducks are out there. They're just biding their time. 🏏🦆

A slender harvest this week, but the exclusive zero club never turns away new members, and one arrived in some style. 🏏 1st XI — Two for the Ledger Saturday's trip to Morden Village CC brought the club a fresh face on the honours board. Batting at five, Simon Gibson departed bowled by I Russell to register not merely his first duck of the season but his first duck, full stop, in senior colours. A genuine baptism — Simon steps straight into the Debutante Duck fraternity, and with career_ducks and career_innings both reading 1, he's technically also a paid-up member of One and Done and even carries a place on the Retirement Duck board, a statistical curiosity for a man precisely one innings into his Linton life rather than any hint he's off anywhere. He slots in at 474th of 1091 in the all-time list. Spookily, on this very day back in 1964, Len Conway — a Linton man of 1954 to 1965 vintage who finished on 12 career ducks — was also trudging back against Claributs Circus. Some anniversaries are best not dwelt on. Tuesday's fixture at Staplehurst CC then claimed David Castle, bowled by Anthony West at number two. No stranger to these pages, this is duck number 3 for the season and the 10th of a career now 85 innings deep, holding him at 61st of 1091 all-time and a continuing fixture of the Tourist Duck top 10 — evidently the away form has been catching up with him lately, home fixture or not. On this same date in 1956, A Hughes was suffering an identical fate against A. Trembeths, though he never troubled the scorers again after that solitary Linton appearance. David, mercifully, keeps coming back for more. 📅 Week in Summary Four matches, two ducks, both courtesy of the 1st XI — the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sides all kept a suspiciously clean sheet this week. Consistency of a very particular kind continues to elude most of the club, which is precisely how we like it. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks in 5 innings (60%) 2. Matt Large — 3 ducks in 12 innings (25%) 3. David Castle — 3 ducks in 28 innings (10.71%) 4. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks in 2 innings (100%) 5. Nigel Morton — 2 ducks in 4 innings (50%) Steve Cheale's perfect record remains the standard the rest of the field can only dream of matching — or rather, dread matching. 🦆 Onwards to the next fixture, where the ranks of the zero club will surely swell further. Bats at the ready, gentlemen — or perhaps not.

Two fixtures. Two full afternoons of Linton Park cricket. And not so much as a whisper of a nought to report. The Duck Club rangers were out in force across Saturday and Sunday, notebooks poised, but the ducks proved uncharacteristically elusive this week. Every batsman who walked to the crease at some point troubled the scorers, however fleetingly — a mass outbreak of getting off the mark that will not please the purists. Even the umpires looked disappointed. It happens. Even the most prolific hunting grounds have their quiet spells, and a scoreless weekend for the club's least wanted honours board is, if anything, a mark of the opposition's generosity rather than Linton's discipline. Do not mistake this for a trend — the season is young yet, and 1987 has already shown its teeth. 🏏 A Quiet Weekend, By The Numbers - Matches played: 2 - Ducks laid: 0 - Vibes: suspiciously wholesome No pairs, no king pairs, no golden ducks, no family affairs at the crease — the honours board gathers dust for one week only. Treasure it. It won't last. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard — 1987 1. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks in 5 innings (60%) — a truly committed effort towards the exclusive zero club 2. Matt Large — 3 ducks in 11 innings (27.27%) — quietly stacking them up in the background 3. Steve Cheale — 2 ducks in 2 innings (100%) — perfect record, for better or worse 4. Nigel Morton — 2 ducks in 4 innings (50%) — coin-flip cricket at its finest 5. Jim Hall — 2 ducks in 7 innings (28.57%) — consistency of a very particular kind Ian Brattle sits atop the pile at a startling 60% strike rate for nought — triumph through adversity indeed, though one imagines he'd rather be leading a different table. Steve Cheale's flawless 100% record deserves an honourable mention too: when you're out for a duck, be out for a duck every single time. 📅 Looking Ahead The ducks may have evaded capture this week, but they are creatures of habit and Linton Park remains fertile hunting ground. Get your pads on, middle your first ball with confidence, and rest assured — normal service will resume before long. We watch. We wait. We celebrate the art of not scoring. 🦆

Four ducks shuffled onto the record this week, every one of them in 1st XI colours across three fixtures out of the week's four. The zero club welcomes no new faces this time — just familiar names quietly padding their totals. 1st XI At Canterbury Pilgrims on the 28th, Steve Cheale departed for his 2nd duck of the season, caught T Carnell bowled S Rogers at number six. His 7th career duck from 24 innings lifts him to 92nd of 1090 all-time, and keeps him on the books of the club's Retirement Duck honours — a distinction earned some seasons back, not this one. On this very day in 1975, Phil Hickman was doing much the same thing against Tilling Steven, one of the 8 career ducks he racked up in his brief 1973-1975 stint. Worth noting too, the failing runs in the family — sibling David Cheale carries 3 career ducks of his own. Hollingbourne CC on the 30th proved the week's most productive hunting ground, claiming two scalps in the same innings. Nigel Morton, in at four, was bowled by Ray Radmore for his 2nd duck of the season and 2nd of his career from just 4 innings — an alarming strike rate developing. Down at nine, M Clarke followed him back for nought, bowled Mike Donald, his maiden duck of both season and career from only 2 innings, and a fully paid-up member of the Retirement Duck board from a previous chapter of his cricketing life. Both men keep company with R- Robinson, who on this same date in 1956 made his own duck against St Lukes Maidstone CC, one of just a single career nought across his brief 1956-57 stint. The week closed at home to Boughton Malherbe CC on 2 July, where Dave Todd edged behind, caught D Ambrose bowled P Smith, for his 2nd duck of the season and 5th of his career from 22 innings, good for 108th of 1090 all-time. On this same date in 1983, none other than club great Tim Thirkell was also walking back for nought, against Staplehurst CC, one of the 57 ducks that eventually carried him to 4th on the all-time list. Week in Summary Four fixtures, four ducks, and Hollingbourne CC the standout venue with a brace in one innings. No golden ducks, no pairs, no family affairs to report this time round — just honest, workmanlike failure, the bread and butter of the Duck Club calendar. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard - Ian Brattle — 5 innings, 3 ducks, 60.0% - Matt Large — 11 innings, 3 ducks, 27.27% - Steve Cheale — 2 innings, 2 ducks, 100.0% - Nigel Morton — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50.0% - Jim Hall — 6 innings, 2 ducks, 33.33% Ian Brattle holds top spot on a fearsome 60% strike rate, but Steve Cheale's flawless record this season is the one to watch. Plenty of season left for the table to turn over yet. Next fixture beckons. Pads on, guard taken, and no doubt another name or two queuing for the honours board. 🦆🍩

Three fixtures, six ducks, and Linton's bowlers on both sides of the ledger doing their bit for the exclusive zero club. A tidy little haul this week, nothing showy, but consistency of a very particular kind throughout. 🏏 Saturday 20th — 1st XI v West Farleigh CC (home) Sean Charlton departed at six, caught Holness bowled Watson, for his 2nd career duck from 41 innings — rank 253 of 1089 in the all-time roll and a long-standing paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club from his first-ever knock. On this very day back in 1970, Benny Bell was doing exactly the same thing against Hythe CC, en route to 30 career ducks and 17th on the all-time list. History repeats, mostly for nought. Then Jim Hall, run out for his 2nd of the season, ticked over to a scarcely believable 67 career ducks from 424 innings — good enough for the runners-up spot in the entire 1089-strong all-time table. Three-times Duck of the Year, a fixture of the Full House nearly-man club, and quacking-together partner to half the honours board. Jim doesn't chase milestones, milestones queue up for Jim. He too shares Benny Bell's 1970 anniversary — the ghost of Hythe CC clearly still haunts this fixture. 🏏 Sunday 21st — 1st XI v Dimanchians CC (home) A genuine arrival: Stewart Morrison, stumped Saville bowled Burnett at number eight, recorded a duck on his actual first-ever LPCC innings — a proper Debutante Duck, freshly minted rather than the historical kind. He also picked up membership of the Full House nearly-man and Lone Duck top ten clubs in one afternoon. Quite the welcome. Two balls later in the same innings, Ian Brattle fell to the same M Burnett, bowled for his 3rd duck of the season and 20th of his career from 56 innings — rank 35 all-time, seven ducks in a row on the honours board, and 51 shy of the coveted 50-before-a-50 landmark on a top score of 33. His sibling Paul Brattle already carries 25 career ducks of his own, so the family clearly has previous. Both Sunday victims share their on-this-day parallel with Colin Dicker's 1975 effort against Hythe CC — Burnett will be delighted with his afternoon's work either way. 🌤 Wednesday 24th — Midweek XI v Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC (home) Ian Hammond, caught Day bowled Gaston at first drop, opened his account with his 1st career duck from 13 innings, rank 373. And at five, Bob Dyer went lbw to Smith for his 2nd career duck from only 5 innings — brisk work, and a fellow historic Debutante Duck club member. Both share their on-this-day nod with none other than Linton's own Ian Brattle, whose 1975 duck against Leybourne CC is still being quoted a dozen years later. 📋 Week in Summary Six ducks from three matches, every one of them at home — the visitors clearly feel more at ease dismissing us on our own turf. Special mention to M Burnett, who claimed both Sunday scalps and can fairly claim a personal quota for the week. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. Ian Brattle — 3 ducks / 5 innings (60%) 2. Matt Large — 3 ducks / 9 innings (33.3%) 3. Jim Hall — 2 ducks / 6 innings (33.3%) 4. David Castle — 2 ducks / 20 innings (10%) 5. Bob Dyer — 1 duck / 1 innings (100%) The season race is wide open and Bob Dyer's early strike rate is one to watch nervously. Next fixture awaits — bring your bat, and possibly your sense of humour, because the zero club is always recruiting. 🦆🍩0️⃣

A weekend that welcomed Reeds Aylesford to Linton Park and left three names freshly inducted into the exclusive zero club. Two fixtures on the books, but only one troubled the scorers — the visitors evidently brought their best bowling, and we brought our best temptation for the art of not scoring. 🏏 1st XI v Reeds Aylesford — Saturday 16th June Opening the innings and opening the ledger, Paul Bowles fell to Dave Latter for his first duck of the summer. Nothing to be ashamed of at these heights though — this is his 45th career duck, good enough for 7th on the all-time roll of 1087, a rarefied neighbourhood indeed. He already banked Duck of the Year honours in both 1966 and 1968, sits on the Ducks on the Road top ten, and shares an Only Two Quacks billing with Adam Pooley. On this very day back in 1970, Cliff Anscombe was doing much the same against Ozonair — some traditions never go out of fashion. Down at six, Matt Large continued his rather one-sided love affair with 1987, falling to P Webster for his third duck of the season and tenth of an already brisk career from just 37 innings. That keeps him the current Duck of the Year pacesetter with the season only half told. A paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club, he also props up the Lone Duck and Homebody Duck top tens, and sits one position shy of the full set on the Full House nearly-man board. Like Bowles, he keeps historical company with Cliff Anscombe's 1970 vintage. At nine, Paul Spencer made it three ducks in the innings — his maiden LPCC duck, from just three career innings, also b P Webster. A modest 441st of 1087 for now, but everyone starts somewhere, and he too shares his day with Cliff Anscombe's long-ago effort against Ozonair. Three ducks, one destructive pairing — Webster claiming two of the three, Latter the other. A tidy afternoon's work for Reeds, a less tidy one for the Linton card. 📊 Week in brief: 3 ducks from 2 matches, all confined to a single innings — the rest of the weekend's cricket, mercifully or otherwise, kept its dignity intact. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Matt Large — 8 innings, 3 ducks (37.5%) - Ian Brattle — 4 innings, 2 ducks (50%) - David Castle — 17 innings, 2 ducks (11.76%) - Nick Stephens — 1 innings, 1 duck (100%) - Paul Spencer — 1 innings, 1 duck (100%) Matt Large sets the pace, but with Ian Brattle lurking at 50% and the season far from over, the race for the 1987 crown is wide open. Roll on the next fixture — the ducks are surely just resting up. 🦆

A red-letter weekend for the Duck Club as Rumwood CC and Sheldwich CC combined to relieve six Linton batsmen of their dignity inside 48 hours. The art of not scoring was alive and well at Linton Park. Saturday 6 June — Rumwood CC (h) Dave Todd fell early, bowled by G Marsh at first drop, his 4th career duck from 19 innings and 124th on the all-time roll of dishonour. On this same date back in 1967, John Thirkell was doing exactly the same thing against Civil Service CC, Kent — good company, given John sits top of the all-time table with 90. Which brings us neatly to Tim Thirkell, caught behind off Kevin Mullins for his 57th career duck (4th of 1086 all-time, from a remarkable 476 innings) — and a man who barely needs the history books, since it was his own father John who marked this very date in 1967 with a duck of his own. The apple, evidently, does not fall far from the tree. Tim's collection already runs to Duck of the Year 1972, the Full House board for ducking at every position 1 to 11, and a shared Quacking Together honour with Jim Hall — a proper family institution. Nigel Morton (b R Simmonds) picked up his 1st career duck from just 2 innings, sharing the historic date with the Thirkells, while Steve Cheale, also undone by R Simmonds, moved to 6 career ducks in 23 innings — a Retirement Duck board member from a past farewell, and evidently not finished making history yet. Sunday 7 June — Sheldwich CC (h) Allan Cooper, stumped down the leg side off B Martin, notched his 37th career duck — 12th of 1086 all-time — adding to a mantelpiece already carrying three separate Only Two Quacks pairings, with Jim Hall, Jon Harris and Trevor Back all keeping him company. On this day in 1980, Mike Iliffe was performing the same trick against Rumwood CC en route to 43. Closing the innings, Adrian Simmonds (b Jonathan Stanford) took his tally to 2 career ducks from 7 innings, sharing today's date with Mike Iliffe too. Adrian remains a paid-up member of both the Debutante Duck and Quack-to-Quack clubs from his own playing history — proof some players never do things by halves. Week in Summary Six ducks, two matches, one thoroughly chastened top order. Rumwood CC did the early damage with four, Sheldwich CC mopped up with two more on the Sunday. No pairs, no golden ducks, no family affairs — just honest, workmanlike failure all round. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard 1. Ian Brattle — 2 ducks / 4 innings (50%) 2. Matt Large — 2 ducks / 6 innings (33.33%) 3. David Castle — 2 ducks / 16 innings (12.5%) 4. Nick Stephens — 1 duck / 1 innings (100%) 5. Steve Cheale — 1 duck / 1 innings (100%) Roll on the next fixture, when the club's most exclusive membership drive continues. 🦆🏏0️⃣

Two fixtures. Eleven-a-side scorecards a-plenty. And not a single solitary nought to show for it. The exclusive zero club held its doors shut this weekend — every batter who walked to the crease at some point walked back having troubled the scorer, however modestly. A rare and frankly disappointing outbreak of competence swept through Linton Park, and the Duck Club correspondent is obliged to report... nothing. Truly the art of not scoring eluded absolutely everybody. Whether this is a blip or a genuine crisis of form remains to be seen. History suggests the ducks are never gone for long — merely regrouping, waiting for a green top, a canny opening bowler, or someone's first ball of the day to come out of the hand a fraction quicker than expected. 🦆 Vegan weekend, sadly. No fowl were harmed in the making of this scorecard. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard — 1987 1. Ian Brattle — 2 ducks from 3 innings (66.67%) — a commanding early lead, and not a flattering one 2. Matt Large — 2 ducks from 4 innings (50.00%) — level on ducks, trailing on ratio, still very much in the hunt 3. David Castle — 2 ducks from 15 innings (13.33%) — proof that quality over quantity has its limits 4. Nick Stephens — 1 duck from 1 innings (100.00%) — a flawless start, in the wrong direction 5. Jim Hall — 1 duck from 3 innings (33.33%) — lurking, as ever, with intent Ian Brattle sits top of the pile for now, but with the season still young and Matt Large snapping at his heels, this race has plenty left to run. David Castle's volume campaign continues quietly in the background — never underestimate the player grinding out a career total one innings at a time. 📅 Next up The season won't stay this polite for long. Somewhere out there a batsman is shouldering arms to a straight one, or shuffling across his stumps for the very last time before the umpire's finger goes up. The Duck Club awaits its next recruit with open wings — see you all at the next fixture, and may fortune desert at least one of you. 🦆🍩0️⃣

Four fresh inductees into the exclusive zero club this week, every single one of them supplied by a busy 1st XI across two fixtures. Three matches in the period, but the account books show entries against only two of them — someone, somewhere, escaped clean. 🏏 1st XI Sunday 24 May — away at John Fisher Old Boys Martin Thompson, in at number two, was caught T Bowles bowled S Marus for his 1st duck of the season and 10th of a long and storied career — 65th of 1084 in the all-time list. Martin is already a long-standing member of the Retirement Duck club from a farewell innings of years gone by, evidently not quite as final as advertised. On this very day back in 1975, Benny Bell (1966-1975, 30 career ducks, 17th all time) was doing much the same thing against Maidstone YMCA CC. Six down and Alan Boyns followed him back, caught D Tame bowled I Frisby, his 1st duck of the season and 3rd of his career from just 16 innings, 143rd all time. By pleasing coincidence, Alan shares that exact same 1975 anniversary with Benny Bell too — the ducks of yesteryear casting a long shadow. Friday 29 May — MCC at home Two more followed in the MCC fixture, bookending the innings nicely. Matt Large, at number nine, was bowled David Twiddy for his 2nd duck of the season and 9th of a 32-innings career already thick with silverware — Duck of the Year 1987 (currently the man to beat), plus top-ten spots in Ducks on the Road, Homebody Duck and Lone Duck, and nearly-man status in the Full House stakes having now ducked from ten of the eleven positions. He sits 75th all time. On this same day in 1972, Nigel Thirkell — the great of 1969-1987 with 38 career ducks — was walking back for nought against Bearsted CC. Last man Ian Brattle completed the misery, bowled Dave Weller for his own 2nd duck of the season and 19th of his career from 54 innings, 35th all time. Ian carries the Ducks in a Row (seven consecutive) and Only Two Quacks (with Michael Beeney) honours, and is already lodged on the 50 Before a 50 board — a chip off the old block, with sibling Paul Brattle sitting on 25 career ducks of his own. Like Matt, Ian keeps Nigel Thirkell's 1972 anniversary company. 📋 Week in Summary Three fixtures, four ducks, and the 1st XI cornering the market entirely this week. MCC obligingly supplied one at each end of the order — numbers nine and eleven combining for a tidy nought-nought finish to the innings. 🏆 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Ian Brattle — 3 inns, 2 ducks, 66.67% - Matt Large — 3 inns, 2 ducks, 66.67% - David Castle — 13 inns, 2 ducks, 15.38% - Nick Stephens — 1 inn, 1 duck, 100.0% - Alan Boyns — 3 inns, 1 duck, 33.33% Ian and Matt sit locked together at the summit, both on a poultry 66.67%. The next fixture will decide who breaks free — or who else is invited to join them. The ducks never sleep. 🦆

A quiet weekend by Duck Club standards — three fixtures on the go and the exclusive zero club logged just the one new arrival. But when the name on the docket is Jim Hall, quantity was never going to be the story. 🏏 Saturday — Battle CC (Home) Batting at first drop, Jim Hall departed for a duck, caught J Quinnell off the bowling of Brian Scollay — his 1st of the 1987 season and a startlingly casual 66th of his career. That tally plants him at a barely-believable #2 of 1,084 in the all-time Linton standings, a position he has occupied with the quiet menace of a man who long ago stopped being embarrassed by it. Jim is, of course, a fully paid-up member of the Debutante Duck club, having opened his senior account with a nought many years before this one. Since then he's collected three Duck of the Year titles — 1970, 1977 and 1985 — sits in the top ten for both the Lone Duck and Homebody Duck charts, and features on no fewer than three separate Quacking Together boards, alongside Jon Harris, Martin Mears and Tim Thirkell respectively. A career built, in part, on the noble art of not scoring. Fittingly, on this very day back in 1953, LPCC stalwart Stan Wratten — a man who racked up 35 ducks across four decades between 1943 and 1984 — was also trudging back for nought, against Mote A. Some anniversaries are best celebrated with a straight bat and an early return to the pavilion. 📋 Week in Summary Three matches, one duck, and Jim Hall doing all the heavy lifting for the collective. Everyone else on show this week apparently remembered which end of the bat to use — a rare outbreak of competence the Duck Club can only view with mild suspicion. Normal service, we trust, will resume shortly. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard 1. David Castle — 10 innings, 2 ducks (20%) 2. Nick Stephens — 1 innings, 1 duck (100%) 3. Ian Brattle — 2 innings, 1 duck (50%) 4. Jim Hall — 2 innings, 1 duck (50%) 5. Matt Large — 2 innings, 1 duck (50%) Nick Stephens currently sits on a flawless 100% conversion rate for the season — one innings, one duck, the platonic ideal of consistency of a very particular kind. Whether he can maintain it remains to be seen. 🍩 See you next round, ducks. The wickets are still falling, the milestones are still coming, and somewhere out there another naught is being quietly manufactured. Bring your bats — and, ideally, don't need them.

A rare and faintly unsettling weekend at Linton Park: three matches played, eleven-plus batting cards filled, and not a single member of the club troubling the scorers for nought. The exclusive zero club, so reliably subscribed to, sat this one out entirely. 🏏 The Weekend That Wasn't Whatever XI you followed — and there were three out on the paddock across the period — every single Linton bat found their way off the mark. No golden ducks, no king pairs, no tearful walks back for a first-baller. Frankly suspicious. One does wonder whether somebody tipped off the bowlers. It happens. Even Tim Thirkell had to start somewhere, and even the most committed duck hunter has an off week where the ducks, infuriatingly, decline to be hunted. Consider this the calm before whatever indignity next weekend has in store — the season is young yet, and 1987 has plenty of overs left in it to add to the tally. 📊 Duck Hunting Season Leaderboard Not a soul added to their pile this week, but the early-season standings remain as fierce as ever: - David Castle — 7 innings, 2 ducks, 28.57% - Nick Stephens — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100.00% - Ian Brattle — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50.00% - Matt Large — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50.00% Nick Stephens sits on a flawless duck rate from his solitary innings — the purest, most efficient membership application the club has seen all season. David Castle leads on volume, already two down and looking every bit the early Duck of the Year favourite, while Ian Brattle and Matt Large lurk level on one apiece, each just a rash shot away from breaking clear. 🔭 Looking Ahead A quiet week for the ledger, but never bet against Linton batting long. The ducks are out there somewhere, biding their time. Get yourselves down to the next fixture, take guard, and do your bit for the cause — the Honours Board doesn't fill itself. We watch. We wait. We celebrate. 🦆🍩0️⃣

Two fixtures on the books this week, and Bearsted CC proved the only side willing to admit new members to the exclusive zero club. Three ducks recorded, all crammed into the same innings on the 4th — a proper cluster of calamity to open the merry month of May. 🏏 1st XI away at Bearsted CC (4 May) David Castle opened up and lasted all of two balls before nicking off to N Bateman off Matt Wilson — c Bateman b Wilson, the classic opener's special. It's his 2nd duck of the season and 9th of a distinguished career (61 innings), lodging him at 68th of 1082 in the all-time table and keeping his season on the Tourist Duck top 10, a man who clearly saves his best ducks for away grounds. Rather splendidly, on this very calendar date back in 1969 the legendary Stan Wratten (1943–1984, 35 career ducks, 14th all-time, of Quacking Together fame) also strolled back for nought — some anniversaries just keep quacking. Down at seven, Matt Large lasted three balls before departing c Cunningham b Pennells — his 1st duck of the season, and with it he keeps a firm grip on top spot in the 1987 Duck of the Year race. It's his 8th career duck from just 30 innings, 82nd of 1082 all-time, and adds another tally mark to an already heaving honours cabinet: Debutante Duck, Lone Duck top 10, Homebody Duck top 10, Ducks on the Road top 10, and a cruel one-position short of the Full House. Like Castle, Large finds himself sharing the date with Stan Wratten's 1969 vintage — some things really do happen on this day. And at number eleven, last man Ian Brattle fell to the same bowler, bowled by Murray Pennells after three balls of defiance — 1st duck of the season, 18th for his career in 52 innings, 36th all-time of 1082. Brattle remains a paid-up member of the Ducks in a Row club (seven consecutive, no less) and the 50 Before a 50 society, still chasing that elusive half-century he's yet to threaten. A chip off the old block too — sibling Paul Brattle carries 25 career ducks of his own, so the family clearly has previous. And yes, he too shares his nought with Stan Wratten's effort of 1969 — three Lintonians, one bowler's day out for history, all queuing up behind the same long-retired namesake. Murray Pennells, for what it's worth, cleaned up the tail rather efficiently — Large and Brattle both fell to him inside the same session. Elsewhere, the second fixture of the period passed off disappointingly duck-free — a rare and thoroughly unwelcome outbreak of competence. 📊 Week in summary: 3 ducks, 2 matches, one entirely one-sided contribution from Bearsted's attack. Consistency of a very particular kind. 🥇 Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - David Castle — 4 innings, 2 ducks, 50% - Ian Brattle — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - Matt Large — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - Nick Stephens — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% The season is young and the strike rate for failure is already ferocious. Next fixture awaits — who fancies joining the club? 🍩0️⃣🏏

The 1987 campaign is barely a fortnight old and already the exclusive zero club has opened its books. A modest harvest this time out — just the two — but both arriving in the same match, off the same bowler, which has a certain tidy symmetry to it. Saturday 25 April — 1st XI away at Penshurst Park CC First to the crease and first to depart was David Castle, undone by John Lambert for nought. This is David's 1st duck of the new season and his 8th career quack in 59 innings, good enough for 78th on the all-time list of 1082 hopefuls — a place he shares with the exclusive company of the Tourist Duck top 10, a board that rewards those who specialise in ducking on the road rather than boring the home faithful. Neatly enough, on this very date back in 1982, club legend Jim Hall was also trudging off for a duck, that day against Chatham Nomads CC, en route to a career haul of 65 and a lofty number 2 in the all-time standings. Good company to keep, even in ignominy. Lambert wasn't finished. Down at 9 came Nick Stephens, caught C Carugati bowled Lambert for a duck on his very first senior innings — a genuine, ink-still-wet Debutante Duck, and there's no gentler way to begin a career than that. He's also already inked onto the Quack-to-Quack roll, duck on debut and farewell, and the Retirement Duck board besides — though both of those are presumptive club honours awarded on the day, not verdicts, and we very much expect to see Nick out there again disproving them next weekend. By happy coincidence he too now joins Jim Hall's this-day-in-1982 club, the same Chatham Nomads fixture keeping the honours board delightfully tangled across the decades. Week in summary Two matches on the fixture list, two ducks recorded, both from the one game — John Lambert can consider Penshurst Park's opening weekend a triumph through adversity for the Linton top and middle order alike. Early days yet in the hunting season, but the traps are set. Duck Hunting Season leaderboard - Nick Stephens — 1 innings, 1 duck, 100% - David Castle — 2 innings, 1 duck, 50% Early running only, and plenty of season left for the pack to catch up. See you next fixture, when no doubt the honours board will have further volunteers queueing patiently for the exit. 🦆🏏0️⃣