What is a Duck in Cricket? From Golden to Titanium

The “Duck’s Egg” Connection

Early scoreboards displayed numbers in large shapes, and the zero resembled an egg. When a batter failed to score, spectators joked that he had “laid a duck’s egg”. The phrase later shortened naturally to just “duck” because everyone already understood what the round shape meant.

The Prince of Wales Incident (1866)

A moment in 1866 turned the slang into an established term. The Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII, played a match, faced a delivery, and fell for zero. Newspapers commented that he “departed with a duck’s egg”, and the line spread quickly, sticking to cricket ever since.

What is a Golden Duck?

A golden duck cricket moment happens when a batter receives one ball and is gone immediately. The shock around the ground is instant — commentators barely finish their introduction before the replay appears. It is one of the most widely known forms of duck because it catches even elite players off guard.

What is a Diamond Duck?

A diamond duck happens when a batter is dismissed without facing a single legal delivery. Confusion during a run, a non-striker run out, or a dismissal on a wide ball often leads to it. Many followers of the game view it as the harshest type of duck because the batter walks back without any opportunity to play a proper shot.

Silver and Bronze Ducks

Silver ducks occur on the second ball faced, bronze ducks on the third. They are less dramatic than golden or diamond ducks, yet they capture the same frustration — the player barely gets started before the innings end.

Royal Duck

A royal duck happens when an opener falls on the first ball of the innings. The atmosphere can swing instantly. Bowlers celebrate wildly while the batting side feels an early jolt.

Platinum Duck

A platinum duck varies slightly depending on location. Some use it for the first ball of the match, others apply it specifically to captains dismissed on the first ball they face. The shared theme is a first-ball collapse with added significance.

Palladium Duck

Few fans outside the most dedicated circles know this one. A palladium duck is a quirky term used for highly unlucky dismissals — often involving strange bounces, miscommunication, or bizarre incidents. It is part of cricket’s humorous vocabulary rather than an official statistic.

Titanium Duck

Among all duck types, the titanium duck stands out. It refers to both openers getting golden ducks in the same innings. Teams dread this scenario, as it places enormous pressure on the middle order before the game has even settled.

What is a Pair?

A pair happens when a player scores 0 in both innings. The two zeros resemble a pair of spectacles, and fans often use the phrase “he bagged a pair of glasses”.

What is a King Pair?

A king pair is even harsher: out on the first ball in both innings. Few players suffer this fate, but whenever it happens, it quickly becomes part of match folklore.

The Tied Test Drama: India vs Australia

One of the most dramatic ties between India and Australia featured a late dismissal on zero that helped drag the match to a razor-thin finish. Every run mattered, and the duck became one of the defining moments that led to the rare result.

World Cup Ducks That Hurt

World Cups have seen several match-defining ducks:

• South Africa suffered collapses at crucial stages in knockout games, often after early ducks
• England experienced similar moments, where the early loss of star batters sent the innings into trouble

In tournament cricket, one duck can control the direction of the entire chase.

Ajit Agarkar and the “Bombay Duck”

Agarkar’s streak of ducks against Australia became so famous that fans jokingly named him “Bombay Duck”. Even though the batter later produced match-winning innings in ODIs, the nickname followed him for years.

Courtney Walsh: The Record Holder

Walsh, a legendary West Indian fast bowler, holds the record for the most ducks in Test cricket. His batting struggles never affected his bowling greatness, yet his duck tally remains one of the sport’s most quoted statistics.

Don Bradman's Farewell Zero

Among all final-innings ducks, Don Bradman’s stands alone. He entered his last Test in 1948 needing only four runs to finish with a perfect batting average of 100. Crowds understood the weight of the moment. Journalists wrote that the scene felt more like a ceremony than a regular innings, since Bradman was already regarded as the greatest batter the sport had produced.

What followed was unexpected. After walking in to warm applause, he faced Eric Hollies, a leg-spinner with a sharp googly. Hollies delivered a ball that drifted slightly, dipped, and turned just enough to beat Bradman’s defence. The stumps rattled, and the ground fell silent. Bradman had scored a duck from his second ball.
The moment deeply moved the spectators, and even the fielding side paused in respect. Bradman himself smiled gently as he walked away, later saying that perhaps the emotion of the occasion made it harder to focus. His average settled at 99.94, a number repeated almost as often as his name. Many fans consider this duck as monumental as any of his records because it reflected the human side of a sporting giant.

Other Legends Who Left on a Duck

Bradman is not the only great player whose career ended with a zero. Several well-known figures across generations had their final Test innings cut short before scoring.

Jack Hobbs, one of cricket’s most influential batters, finished his last Test innings with a duck. His career was filled with elegance and consistency, yet the final chapter closed quietly. The contrast between his legacy and his last score often surprises new fans who look through his statistics.

Other players experienced similar endings for different reasons. Some faced high-quality bowling in challenging conditions, where a new ball moved just enough to cause trouble. Others misread length or attempted ambitious shots early in the innings, hoping to finish confidently.

A few modern players also ended on a duck, including batters who represented their sides for more than a decade. Their final dismissals often carry a sense of emotional weight, especially when the crowd realises it will be the last time that player walks back to the pavilion. These moments remind fans that cricket’s script is not always gentle toward its heroes.

Across eras and countries, a final-innings duck remains a rare yet powerful symbol. It shows that even the greatest can face a delivery that arrives with perfect precision at exactly the wrong time. That mixture of skill, timing, and unpredictability is why the game keeps its grip on the imagination of millions.

Is it Possible to Avoid a Duck?

Staying duck-free across many innings is rare. A batter can fall early to a good delivery, misjudge length, or get caught in a moment of hesitation. New-ball spells, turning pitches, and unpredictable match situations all increase the chance of ending on zero. Players who keep this statistic clean usually defend well at the start of each innings and stay patient under pressure. Even then, luck plays a part, as one mistake can break the streak.

Dave Nourse and Historical Records

The strongest example of a duck-free career is Dave Nourse, the South African all-rounder who played 45 Test matches from 1902 to 1924 without a single duck. His record stands out because early 20th-century pitches often behaved unevenly, and batters had limited protection. Nourse’s careful technique and calm approach allowed him to avoid zero throughout his career, and no Test player has matched this record since.

Modern Players and Duck-Free Streaks

Modern cricket makes duck-free streaks even harder due to aggressive batting styles in T20 and ODI formats. Some players manage long stretches without a duck early in their careers, especially in domestic leagues or shorter formats. These streaks typically reach 20 to 30 innings before a mistake, a sharp delivery, or pressure from the situation ends the run. A full duck-free career, like Nourse’s, remains almost impossible in today’s environment.