Duck in Cricket: Zero Scores and Their Types
A duck in cricket means a batter is dismissed without scoring. Learn the different types of ducks — golden, silver, diamond, and more — and their significance in cricket.
What Is a Duck in Cricket?
A duck in cricket is when a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs — their scorecard shows 0. The term originates from the 0 resembling a duck's egg. In UK/Australian slang, 'scoring a duck' is one of cricket's most-dreaded outcomes for a specialist batter.
Types of Duck
| Duck Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Golden duck | Dismissed on the very first ball faced |
| Silver duck | Dismissed on the second ball faced |
| Diamond duck | Run out without facing a ball |
| Platinum duck | Out hit wicket without facing a ball (extremely rare) |
| Royal duck | Dismissed for a golden duck as an opener in the first innings |
| Standard duck | Dismissed after facing some balls but scoring zero runs |
Who Has the Most Ducks?
Test match ducks are most common among lower-order batters who face the best bowling with less technical skill. Courtney Walsh took more than 100 Test wickets but scored 0 on the most occasions, largely because he was a number 11 who regularly faced top bowling.
Frequently asked questions
Does a not-out duck affect batting average?
A not-out duck (scoring zero but not being dismissed) is rare but counts as an innings with zero runs and is excluded from the dismissal count. It slightly inflates the batting average compared to a scored duck.
What is the most ducks scored by one batter in their career?
Among specialist batters, few carry many career ducks. Among lower-order bowlers who bat at 10 or 11, career ducks can exceed 50–70. Muttiah Muralitharan retired with one of the highest duck counts among prolific Test players.