Golden Duck in Cricket — Types of Ducks and Why They Happen
What a duck is in cricket, the difference between a golden duck, silver duck, and diamond duck, and which batters have the most ducks in Test history.
In cricket, a duck is when a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs. The term comes from the resemblance between the numeral zero (0) and a duck's egg. Ducks are one of cricket's most humiliating outcomes — regardless of whether you're a tail-ender or the world's best batter, a duck is a duck.
Types of Ducks
Golden duck: dismissed on the very first ball faced — no score, out immediately. Silver duck: dismissed on the second ball faced. Diamond duck: dismissed (usually run out) before facing any balls — the rarest. Bronze duck (informal): dismissed for zero after surviving at least three balls but before scoring. A 'duck' without a qualifier typically means any dismissal for zero runs.
Most Ducks in Test History
Chris Martin (New Zealand) holds the record for most ducks in Test cricket — 36 in 104 innings. He was a specialist pace bowler known as one of the worst batters in Test history. Among genuine batters, the record for most ducks tells a different story — most great batters accumulate ducks simply by playing so many innings. Curtly Ambrose (28 ducks) and Courtney Walsh (43 ducks) top the all-time list as tail-enders with long careers.
Ducks Among Elite Batters
Even cricket's greatest batters get ducks. Sachin Tendulkar was out for 0 several times in his 329 Test innings. Don Bradman's career average of 99.94 is famously due to his final Test innings — he needed only 4 runs to finish with a century average but was out for 0 (golden duck), dismissed by Eric Hollies for a duck that became one of cricket's most poignant moments.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 'pair' the same as two ducks?
A pair is when a batter is dismissed for 0 in BOTH innings of the same Test match — two ducks in one game. A 'king pair' is two golden ducks (first ball each innings) — extremely rare at Test level.
What is a 'blob' in cricket?
'Blob' is informal slang for a duck — particularly used in English club cricket. A batter who 'blobs' has scored zero.
Does a duck count differently in different formats?
No — a duck is a duck in all formats: 0 runs scored before dismissal. In T20 cricket, a golden duck is especially costly given the limited balls available.