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The Times July 26, 2006

Ten ducks send village cricketers waddling into the hall of shame
By Andrew Norfolk

In cricket, a duck is when a batsmen is out after scoring no runs at all. Most batsmen usually score at least 1 run before they are out, but if they are out and they haven't scored any runs, it's known as a duck. A village team, the Goldsborough 2nd XI, have gone into the record books after ALL of their batsmen went out for a duck. They knew that they were in for a tough match when they visited Dishforth, who are top of the fourth division in the North Yorkshire Nidderdale League (Goldsborough are at the bottom). But they just didn't realise how tough it would actually be. They were also bowled out after just 12 overs and scored just 5-0, the runs coming from four byes and a leg bye.

A VILLAGE cricket team has stumbled into the game’s record books after ALL of its batsmen were dismissed for ducks.

Goldsborough 2nd XI knew that they were in for a tough match when they visited Dishforth, who are top of the fourth division in the North Yorkshire Nidderdale League. Even the team’s most pessimistic supporter, however, would have struggled to predict that Goldsborough, a village near Knaresborough, would be bowled out within 12 overs having failed to score a single run off the bat.

The side’s total of five all out, the runs coming from four byes and a leg bye, was also remarkable for all ten wickets having fallen to catches, each batsman having managed to strike the ball. When Dishforth batted, they completed their victory in a mere seven balls despite losing two wickets, tailenders who were given a rare chance to open the batting.

The league match, on Saturday, lasted a mere 57 minutes and Goldsborough’s score may be the lowest in the history of the 112-year-old, eight-division amateur league. Tricia Hurd, the league’s secretary, said that it was almost certainly the first time that ten ducks had been recorded in an innings (in that league) and Wisden Almanack, the cricketers’ bible, described Dishforth’s feat as very rare.

Chris Lane, Wisden’s managing director, said that it was also amazing that every Goldsborough batsmen had been caught. “Having all put bat to ball, it’s quite extraordinary that they didn’t manage to get a single run,” he said.

Peter Horsman, the rueful captain of the losing team, said that the experience was both surreal and embarrassing. “When we were four wickets down I jokingly said that it would be strange if we were all out for ducks, but I certainly didn’t plan it like that. You would have thought that even when we were seven or eight down someone would have got an edge or something to get a run.”

Mr Horsman said that they missed one golden opportunity for a single run. “We could have got a run,” he said. “But the batsman had just been hit on the foot the ball before and he turned down the chance.”

Mr Horsman, 45, who went in after the fall of the third wicket and survived four balls, said that his team was looking forward to next weekend’s match. “It beats shopping on a Saturday,” he said.

The reputation of Goldsborough’s No 11 batsman, John Tomkinson, remained untarnished by the defeat after he carried his bat for an heroic, unbeaten 0. In a message posted on the club’s website, Mr Tomkinson reflected on his undefeated innings and concluded: “So it’s not my fault then!” Steve Wilson, the Dishforth captain, said that after winning the toss he decided to put the opposition in because “there’d been a bit of rain in the morning and we thought there might be a bit in the wicket”.

He proceeded to watch as his opening bowlers, Gavin Hardisty and Craig Costello, returned figures of seven for 0 and two for 0. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible if I hadn’t seen it happen,” Mr Wilson, 29, said. “It was really tough for them. Everything they hit just went wrong. Each of their batsmen was caught out and some of them played some really attacking shots.

“They left the field looking a bit dejected, to say the least, but our bowlers were quite happy. We’re doing well at the top of the division and they’re bottom, so they were probably expecting a difficult game, but maybe not that difficult.”

IT’S NOT THE WINNING THAT MATTERS . . .

Football: American Samoa lost 31-0 in a World Cup qualifying match against Australia in April 2001.

Hyde United suffered the biggest defeat in English league or cup football when they were beaten 26-0 by Preston North End in the FA Cup in 1887

Rugby Union: Japan suffered the heaviest defeat in the Rugby Union World Cup when they were hammered 145-17 by New Zealand in June 1995

Rugby League: Russia lost 110-4 to Australia during the Rugby League World Cup in November 2000

Cricket: The lowest innings score in Test cricket was New Zealand’s 26 against England at Auckland in March 1955. England’s lowest Test score, 45, came against Australia at Sydney in 1886-87.

The lowest score in first-class cricket by a team with no absent batsmen was by Northamptonshire, who were dismissed for 12 by Gloucestershire in 1907.

In a February 2000 under-13s match at Illawarra, on the south coast of New South Wales, Thirroul were bowled out for 4. All ten batsmen were out for a duck and the runs came from a bye, a leg-bye and two no-balls. The innings lasted for 30 minutes and 7.4 overs.

Swainby, a side playing in the Cleveland Langbaurgh League, were dismissed for 4 against East Harsley in 2004. Four batsmen scored one run each

thetimesonline.co.uk

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