Explained: What are the different types of ducks in cricket?

A duck in cricket takes place when a batter is dismissed without scoring a single run and is out for zero.

While it’s certain no player wants to be on the receiving end of a duck, most players have succumbed to a duck at least once over the course of their career.

Even though the ignominy of getting out for a duck is bad enough in itself, there are certain types of ducks that are worse than others.

There are a total of eight different types of ducks in cricket, some of which just add to the embarrassment of returning to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

The eight types of ducks in cricket are golden duck, silver duck, bronze duck, diamond duck, royal duck, laughing duck, pair, and king pair.

Here, we take a closer look at these different types of ducks in cricket and what each of them represents.

Types of ducks

Golden duck 

A batter is considered dismissed for a golden duck when they get out without scoring on the first delivery that they face after coming into bat.

Silver duck 

As hinted in the name following on from a golden duck, a silver duck takes place when a batter is dismissed without scoring off the second delivery of their inning.

Bronze duck 

In keeping with how a batter is dismissed for a golden or silver duck depending on whether they are given out off the first or second ball they face without scoring, a bronze duck happens when a batter is adjudged out off the third ball in their innings.

Diamond duck 

One of the worst ways to get out in cricket, a diamond duck happens when a player is dismissed without even facing a single ball. 

Run outs are usually the reason behind diamond ducks and another way a player can succumb to such a dismissal is if a batter hits the ball straight down the crease and the bowler gets their fingertips to the ball and ricochets it onto the stumps of the non-striker, who is yet to face a ball.

Royal duck 

A royal duck occurs when an opening batter gets out without scoring off the very first ball of their team’s inning.

Laughing duck 

In what is exactly opposite to a royal duck, the laughing duck happens when a player is dismissed off the last ball of their team’s innings.

Pair

A pair can only take place in Test match cricket and it happens when a batter is dismissed for zero in both innings of a Test or first-class game. 

King pair

A king pair occurs when a batter is dismissed without scoring a run on the very first ball that they face in both innings of a Test.

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