A duck in cricket is when a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs, but there are several different terms such as golden duck and diamond duck to cover specific circumstances.
The name “duck” is thought to come from the idea that the 0 recorded for the batter’s total on the scorecard is a similar shape to a duck’s egg. That term was used and later shortened. The term isn’t usually applied to somebody who bats and ends the innings not out (either because the rest of the team were dismissed or because they won the game.)
The most commonly used variant is the “golden duck”, which means a batter dismissed on the first ball they face in their innings. Beyond this there are several variants which aren’t as commonly used or recognised, including:
- A “royal duck” or a “platinum duck” for when somebody is dismissed on the first ball of their team’s innings.
- A “diamond duck” for when a batter is dismissed without facing a legal delivery. This is usually because they are run out as the non-striker, but can involve certain types of dismissal such as being stumped on a wide ball.
- A “titanium duck” for when a batter is dismissed on the first ball of their team’s innings without facing a legal delivery. This means it combines a royal/platinum duck with a diamond duck.
There are also several variants which are sometimes mentioned but there’s little or no evidence of them actually being used in reports or commentary:
- A “silver duck” or “bronze duck” for a batter being dismissed on the second or third ball they face respectively.
- A “laughing duck” for a batter being dismissed for zero as the last batter dismissed on their team (thus making it the last ball of the innings.)
- A “golden goose” for a batter being dismissed on the first ball of the first game of the team’s season.
One related term that is widely used is a “pair”. This means a batter getting a duck in both innings of the same match (such as in a first class match.) A “king pair” is to be out for a golden duck in both innings.