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Sir Don Bradman and his surprising ducks

David Lord
Expert
24th December, 2013
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No one has come close to Sir Don Bradman, and no one ever will. (AP Photo, File).
David Lord
Expert
24th December, 2013
61
6375 Reads

Some stats simply don’t compute, such as Don Bradman’s surprisingly high percentage of ducks in his stellar career.

In his 80 visits to the crease the greatest batsman who ever lived, with a career average of 99.94, made seven ducks.

That’s a staggeringly high 8.75 percent – the highest of all those who scored over 10,000 Test runs, and the fourth highest among the top 85 run-getters in Test cricket history.

Only Younis Khan (9.86 percent), Mike Atherton (9.43 percent) and Mark Waugh (9.09 percent) are worse than The Don.

Which makes you blink when The Don needed only four runs in his last dig at The Oval in 1948 to average a career 100, only to be bowled by Eric Hollies’ second ball for the most famous duck in Test cricket history.

Yet he’s remembered for his plundering – 29 triple figures in 80 digs – the highest 334, 304, 299*, 270, 244, 234, 232, 223, 212, 201, 187, 185, 173, 169, 167, and 152.

There’s 16 of his 29 tons, the other 13 were below 150.

Prolific.

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If The Don’s high duck rate is staggering, so too are the better-performed.

Among the 10,000-plus run-getters, the best performed is Rahul Dravid with 2.08 percent.

Of the top 85 run-getters in Test cricket history, AB de Villiers shows the way with 2.06 percent.

Combine the two sections with a random check:

  • de Villiers 2,06 percent – three ducks from 146 visits
  • Clive Lloyd 2.28 percent – four from 175
  • Mark Taylor – 2.28 percent – five from 186
  • Dravid – 2.80 percent – eight from 285
  • Wally Hammond – 2.85 percent – four from 140
  • Doug Walters – 3.20 percent – four from 125
  • Mohammad Azharuddin – 3.40 percent – five from 147
  • Michael Vaughan – 3.40 percent – five from 147
  • Len Hutton – 3.62 percent – five from 138
  • Ken Barrington – 3.82 percent – five from 131
  • Jack Hobbs – 3.92 percent – four from 102
  • Sachin Tendulkar – 4.25 percent – 14 from 329
  • Allan Border – 4.30 percent – 11 from 265
  • Kumar Sangakkara – 4.5 percent – nine from 200
  • Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 5.38 percent – 14 from 260
  • Mahela Jayawardene – 5.60 percent – 13 from 232
  • Sunil Gavaskar – 5.61 percent – 12 from 214
  • Jacques Kallis – 5.75 percent – 16 from 278
  • Ricky Ponting – 5.92 percent – 17 from 287
  • Brian Lara – 7.33 percent – 17 from 232
  • Matt Hayden – 7.60 percent – 14 from 184
  • Andrew Strauss – 8.42 percent – 15 from 178
  • David Boon – 8.42 percent – 16 from 190
  • Steve Waugh – 8.46 percent – 22 from 260
  • Don Bradman 8.75percent – seven from 80
  • Mark Waugh – 9.09percent – 19 from 209
  • Mike Atherton – 9.43percent – 20 from 212
  • Younis Khan – 9.86percent – 15 from 152.

Some list, some surprises, some great defence.

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David Lord
Expert
David Lord was deeply involved in two of the biggest sporting stories - World Series Cricket in 1977 and professional rugby in 1983. After managing Jeff Thomson and Viv Richards during WSC, in 1983 David signed 208 of the best rugby players from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France to play an international pro circuit. The concept didn't get off the ground, but it did force the IRB to get cracking and bring in the World Rugby Cup, now one of the world's great sporting spectacles
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