Definition:

A duck in cricket is the dismissal of a batter for zero runs.

Scorecard Notation:

Normally, ducks are noted on scorecards by the number of runs the batter has scored: 0. Sometimes, however, they can be represented by a picture of a duck. Australia's Channel 9 has used this notation regularly in its cricket broadcasts, and this mock-up scorecard on the Planet Cricket forums follows the Channel 9 example and displays a duck next to Collingwood's score.

Notes:

• Batters in cricket are frequently dismissed without having scored a run, so the duck is a regular occurrence in cricket. Ducks are scored by all players at some point in their career, even the most exceptional batters, though they are more common among tail-enders in the batting lineup.
• The term 'duck' as it is used in cricket apparently originated in a London Daily Times newspaper report on a cricket match in 1866. The Prince of Wales scored zero in an innings and was said to retire "to the royal pavilion on a 'duck's egg'", possibly referring to the similarity between the oval shape of a duck egg and the number 0. Over time, the term has been shortened to simply a 'duck'.
• There are a number of variations on the duck, which are as follows (in roughly increasing order of embarrassment): golden duck, pair, royal duck, and diamond duck.

Examples:

• The most famous duck in cricket history came in Sir Donald Bradman's final Test match in 1948. 'The Don' has the most exceptional statistical record of any batter to have played the game, and had he scored just four runs in that last innings of his career, he would have finished with a Test average of 100. Unfortunately, Bradman was out for a second-ball duck and retired with an average of 99.94.

• The record for the most ducks in Test cricket is currently held by former West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh, who enjoyed a 17-year international career but remained a genuine number 11 batsman throughout. Walsh was dismissed for zero an incredible 43 times in 185 Test innings.
• Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu eventually led his country and finished his Test career with a decent average of nearly 40, but his entry into the Test cricket arena was one of the least auspicious the game has seen. Atapattu managed five ducks in first six Test innings spread across four years between 1990 and 1994, including a pair on debut, before finally establishing himself in the team in 1997.
• The longest duck in Test cricket history was achieved by New Zealand fast bowler Geoff Allott against England in 1999. Allott blocked for 77 balls in 101 minutes without scoring a single run. Seeing the funny side of his achievement, Allott ironically raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd's applause when he reached the record.