What Are All Types of Ducks in Cricket? (Full Answer)

Did you know cricketers can opt-out of the game intentionally or unintentionally even without making a score? So a duck in a cricket game refers to a batter’s dismissal during an innings without scoring any runs. In other situations, the batters leave without even touching a single ball in an inning. But what is so interesting about it is how the opposing team can decide not to let any batter leave the game by dropping their catch. But what could be the other types of ducks in cricket?

Types of ducks in cricket include diamond duck, golden duck, silver duck, bronze duck, and royal duck. Others include laughing duck, pair, and king pair. As much as they are all dismissals, some have the umpires giving the final decisions about them.

You ought to know everything about cricket games and the possible ways your actions or your opponent can outsmart you on the pitch. Read ahead for more details on the game to avoid mistakes that could get you suspended as well.

How Many Different Types of Ducks Are There In Cricket?

There are eight types of ducks in a cricket game. Among them are golden duck, silver duck, diamond duck, and bronze duck. These batting laws might differ depending on the game. For instance, test matches and international matches may have stricter laws on the same.

Cricket games can be so interesting to watch. It can be livelier when you are the best bowler, or the fastest bat making a score every time you attempt a run. But all this can turn southwards when the fielding team feels you are a threat to them, and so decide to outsmart you. You can’t imagine the feeling when you’ve hardly touched a ball, but you’re already thrown off the pitch.

However, before I get you into the dismissals that your opposing team can’t wait to give you. You may need to be sure you broke none of the following rules at the pitch. The rules can, however, differ depending on the cricket game.

Game Management

There will be two umpires to watch over the game and make final decisions on the scores and the general status of the game. There is always a third umpire who goes through the video if there is confusion on the pitch.

Ways To Score Runs

You have to run from one end of a pitch to the other before a bowl reaches the wicket to score. A batter can also score by a no-ball, leg ball, wide, byes, and leg byes. Despite this, these other scores aside from the run scores will go to the team, not the individual batter.

You should know the bowlers will always try to outsmart any batter by aiming the cricket ball at either wicket when a batsman attempts a run score. 

The batters can also score by hitting a four or a six. However, if you hit either a four or a six your run scores will be assumed, so only the four or six will be recorded. Fours are scored when your ball has to bounce once and cross the boundary. While to hit a six the ball has to be fully powered and go over the boundary region without bouncing. 

Dismissal Rules

A dismissal is a way a bowler gets a batter out of the game. So once a bowler manages to get a batter out, the bowler is deemed to get a wicket. Some of these include:

• Bowled: – the batter is out if the bowl hits his wickets and dislodges either or both of the bails. However, the cricket ball should not have touched any other player or the umpire.
• Caught: – it happens when a batter hits or touches the ball with his hands, causing the hit to be weak and gets straight to the hands of a bowler or a fielder, the batter is off the match.
• Leg Before Wicket: – it happens when a ball hits the batter first before hitting the bat. However, what saves you here is if the ball hits you when attempting a stroke. It will be the umpires’ final decision about it.
• Stumped: – it happens when a fielder puts down your wicket while you are out of the crease and when you are not attempting a run.
• Run-Out: – If a batter is not at the popping crease, nor his bat, shoe, or cloth, and, the wicket is hit. He is said to be ran-out.
• Hit Wicket: – You will be out if your bat hits your wicket when setting off a run, or when you hit it with your hand, cloth, or bat yet the ball is in play.
• Handled the Ball: – you will have to leave the ongoing cricket match if you willingly touch the ball with a hand other than the hand holding your bat. Your only saving grace will be if you had the consent of the fielding team to touch the ball, probably after a poor delivery.
• Timed Out: – when a batter is leaving the pitch, the incoming batter has to be at the non-strikers’ zone within three minutes of the dismissal of the outgoing partner.
• Hit Twice: – if you hit the ball twice other than when attempting to protect your wicket or with the consent of a fielding team, you are off the game.
• Obstruction the Field: – If you obstruct the fielding team verbally or by action, you get suspended from the cricket match.

As much as there are several other rules, these are the most common ones that apply in local and international cricket matches. 

So with all these rules in mind, watch out for the following ducks in the game:

• Golden Duck: – it happens when a batter gets out after the first ball in the innings without scoring.
• Silver Duck: – if you have to leave the game on the second ball of an inning, you will have left for a silver duck.
• Bronze Duck: – if you make it to the third innings with no run score, you get dismissed for a bronze duck.
• Diamond Duck: – it happens when you have to get out without facing any ball. It can be the result of a time-out or a run-out.
• Royal Duck: – it happens when a batsman in the team fails on the first ball of the innings. Note the difference between this and the golden duck is the player may have hit the ball successfully. But in the process violated one of these laws.
• Laughing Duck: – if you get out when the teams’ innings were just about to end, you will have got out for a laughing duck.
• Pair: – it happens when a batsman is dismissed from the game in both innings for a zero score.
• King Pair: – if you happen to get out of the match for the first ball without a score in both innings, it is said to be a king pair.

What Are the Different Types of ”No Balls” In Cricket?

The different types of No Balls in cricket include a front-foot no-ball, a ball bouncing over the batter’s head, and a back-foot no-ball. Others may include a beamer bowl and a bowl without prior notification of the type of delivery.

I stated about a batter running between the wickets to make a score or hitting a four or a six. Once a batter hits either of these an over is completed and the teams switch roles. In any case, if any of the deliveries made by the bowler are unsuccessful, you will have hit a “No Ball,” resulting in a run penalty.

Some of the most common “No Ball” that can also dismiss the bowler from the game are:

• A Front Foot No Ball 

It happens when you mistakenly step beyond the popping crease while delivering a bowl. Fast bowlers are frequently caught by this mistake however, you may be safe from the dismissal if your foot or part of it is still in the air and has not landed yet.

• A Ball Bounces Over a Batsman’s Head

Part of the tactics most bowlers use in getting the batters out is bowling a short ball that would strike before the batter and bounce off. However, if your bowl was untimed and bounces over the batter’s head, you will be out.

• A Bowler Balls a Beamer

Beamers are deliveries that reach the batter straight without bouncing on the pitch and goes above the batter’s weight. Such balls, however, tend to slip off the bowlers’ hands, so it is never intentional. If a bowler continues to deliver beamers, then the bowler will be penalized.

• No Ball from Chucking

Chucking is when bowlers’ delivery fails to match the 15° rule. If you continue bowling such bowls you can be suspended from the match.

• Back Foot No Ball

It happens when the bowler’s foot lands at the return crease while bowling. The back foot must touch within but not at the line (return crease).

• Failure to Notify Mode of Delivery

Umpires need to know whether you are bowling left-handed or right-handed when you are bowling. You may receive a warning or be dismissed if you failed to do this.

• Ball Bounces More than Once

It will be up to the umpire to show the no-ball signal when the ball bounces more than once. It can also happen when the ball rolls on the ground before reaching a popping crease.

Does a Cricket Ball Need to Bounce to Be a Legal Bowl?

A cricket ball does not have to bounce for it to be a legal bowl. But in that case, it should be below the batters’ waistline and not wider or above the waist. Otherwise, it will be a no-ball. So if it does not bounce off it is called a full toss. 

If you are a bowler, you ought to know that some of your deliveries can award the batters a free hit or can get you suspended out of the game. For instance, the No ball delivery aimed at the batter’s waist or higher can injure the batter. Therefore, you may lose the game to your opponents because of such a mistake.

Along with the ball being a potential cause for suspension of the bowler, the full toss tends to be a simple setup for the batter. As a result, he may hit it back harder than you would think giving him a four or a six that is a straight over. Therefore, most bowlers struggle to avoid such balls because of the consequences that come along with them.

In addition, if you receive a warning about your type of bowl from the umpire, you should change immediately because subsequent warnings will lead to suspension.

Can a Cricket Batsman Be Bowled Out By a Beamer?

A cricket batsman can be bowled out by a beamer only when the cricket ball passes the batsman at a height lower than his waist and hits the wicket. Otherwise, if the ball hits the wicket but passes the batter at his waist or higher than his waist, it is a no-ball thus it cannot bowl out the batter.

However, because of the uncertainty with beamer deliveries, a bowler should be cautious when delivering their bowl. Some batters can nevertheless opt to question the exact height of the ball; if the batter was not around the wicket. 

You should know that most cricket games like T20, Test matches, and International games have more than one umpire. In addition to the two umpires on the cricket field. A third umpire always watches the video records of the game.

 Therefore, before the umpire at the pitch makes his final decision, he would have communicated with the third one for exact clarification. So it may be of no help appealing or raising concern over the umpires’ decisions in such cases.

How Many Beamers Can a Bowler Bowl In Cricket?

A bowler can bowl up to two harmful beamers in an innings. Any other beamer after the two gets the bowler suspended from bowling in the remaining innings. And at times the umpire can dismiss the bowler from the ongoing match.

The harmful deliveries mean a delivery at the batsman, which may hurt or injure them.

Can a Bowler Bowl Two Consecutive Overs In Cricket?

A bowler cannot bowl two consecutive overs in a cricket game. Before the rules changed a bowler could bowl the first over of the next session without issue after bowling the last over of the previous session. But at the moment the rules have changed and so it is unacceptable.