One run, eight ducks, total carnage: Richmond’s horror show

LONDON: In what may rank among cricket’s most spectacular batting calamities, Richmond’s fourth XI were dismissed for a grand total of two runs on Saturday – only one of which they actually scored themselves.

Chasing a mountainous target of 427, Richmond’s hapless batsmen lasted a mere 5.4 overs before their innings concluded in what statisticians might generously describe as a collapse.

North London Cricket Club had earlier pummelled Richmond’s bowling attack to all corners of the ground in the Middlesex County League fixture, amassing a mammoth 426-6 from their allotted 45 overs after Richmond won the toss.

What followed was cricketing carnage of the highest order.

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Eight of Richmond’s ten batsmen trudged back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers, each dismissed for a duck. The scorecard showed just one solitary run from the bat, with the other coming courtesy of a wide delivery.

The performance brings to mind the old cricket adage that batting is meant to be an occupation, not a visitation.

“A lot of context but still not a result that we are proud of! Our 2’s, 3’s and 5’s all won though,” Richmond posted on social media platform X, attempting to salvage some pride from a weekend otherwise remembered for arithmetic rarely seen on cricket scoresheets.