Australian legends Glenn McGrath, Shane Warner feature in most ducks in Ashes list

The Ashes series between England and Australia is one of the most intense Test rivalries in cricket history.

Players want to be at their best for their respective teams during this one-of-a-kind series and cement their status as cricketing heroes for their country.

This, however, is easier said than done especially in the ultra-competitive environment that makes up an Ashes Test.

While plenty of records are created by players with their exemplary performances during the course of this series, some individuals end up with a few unwanted records as well.

One such unwanted record that no player wants to be associated with in this historic rivalry is that of the most ducks in Ashes.

A player is considered out for a duck in cricket when he or she fails to score even a single run and is dismissed for zero without troubling the scorers.

There are several types of ducks in cricket, including the golden duck. However, the ultimate ignominy that players can endure is being out for multiple ducks in their career and especially in a high-profile series like the Ashes.

Here, we have a look at those individuals who hold the unenvious record of most ducks in Ashes history and unsurprisingly it’s mostly bowlers who feature on this list with Aussies appearing in the top three.

Most ducks in Ashes

Syd Gregory (Australia) | 11 ducks

Syd Gregory represented Australia from 1890 to 1912 and during this time he played against England in 52 Tests. The right-handed batter who was known for his wrist and footwork holds the unwanted record for most ducks in Ashes Tests after being dismissed for zero on 11 occasions. He scored four hundreds and eight fifties against England but is mostly remembered as the player with the most ducks in Ashes history.

Glenn McGrath (Australia) | 10 ducks

Second on this unwanted list is Asutralian fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath. He played 30 Tests against England and succumbed to ducks 10 times against them. McGarth, who is fourth on the list for most ducks in international cricket, had a batting record against the English that didn’t make for kind reading. Apart from his 10 ducks, he only managed 105 runs against England at an average of 6.17 in red-ball cricket.

Shane Warne (Austalia) | 10 ducks

Like McGrath, Australian spin legend Shane Warne also had 10 ducks against England. Warne played 36 Tests against the English and while he did manage to score 946 runs, including four fifties in those games, the Australian great is still one of just three cricketers who features in double digits for most ducks in Ashes.

Photo credit: Alamy