We have just presented the Most Ducks in a season trophy to Paul Sindrey for 2008, so I thought the following question to Ask Bearders of the BBC may be of topical interest.

Q. Iain O'Brien's 38-ball duck in a partnership of 50 in the recent second Test in Adelaide must be some sort of superlative but may have been beaten. When and by whom?

Bearders' Answer: It may well be the first 50 partnership in which one partner failed to score but preparations for a probable departure to India allow scant time for research. The nearest I have spotted is Shahadat Hossain's contribution of 3 not out to a tenth-wicket stand of 69 with Mohammad Rafique for Bangladesh against Australia at Chittagong in 2005-06.

The longest duck in Test cricket took 101 minutes (77 balls) and was the work of New Zealand's Geoff Allott against South Africa at Auckland in 1998-99 but his last-wicket stand with Chris Harris added only 32.

It just shows you that scoring a duck doesn’t necessarily mean you have failed as a batsman !