images

Name: Ben Duckett

Date of Birth: 17 October 1994, Farnborough, England

Ben Duckett is an English cricket player representing Nottinghamshire. Primarily a left-handed batsman, he also possesses wicket-keeping abilities. Duckett entered the international cricket scene for England in October 2016.

Born to Graham Duckett and Jayne Duckett, Ben attended Stowe School. He made his debut for Northamptonshire during the 2012 Friends Life T20 against Gloucestershire on July 8, 2012, while he was still in his first year of A-levels at Stowe School. His breakthrough came during the 2015 season when he notched up four centuries in the County Championship, crossing the milestone of a thousand first-class runs for the season with 1002 runs at an impressive average of 52.73.

The 2016 season proved to be a remarkable one for Duckett. He kicked it off by achieving his highest score yet, an unbeaten 282 against Sussex. Throughout the season, he added three more first-class centuries to his tally, scoring 185, 189, and 205 runs respectively, accumulating a total of 1338 runs at an average of 58.17. He also played a significant role in Northants' journey to the semi-final and final of the Twenty20 Blast, securing victory in the final match. Notably, he excelled in the semi-final, scoring 84 runs off just 47 balls and forming a formidable 132-run partnership with Alex Wakely.

As the season concluded, Duckett was honored with the title of young cricketer of the year by both the Cricket Writers' Club and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA). He further clinched the PCA Player of the Year award, becoming the first player to achieve both PCA accolades in the same season. In March 2019, Duckett achieved another milestone when he smashed a double century for Nottinghamshire against Cambridge MCCU during the 2019 Marylebone Cricket Club University Matches. His double century scored off 168 balls, marked the fastest first-class double century by a Nottinghamshire batsman in terms of balls faced.

Duckett was named in the England Under-19 squad for the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In July 2016, Duckett earned a spot in the England Lions squad for the series against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A

In 2016, during England's tour of Bangladesh, Duckett earned his maiden appearances in both Test and ODI cricket. Transitioning to Test cricket, Duckett debuted against Bangladesh, managing scores of 14 and 15 in a narrow 22-run win for England in the first Test. Despite his maiden Test half-century (56) in the second Test, England faced defeat by 108 runs.

During the 2017-18 Ashes tour, Duckett faced deselection from the England senior team slated to confront a Cricket Australia XI due to an incident at a Perth bar. Allegations arose that Duckett had poured a drink over teammate James Anderson, leading to his suspension from the final three England Lions games of the tour and a subsequent fine. Additionally, Duckett found himself omitted from the 2018 England Lions tour of the West Indies due to this episode.

In April 2019, Duckett was added to England's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for a one-off match against Pakistan. The year 2020 saw Duckett's continued involvement in the England setup, as he was named in a 55-man training group in preparation for international fixtures post the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, in July 2020, he earned inclusion in England's 24-man squad for closed-door training sessions ahead of the ODI series against Ireland.

Duckett's return to the England side came in 2022 during a tour of Pakistan. Regarded as possessing the requisite skills for the aggressive "Baseball" style embraced by the England team under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, Duckett's inclusion proved fruitful. He played a pivotal role in setting records for the fastest England century opening stand and the fastest double-century partnership in Test cricket history alongside Zak Crawley, solidifying his place in the side for the remainder of the series.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

load more stories