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

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.

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.