Five ducks in a score of over 400

	Stuart Broad and Jonathan Trott led England to 446 at Lord's in 2010, after four of their team-mates made ducks © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links High team scores despite a lot of ducks

Four Sri Lankan batsmen were dismissed for ducks in the first innings of the recent Galle Test against Pakistan, and yet the hosts managed to score 472. Three of those ducks were by tailenders, so the bulk of the runs had been made before they were dismissed, but it was the second-highest total for an innings containing four noughts. This week's column is about teams that scored big despite several batsmen making ducks and single-digit scores.

The highest score in an innings with four ducks is West Indies' 501 against India in Georgetown in 2002. The hosts were 44 for 3, with Brian Lara caught for 0, before Carl Hooper made 233 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul 140. The most remarkable score, however, is England's 446 in the first innings of what is now an infamous Test at Lord's in 2010.

Mohammad Amir dismissed Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan and Graeme Swann for ducks, reducing England to 102 for 7. He also spoiled a jaw-dropping spell by overstepping on purpose. Then began England's riposte, with Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad scoring centuries during a record 332-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Pakistan were beaten by an innings and 225 runs.

Australia's 564 in the second innings of the timeless Test at the MCG in 1937 is among the top five scores that contain three ducks in the innings. It was a fascinating contest. Don Bradman declared Australia's first innings on 200 for 9 - declarations were unusual in timeless matches - to make England bat on an uncovered pitch made treacherous by rain. England collapsed to 76 for 9 and also declared, to return Australia the favour. It was the first time both teams had declared their first innings in a Test. Australia's openers were dismissed for ducks in the second innings, but instead of the usual pair of Jack Fingleton and Bill Brown, they had opened with tailenders Bill O'Reilly and Chuck Fleetwood-Smith. Bradman inverted his batting order to protect against the conditions. Australia were 97 for 5 before Bradman joined forces with Fingleton and added 346 runs, a sixth-wicket record that stood until 2009. Chasing 689, England were beaten by 365 runs.

In the second innings of another MCG Test, against Pakistan in 1979, Australia made one of the highest totals to contain five ducks. They lost this time, though. Chasing 382, Australia were 305 for 3, with Allan Border batting on a century. They were dismissed for 310. Sarfraz Nawaz got rid of Graeme Wood, Peter Sleep, Wayne Clark, Rodney Hogg and Alan Hurst for ducks. He claimed seven wickets for 1 run in 33 balls to finish with 9 for 86. The one that got away was Graham Yallop, who was run out.

The first time six batsmen were dismissed without scoring in an innings was when West Indies skittled Pakistan for 128 in Karachi in 1980. It has happened twice since and remains the record for most ducks in an innings.

Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson became the first openers to score double-centuries in the same innings, in Barbados in 1965, and Australia amassed 650 for 6. Six West Indians were dismissed in single figures during the reply, but three made half-centuries, Rohan Kanhai made 129 and Seymour Nurse 201, to lead the hosts to 573. The match boiled down to a thrilling finish on the final day, with West Indies needing 28 runs in 16 minutes. Simpson deployed eight boundary riders, according to Wisden, and West Indies fell 11 short.

Forty years later, in St John's, six West Indian batsmen were out in single digits while replying to South Africa's 588. Chris Gayle made 317, though, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul 127 each, and Dwayne Bravo 107 as the hosts piled up 747. The draw contained the most centuries in a Test - eight.

The only non-Ashes entry in our table of highest totals with seven single-figure scores is Sri Lanka's performance in Faisalabad in 2004. In the first innings, six Sri Lankan batsmen did not make it to double figures, but Thilan Samaraweera made 100 to lead his team to 243. In the second innings, Sri Lanka had seven single-digit scores. They also had Sanath Jayasuriya's 253, though, and ended up with a total of 438. Pakistan were beaten by 201 runs.

Three of the five highest totals in which eight batsmen made single-figure scores were made in Sri Lanka. The first and highest is West Indies' 390 in 2001, when Brian Lara made 221 but eight others made 18 in total. Lara made 130 in the second innings but seven of his team-mates were dismissed in single figures and Sri Lanka won by ten wickets.

The top three innings containing nine-single digit scores were by Australia, and two of them in Test victories. During the timeless SCG Test against England in 1882, Charles Bannerman and Percy McDonnell were the only Australians to go past 10 in the first innings. Bannerman made 70, McDonnell 147 and Australia 262. It was enough to set up a six-wicket win. In 1999, also at the SCG, Australia were in trouble in their second innings after taking a lead of 102. Michael Slater made 123 and Mark Waugh 24 and they dragged Australia to 184, setting a target that was 98 too many for Pakistan.

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