Brendan Taylor Returns To ODI Cricket With 3-Ball Duck To Register Unwanted Record

Before today (August 29), Zimbabwe batter Brendan Taylor played his last One-Day International (ODI) in September 2021 agianst Ireland in Belfast. He made a successful return to Test cricket following a four-year ban recently against New Zealand, scoring 44 and 7 across both innings in Bulawayo. 

However, it was far from an ideal return to ODI cricket for the veteran cricketer as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck against Sri Lanka in Harare.

This was Taylor’s 16th duck in ODIs. Only Elton Chigumbura (17) and Grant Flower have registered more ducks in the 50-over format for Zimbabwe.

Most Ducks for Zimbabwe in ODIs

18 Grant Flowr (214 inns)

17 Elton Chigumbura (195 inns)

16 Tatenda Taibu (136 inns)

16 Brendan Taylor (204 inns)

16 Prosper Utseya (132 inns)

Overall, Taylor has 24 ducks in international cricket – three in Tests and five in T20 Internationals (T20I). 

The 39-year-old came in at three in the ODI against Sri Lanka after Zimbabwe lost opener Brian Bennett off the first ball of the innings. Three balls later, Taylor became Asitha Fernando’s second victim of the over. However, well before all this, Taylor was forced off the field due to a finger injury, just 10 balls into the match. Clive Madande was called in to replace him.

Sri Lanka put up an impressive 298/6 in their 50 overs, after they were reduced to 161/5 in the 37th over. A superb 137-run stand for the sixth wicket between Janith Liyanage (70*) and Kamindu Mendis (57) helped Sri Lanka recover to put up a formidable total.

The two teams will clash in another ODI on August 31 (Sunday) before the three-match T20I series from September 3 (Wednesday) onwards.