Well, looking at the stats of the worst batsmen with the most ducks (thanks mostly to cricinfo), it looks almost certain that Chris Martin is the worst batsman to play the game for a decent period.

Ed Giddins looks to be his nearest rival, but without playing anywhere near enough games to fairly judge!

The next nearest rivals appear to be Mervyn Dillon, who, without his one innings of note, his 43, would be much nearer to Martin's average than his 8 suggests. Also, Dilip Doshi looks to run Martin close.

Been a good fun thread this one among all the seriousness of the tests currently going on.I guess you can't get away from Martin however hard you try as a top score of 7 in 42 innings is impressively pathetic.

I think Martin gives us all something to aspire to!

I'd like to think that given 43 innings in test cricket, I might average slightly more than 2.02.

However, given that both times I have faced a bowler who could swing the ball and bowl over 70mph, I was out first ball, I doubt I'd last much longer than Martin has done.

I'm sure that there are other guys out there that I haven't considered. Peter Such could have been a contender if he'd played more tests, but I have a feeling that he did almost draw a test against Australia, holding out with Andrew Caddick for over an hour (I think scoring the longest test duck in the process). That shows he had the 'forward defensive', once again one shot more than Chris Martin!

I also haven't been able to think of any Pakistani or South African candidates (and surely Haque jr and Chris Mpofu could be in this bracket given a few more innings)

Bruce Reid was the worst I have seen.
The lanky West Australian left-arm quick had an average of 4.65.
If a bowler bowled it at the stumps he was in trouble.

__________________
" You don't want the truth,you can't handle the truth."

Merv Dillon is in a different league to the rest of them - a good (if inconsistent) striker.

I know! I remember Dillon being considerably better than his stats suggest. I think I may have seen him on tv in a first class game or a one-dayer pick up a few runs. It is a shocking number of ducks for someone to have though!!

Bruce Reid - 4.65 - 13 - 6 - 34 - 17.6%

Bruce seems to let himself down in the ducks department. It seems he had a penchant for getting a single before being dismissed. That's hardly the actions of someone wanting to aspire to the title of "Worst Batsman in Test Cricket.... Ever!"

Terry Alderman - 6.54 - 26* - 13 - 53 - 24.5%

Again, a nice try by Terry Alderman. A batsman who may have found himself on the wrong end of his own rope if Ashley Giles had got the opportunity to bowl at him. Unfortunately, that nicely compiled 26 not out against England at Sydney really precludes him from being a decent contender for this hotly contested award.

Chris Martin still looks to be leading the pack.

Any more ideas out there??

I'm reasonably sure that martin is the worst, however i recall england playing a test match with (i think) a tail of caddick, mullally, giddins and tufnel? Which, if memory serves correctly was mopped up in no time, and led to the current obsession with batting down to 12....

They were discussing this on the TV the other day. Ian Smith and some other ex New Zealand player (could have been Doull) were showing that he had by a long chalk the lowest number of test runs upon taking the 100th wicket. Morrision, McGrath and Chandrashekar were the next three with about 60, 65 and 70 runs (approximate values). But 43 (is that right?) was by far the worst.

He's got to be the worst - although Chandrashekar really couldn't bat either. Having said this, McGrath's batting has improved exponentially, so there is always hope!

You are right - though if I recall correctly Irani was at number seven!! Against NZ in the series where we became, albeit briefly, the worst side in the world.

Martin is without doubt, the worst batsman I've ever seen, albeit I've only been following cricket for maybe 10-12 years. He literally has no shots whatsoever.

I think I vaguely remember a conversation the commentators were having about him one time. Apparently he'd never scored a test run in front of the wicket! All his runs came from edges. Not sure if that's changed in the interim.