A King Pair is a cricket term used in the
Test match
format and refers to a batsman who is dismissed for no runs with the first ball they face in both
innings
of the match.
A batsman who is dismissed without scoring is said to be out for a duck and if the dismissal comes from the first ball the batsman faces, it is a
golden duck. When a batsman who was out for a duck returns to the crease in the second innings, they are said to be ‘on a pair.’
To be dismissed for another golden duck is to record a king pair.
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How is King Pair used in Sports Betting?
To dismiss a batsman twice for no runs from the first ball bowled is a significant achievement for the bowling team and will have a major effect on the
in-play betting
for the rest of the match, and possibly impact future
cricket betting
markets, as it may call into question that player’s place in the team for upcoming matches.
Betting markets
specifically for a king pair are rare, but run markets are common among
sportsbooks. Betting on the
top team batsman
or
top team bowler
both come into the equation for a king pair, as a batsman dismissed for a king pair is out of the running for the former. If the same bowler dismisses the batsman each time, they are a contender for top team bowler having taken two wickets.
Over/under
markets are also effected as it is possible to bet on a specific batsman – Joe Root, for example – to score over or under a set number of runs in an innings or a match. If Root was dismissed for a king pair, bets backing under the set figure would be successful.
Did you know…
The king pair is known as the worst of all batting fates a player can achieve and so far, this unwanted feat has been recorded 21 times in the history of test cricket.
The most recent player a king pair has befallen occurred in July 2018 when Bangladesh batsman Nurul Hasan who was dismissed for zero from the first ball in both innings against the West Indies.
See also
Fall of Next Wicket
Five Wicket Haul
Method of Dismissal (cricket)
Next Method of Dismissal
Next Wicket Method
