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Nic Maddinson's Test Return Ends in Record 33-Ball Duck
Nic Maddinson returned to Australia's Test cricket team to play South Africa in Durban.
He had not played a Test since December 2016.
In his first innings back, he faced 33 balls but did not score.
Marco Jansen got him out in the 11th over.
Reports called it the longest duck by an Australian Test opener, beating David Warner's earlier record of 22 balls.
Maddinson's return came after he was treated for testicular cancer.
He finished chemotherapy in July 2025 and later returned to training and cricket.
Even though he did not score, making it back to the Test team was a major step in his recovery.
Nic Maddinson returned to Australia's Test side against South Africa in Durban on October 9, 2026, after last playing a Test in December 2016.
He was dismissed for zero after facing 33 balls in the first innings of the first Test.
Marco Jansen dismissed Maddinson in the 11th over; one report says he chopped the ball onto his stumps while attempting a cut.
The innings was reported as the longest duck by an Australian Test opener, surpassing David Warner's 22-ball duck in the 2022 Ashes.
Maddinson had been treated for testicular cancer, completed chemotherapy in July 2025, and later returned to training and competitive cricket.
- Who
- Australian opener Nic Maddinson was dismissed by South Africa's Marco Jansen.
- What
- Maddinson made a 33-ball duck, reported as the longest duck by an Australian Test opener.
- Where
- Kingsmead, Durban.
- When
- October 9, 2026, on the first day of the first Test.
- Why
- Maddinson was making his first Test appearance since December 2016 after recovering from testicular cancer and chemotherapy.
On-field result
Personal comeback
How to assess Maddinson's return
On-field result
His first innings back ended without a run, and the 33-ball duck set an unwanted record for an Australian Test opener.
Personal comeback
His selection and return to Test cricket followed treatment for cancer and a lengthy recovery, making the appearance a personal milestone despite the score.
Key facts
- Match
- First Test between Australia and South Africa
- Date
- October 9, 2026
- Venue
- Kingsmead, Durban
- Maddinson's innings
- 0 runs from 33 balls
- Dismissal
- Dismissed by Marco Jansen in the 11th over
- Previous Australian opener record
- David Warner's 22-ball duck during the 2022 Ashes
- Last Test appearance
- December 2016 against Pakistan
- Chemotherapy
- Completed in July 2025
Sources
Nic Maddinson's Fairytale Test Comeback Ends In Record 33-Ball Duck Against South Africa After Cancer Battle
SA vs AUS 1st Test: Nic Maddinson's Remarkable Journey From Testicular Cancer And Chemotherapy To A 33-Ball Duck On Test Return
Nic Maddinson’s Decade-Long Test Return Ends In 33-Ball Duck, Turns Into Unwanted Record
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