Duckworth was born in Que Que, Southern Rhodesia (now Kwekwe, Zimbabwe)[1] and was educated at Chaplin High School[2] and the University of Natal.
Both of his Tests against England in the 1956–57 series were won by South Africa, the fourth at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, and the fifth at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.
[3] In first-class cricket, Duckworth played two years from the 1952–1953 season for Natal while at University in Pietermaritzburg, scoring a century in his second match.
Jack Cheetham, captain of the 1955 tourists in his book I Declare wrote: "Duckworth played some beautiful innings, the one at Northampton possibly the most correct of the tour".
Both defeats occurred on the 1960 tour, once at Northampton after Duckworth had scored 51 not out in a second innings total of 101 for 7 before an adventurous declaration by Jackie McGlew, the other on a ghastly wicket at Bristol.