Sticky wicket

Last updated

A sticky wicket (or sticky dog, or glue pot) [1] is a metaphor [2] used to describe a difficult circumstance. It originated as a term for difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket, caused by a damp and soft wicket. [3]

Contents

In cricket

The phrase comes from the game of cricket. "Wicket" has several meanings in cricket: in this case it refers to the rectangular area, also known as the pitch, in the centre of the cricket field between the stumps. The wicket is usually covered in a much shorter grass than the rest of the field or entirely bare, making it susceptible to variations in weather, which in turn cause the ball to bounce differently. [4]

If rain falls and the wicket becomes wet, the ball may not bounce predictably, making it very difficult for the batsman. [5] Furthermore, as the pitch dries, conditions can change swiftly, with spin bowling being especially devastating, as the ball can deviate laterally from straight by several feet. Once the wet surface begins to dry in a hot sun "the ball will rise sharply, steeply and erratically. A good length ball ... becomes a potential lethal delivery. Most batters on such wickets found it virtually impossible to survive let alone score." [6] Certain cricketers developed reputations for their outstanding abilities to perform on sticky wickets. Australian Victor Trumper was one. [6]

On occasions in the history of cricket unusual tactics have been employed to make the best of a sticky wicket. One example is the First Test in the 1950–51 Ashes series. [7] As recorded in The Ashes' Strangest Moments, as the pitch at the Gabba began to dry, England declared their first innings at just 68/7, in order to exploit the conditions. [7] Australia were even more extreme, declaring at 32/7. [7] "...the ball proceeded to perform capers all against the laws of gravitation, and there came the craziest day's cricket imaginable, with twenty wickets falling for 130 runs and two declarations that must surely be unique in the annals of Test cricket." [8]

The Language of Cricket (1934) defines a sticky wicket as "when its surface is in a glutinous condition". [9] Hence a "sticky wicket" refers to a difficult situation. [10]

In modern day professional cricket

Modern professional cricket is played, around the world, on covered pitches. Sticky wickets are mostly seen in amateur cricket, but the phenomenon can occur when covers are defective, slow to be applied or, particularly in warm weather, the grass underneath "sweats" as moisture evaporates. [11] When covers were introduced into England's County Championship, John Woodcock wrote an article for the 1981 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack , criticising the move, in an article titled, "Sticky dog is put down". [12] He added, "I cannot forbear ... from lamenting ... a part of the very heritage of English cricket – a drying pitch and a sizzling sun." [12]

In croquet

In the game of croquet, the phrase "sticky wicket" may refer to a hoop (wicket) that is difficult for a ball to go through because of the narrowness of the opening. This usage is confined to the United States. [13]

As a metaphor

An early example of the term in the cricket sense can be seen in Bell's Life in London, July 1882: "The ground... was suffering from the effects of recent rain, and once more the Australians found themselves on a sticky wicket." [14]

The term has entered into colloquial usage as a metaphor. The former leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, Tom Spencer MEP occasionally used to refer to batting on a sticky wicket to confuse the Parliament's interpreters, it being very difficult to translate into other languages.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtly Ambrose</span> Antiguan cricketer

Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose KCN is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, he took 405 Test wickets at an average of 20.99 and topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of his career to be rated the best bowler in the world. His great height—he is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall—allowed him to make the ball bounce unusually high after he delivered it; allied to his pace and accuracy, it made him a very difficult bowler for batsmen to face. A man of few words during his career, he was notoriously reluctant to speak to journalists. He was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1992; after he retired he was entered into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame and selected as one of West Indies all-time XI by a panel of experts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Laker</span> English international cricketer (1922–1986)

James Charles Laker was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented England in 46 Test matches. He was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yorkshire, and died in Wimbledon, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leg before wicket</span> Cricket rule

Leg before wicket (lbw) is one of the ways in which a batter can be dismissed in the sport of cricket. Following an appeal by the fielding side, the umpire may rule a batter out lbw if the ball would have struck the wicket but was instead intercepted by any part of the batsman's body. The umpire's decision will depend on a number of criteria, including where the ball pitched, whether the ball hit in line with the wickets, the ball's expected future trajectory after hitting the batsman, and whether the batsman was attempting to hit the ball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wally Hammond</span> English cricketer (1903–1965)

Walter Reginald Hammond was an English first-class cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England. Primarily a middle-order batsman, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described him in his obituary as one of the four best batsmen in the history of cricket. He was considered to be the best English batsman of the 1930s by commentators and those with whom he played; they also said that he was one of the best slip fielders ever. Hammond was an effective fast-medium pace bowler and contemporaries believed that if he had been less reluctant to bowl, he could have achieved even more with the ball than he did.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedley Verity</span> English cricketer

Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and 144 wickets in 40 Tests at an average of 24.37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Lohmann</span> English cricketer

George Alfred Lohmann was an English cricketer, regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Statistically, he holds the lowest lifetime Test bowling average among bowlers with more than fifteen wickets and he has the second highest peak rating for a bowler in the ICC ratings. He also holds the record for the lowest strike rate in all Test history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Yardley</span> English cricketer

Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he captained Yorkshire from 1948 to 1955 and England on fourteen occasions between 1947 and 1950, winning four Tests, losing seven and drawing three. Yardley was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1948, and in his obituary in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack he was described as Yorkshire's finest amateur since Stanley Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Peel</span> English cricketer

Robert Peel was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire between 1883 and 1897. Primarily a left-arm spin bowler, Peel was also an effective left-handed batsman who played in the middle order. Between 1884 and 1896, he was regularly selected to represent England, playing 20 Test matches in which he took 101 wickets. Over the course of his career, he scored 12,191 runs and took 1,775 wickets in first-class cricket. A match-winning bowler, particularly when conditions favoured his style, Peel generally opened the attack, an orthodox tactic for a spinner at the time, and was highly regarded by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Mold</span> English cricketer

Arthur Webb Mold was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire as a fast bowler between 1889 and 1901. A Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1892, he was selected for England in three Test matches in 1893. Mold was one of the most effective bowlers in England during the 1890s but his career was overshadowed by controversy over his bowling action. Although he took 1,673 wickets in first-class matches, many commentators viewed his achievements as tainted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Townsend</span> English cricketer

Charles Lucas Townsend was a Gloucestershire cricketer. An all-round cricketer, Townsend was classically stylish, left-handed batsman, who was able to hit well despite his slender build. His off-side strokes were particularly effective, and his driving allowed him to score at a consistent pace throughout his major innings. In his younger days Townsend was also a spin bowler, who relied chiefly on a big break from leg but could also turn the ball the other way. He was often extremely difficult on sticky wickets but very rarely effective on good ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilfred Rhodes</span> English cricketer (1877–1973)

Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches. He holds the world records both for the most appearances made in first-class cricket, and for the most wickets taken (4,204). He completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in an English cricket season a record 16 times. Rhodes played for Yorkshire and England into his fifties, and in his final Test in 1930 was, at 52 years and 165 days, the oldest player who has appeared in a Test match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian cricket team in England in 1948</span> Visit to England by the Australian cricket team in 1948

The Australian cricket team in England in 1948 is famous for being the only Test match side to play an entire tour of England without losing a match. This feat earned them the nickname of "The Invincibles", and they are regarded as one of the greatest cricket teams of all time. According to the Australian federal government, the team "is one of Australia's most cherished sporting legends". The team was captained by Don Bradman, who was making his fourth and final tour of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clem Hill</span> Australian cricketer

Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five. A prolific run scorer, Hill scored 3,412 runs in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of 39.21 per innings, including seven centuries. In 1902, Hill was the first batsman to make 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year, a feat that would not be repeated for 45 years. His innings of 365*, scored against New South Wales for South Australia in 1900–01, was a Sheffield Shield record for 27 years. The South Australian Cricket Association named a grandstand at the Adelaide Oval in his honour in 2003 and he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2005. Hill is regarded as one of the best batsman of his era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Trumble</span> Australian cricketer (1867–1938)

Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of 21.78 runs per wicket. He is one of only four bowlers to twice take a hat-trick in Test cricket. Observers in Trumble's day, including the authoritative Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, regarded him as ranking among the great Australian bowlers of the Golden Age of cricket. He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1897 and the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, established in 1996, inducted him in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Hirst</span> English cricketer

George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. One of the best all-rounders of his time, Hirst was a left arm medium-fast bowler and right-handed batsman. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice. He completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in an English cricket season 14 times, the second most of any cricketer after his contemporary and team-mate Wilfred Rhodes. One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1901, Hirst scored 36,356 runs and took 2,742 wickets in first-class cricket. In Tests, he made 790 runs and captured 59 wickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin McCool</span> Australian cricketer (1916–1986)

Colin Leslie McCool was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Test matches between 1946 and 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and googlies with a round arm action and as a lower order batsman was regarded as effective square of the wicket and against spin bowling. He made his Test début against New Zealand in 1946, taking a wicket with his second delivery. He was part of Donald Bradman's Invincibles team that toured England in 1948 but injury saw him miss selection in any of the Test matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Leyland</span> English cricketer (1900–1967)

Maurice Leyland was an English international cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938. In first-class cricket, he represented Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1920 and 1946, scoring over 1,000 runs in 17 consecutive seasons. A left-handed middle-order batsman and occasional left-arm spinner, Leyland was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Macaulay</span> English cricketer

George Gibson Macaulay was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1920 and 1935. He played in eight Test matches for England from 1923 to 1933, achieving the rare feat of taking a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket. One of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1924, he took 1,838 first-class wickets at an average of 17.64 including four hat-tricks.

England won the 1926 Ashes series against Australia, winning the last Test of the series after the first four matches were drawn.

1926 was the 33rd season of County Championship cricket in England. England regained the Ashes and Lancashire won the championship.

References

  1. ↑ Green, Jonathon (1987). Dictionary of Jargon. Routledge. p.  528. ISBN   9780710099198.
  2. ↑ Marcus Callies; Wolfram R. Keller; Astrid Lohöfer (2011). Bi-directionality in the Cognitive Sciences: Avenues, Challenges, and Limitations. John Benjamins Publishing. pp. 73–. ISBN   978-90-272-2384-5. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Robert Hendrickson (26 April 2001). World English: From Aloha to Zed . Wiley. ISBN   978-0-471-34518-3.
  4. ↑ Colin McNairn (2015). In a Manner of Speaking: Phrases, Expressions, and Proverbs and How We Use and Misuse Them. Skyhorse Publishing. pp. 85–. ISBN   978-1-63220-898-9. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Kate Burridge (2004). Blooming English: Observations on the Roots, Cultivation and Hybrids of the English Language. Cambridge University Press. pp. 68–. ISBN   978-0-521-54832-8. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 Mallett, Ashley (1 January 2001). Eleven: The Greatest Eleven of the 20th Century. Univ. of Queensland Press. ISBN   9780702232589. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2017– via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 3 Baldwin, Mark (1 January 2005). The Ashes' Strangest Moments: Extraordinary But True Tales from Over a Century of the Ashes. Franz Steiner Verlag. ISBN   9781861058638. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2017– via Google Books.
  8. ↑ John Kay, Ashes to Hassett, A review of the M.C.C. tour of Australia, 1950–51, John Sherratt & Son, 1951 p129
  9. ↑ The Language of Cricket (1934), WJ Lewis, Oxford University Press, page 258
  10. ↑ Colin McNairn (2017). Sports Talk: How It Has Penetrated Our Everyday Language. FriesenPress. pp. 83–. ISBN   978-1-5255-0154-8. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Orin Hargraves (2003). Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions: Making Sense of Transatlantic English. Oxford University Press. pp. 197–. ISBN   978-0-19-515704-8. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  12. 1 2 Stern, John; Williams, Marcus (7 January 2014). The Essential Wisden: An Anthology of 150 Years of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. A&C Black. ISBN   9781408178966. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2017– via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Partridge, Eric; Dalzell, Tom; Victor, Terry (2006). The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English . London; New York: Routledge. pp.  1869. ISBN   0-415-25938-X.
  14. ↑ Martin, Gary (2007). "A sticky wicket". The Phrase Finder. Archived from the original on 31 May 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.