The value of partnership
The best partnerships outlast the interlopers
I was going plural—partnerships—but singular brings in the emotional bond. Maybe both apply. Bend your thinking and you might surprise yourself.
There are cricket readers here who mostly lament the state of the current game. I'm with them for the most part. Cricket seems to have drifted to the margins, along with everything else steering the bus.
ICYMI—a few days back, Bangladesh defeated Australia in Darwin. Simply, they out-partnered them.
Partnerships in cricket (mainly batting)—can be explained in an easy-to-follow, back-of-a-tea-towel style. Try this for size:
Two batters walk out and form a partnership, until one goes out, then another comes in and they try not to go out because they want to form a better partnership. If the batter who didn’t go out first, goes out second, then a new batter joins the other and they try to form a new partnership. When there a two newbie batters, this is a form of blind date, it’s awkward at first until they start to find their way to not going out and forming a lasting partnership—this is as close as we get the the emotional analogy. In all there are 10 partnerships, some last, some don’t—sound familiar? You would prefer the lasting partnerships to be at the top. Why? Because they outlast the best interlopers.
One more thing. When the team of partnership builders is undone by the interlopers and paramours, they get to go out and do the same thing back. A form of revenge. Cricket can be such a nasty game.
The numbers don't lie. Bangladesh out-partnered Australia at every meaningful wicket. If I were Coach McDonald I would try to rally both the natives and the interlopers. More is needed on both sides.
2nd wicket BAN +95 · 3rd wicket BAN +84 · 4th wicket BAN +53 · 7th wicket BAN +26 · 8th wicket BAN +14 · 9th wicket BAN +33
Six partnerships. Six wins. All Bangladesh.
The best partnerships outlast the interlopers. In cricket—and everywhere else.
Nick
P.S I wrote with a little more seriousness here on what happened in Darwin.
