A STICKY WICKET

 Have you ever heard the term "Sticky Wicket"?  It's very old term that refers to a situation that is undesirable, hard to deal with or delicate.  The term originated with the English game of Cricket.  

The "wicket" is a landing area and three stakes set in the ground at either end of the "pitch".  The ball is thrown by the "bowler" (pitcher) toward the wicket where a "striker" (batter) will attempt to hit the ball into the outfield.  The field is basically round, i.e. circular, with the pitch in the center.  Got it?

If the ground is wet from rain, the wicket can become "sticky" and make the ball very difficult to hit.  Thus, a "sticky wicket" is not a good thing.  

I'm sure this is a clear as mud.  That's because Americans have not been exposed to Cricket.  You might be surprised to know that cricket is the second most watched sport in the world behind soccer.  The game they were set to play on Sunday was expected to have twice as many viewers as our Super Bowl.  

Anyway, we talked our way into the International Cricket Tournament called the T20 World Cup.  America had no team but put together some non-professional athletes who knew how to play.  Last Thursday, these Americans defeated the Pakistan team who were past champions.  Pakistan and India along with England have dominated the game for years.  This had to be one of the great upsets in sports history.  

I can't wait to see if someone shows up at a Bengals or Reds game wearing a USA cricket jersey . How cool would that be?