On June 30, 2021

Sticky wicket

By Cassandra Tyndall

In the sport of cricket, they refer to a term known as a “sticky wicket.” 

Let me explain. 

The main area of the cricket field where all the action happens is called the pitch or wicket. The rectangular shaped pitch, of around 60 feet, is where the grass is carefully curated to make it dry, hard and compact and suitable for play. The playing conditions are highly determined by the pitch.

When the pitch has been exposed to moisture and begins to dry out, it becomes a “sticky wicket,” or in non-cricket terms — unpredictable. 

When the wicket is sticky, it’s very hard for the batsman to remain in the game, much less score any points, known as runs. These conditions are prime for what you might know in baseball as a curve ball.

Somewhere in your life, you too may be “drying out.” Perhaps you’re ready to move in a new direction that feels right for you, regardless of your current situation. As you begin to flex your own muscles, it’s likely you’ll ruffle some feathers. The sticky wicket in your life may be figuring out what obligations or structures can be reinvented in some way and which ones need you to throw a curve ball at them.

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