It Takes 20 Wickets to Win a Test Match

As a kid my summers were filled with cricket. We watched it on the TV and then we'd play cricket at the beach or in the backyard with a transistor radio going so we didn't miss a ball. Some of my earliest memories are of Lillee and Thompson pounding the pitch against the Windies and Allan Border smashing it out in the Ashes. 

My five year old daughter loves to watch cricket and over time she's learning its nuances. This week she saw a score displayed as 7/103 and asked, 'Mummy, which number do you pay attention to, the 7 or the 103?' Of course, you can't look at either number in isolation. 

For the batting team it's a delicate balance between the runs you need and the wickets you have in hand - how much risk you need to take versus how much risk you can afford to take. While defensive play might eek out a draw, to win you have to take some risks. 

Regardless of the equation, the bowler has to make every delivery count - continuous, relentless persistence, ball after ball. The batsmen often get all the glory, but you have to take 20 wickets to win a test match. 

How do you balance consistent delivery against the bigger game you are playing? 

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