The Hollywood version read the book |
In one of the book's many great passages Tolstoy describes a high society wedding in the Russian church. He brilliantly entwines the broad comedy of the spectators, the nervous tension of the betrothing couple and the mystical detail of the Orthodox ceremony. FB noted with interest that at one point in the service the couple are required to stand on a small mat in front of the priest to receive part of the blessing. (In this particular wedding the mat was made of pink silk, so we're not talking coconut fibre doormats here.) The belief was that whoever stepped onto the mat first would become the dominant partner, so the actions of the bride and groom were keenly watched from all sides. Whether bets were taken and action replays were organised to determine close results, Tolstoy does not say.
The best pairing ever? Suttcliffe was so good he didn't even need a bat |
But a batsman can change role. Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook are a highly effective combination - they have 12 100+ partnerships in their 101 innings together. Strauss is now the more aggressive of the pair. 5 years ago he was the more passive in his equally effective partnership with Trescothick - 8 century stands in 52 innings.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the most effective partnership in world cricket at present is Tendulkar and Dravid who have put on 100 together 19 times. Further back, West Indies' partnership of Greenidge and Haynes amassed 6482 runs between 1978 and 1991 although they average only 47.31 together. In 23 partnerships Javed Miandad and Shoaib Mohammed averaged 91.82, and put on 8 centuries together. But the strongest partnership was English - in opening the England innings 39 times together Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe had 15 century partnerships and went over 50 11 times, averaging 87.86. Clearly they stepped on the mat absolutely in synchrony.
Botham c Marsh b Lillee |
Partnership is important in bowling too. Unfortunately the statistics are not presented in a way that can easily demonstrate this. But some of the great double acts which gave batters no relief come readily to mind - Ramadhin and Valentine, McGrath and Warne, Trueman and Statham, Roberts and Holding, Younis and Akram, Lillee and Thomson. For all that the last pair trip off the tongue together, they were not as effective as Lillee and Alderman who in the 1981 Ashes series took 81 English wickets between them in the 6 Tests.
there is one more unique partnership but i am sure no records exist for that. And that is the relationship between an injured batsman and his runner.
ReplyDeleteLast year Laxman pulled of a great win with a runner.
Golandaaz - perfectly right - FB is thinking how best to address the issue of runners - which are frequently a source of much confusion hilarity in the lower leagues. It is of course a 3 way relationship - and FB has actually been on the field when both bats had runners and that was more than amusing. Can you remind FB what match Laxman's effort was in?
ReplyDeleteWhen India beat Australia at Mohali (I think) from 120 odd for 8 to win to the required 200 odd. 2010
ReplyDeleteI have been involved with a 3 ma situation but a 4-some is guaranteed laugh riot.