What is meant by the cricketing term “sticky wicket”?
-
A cricket pitch on which the ball bounces unpredictably
-
A field where long grass makes run-scoring difficult
-
A game in which conditions favor the batsmen over the bowlers
-
A severe breach of normal cricket etiquette
A 'sticky wicket' in cricket refers to a pitch that is drying after rain, causing the ball to bounce unpredictably and making batting difficult. Option B describes a different pitch condition, option C describes batting-friendly conditions, and option D refers to behavioral conduct rather than pitch state.
A 'sticky wicket' refers to a cricket pitch that has been wet (typically from rain) and is drying out under the sun, causing the ball to grip, spin, and bounce unpredictably off the surface — making batting extremely difficult. It's the origin of the common idiom for a tricky, precarious situation. The other options misdescribe it: long grass affecting run-scoring describes a slow outfield, not a 'sticky' pitch; conditions favoring batsmen is the opposite of what a sticky wicket does (it favors bowlers); and it has nothing to do with etiquette breaches.