Hello. Middle-order partnerships are an underappreciated part of cricket. We know all about the great opening pairs, yet we rarely talk about those down the order. And while they don’t bat together as often as the openers, they can still rack up thousands of runs together.
There are a few things that help to make a good partnership: contrasts (left and right hand, tall and short, dasher and blocker), off-field friendship, telepathic running between the wickets. But perhaps the most important is an indefinable chemistry. You could sense it in England’s best middle-order partnerships of modern times: Lamb and Smith, Hussain and Butcher, Flintoff and Jones, Pietersen and Collingwood.
And now, perhaps, Stokes and Pope. It’s early in their relationship – you want me to grab a dictionary? – and they sound like a firm of funeral directors. But they look great together and could put on thousands of runs for the fifth wicket in the next few years. They are good readers of the game, naturally positive but not too proud or dumb to sit in when required, and have the age-old advantage of a left / right partnership.
They first batted together against India at Trent Bridge in (******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, a union that lasted precisely four balls. But since being reunited this winter, all three of their partnerships have exceeded fifty. They added yesterday evening, calmly taking England to for four at the close, and have the chance to bat South Africa out of the game today.
They messed up a similar opportunity in the first Test of the winter at Mount Manganui, when batting became a bit too easy, but the sluggish nature of this pitch should enhance their concentration.
And if Stokes carts the first ball of the day to midwicket, this preamble never happened.
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