One of our house mates had a co-worker who plays cricket semi-professionally in the UK. While he was here, he joined up with a Malawian club team and we went as a group to watch him play in the championship game.

          

 (Jacinta and Emily watching the cricket match from the edge of the field)

 

Disclaimer: I knew almost nothing about cricket before a few weeks ago, so if this post doesn’t make a lot of sense, pardon me. I think there are some interesting analogies, so here goes…

 

5 ways our internship is like cricket

1. At first, it was hard to understand what was going on. As an American, I had never been to see a live cricket match before and knew almost nothing of the rules. Even with their patient explanation, it took a while before I got the hang of what things to watch for and what was important. In the same way, when we got dropped off in Blantyre, we were uncertain of what specific projects would come our way at first, but after a short while, we were able to find our niche.
2. Each team spends half the time fielding. Even worse than baseball, if you’re team is not up, you have to hold out through about two hours of being on the defensive, not being able to score. Although this seems non-productive, you’re setting yourself up to succeed later. As we have seen in our internship, results don’t come automatically, patience is required; just because you can’t see the immediate fruit of what you’re doing doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have purpose
3. There are two runners at the same time, but only one gets to bat. The other runner (the non-stricker) just watches and runs, but they are ready to take their turn at bat depending on which side they end up on. Teamwork is crucial. One lesson I have learned on this internship is that it’s hard to accomplish everything we set out to do. Sometimes I’ll have a rough day, and one of my teammates can carry some of the slack. Another day, someone will be sick and one of us will pick up a task they were going to accomplish. Throughout this process, communication is crucial, just as with the two runners. If one of them doesn’t communicate, they could be knocked out of the game.
4. One form of cricket is called a Test Match, which can last about five days. The title comes from the fact that these matches are demanding, specifically in the areas of endurance, perseverance, and strategy. The match is not won in the first hour. In the same way, medical device implementation requires foresight, planning, and a lot of sustained hard work. Even though we are only here for a couple months, this mindset changes the way we work. Instead of trying to swing for the fences, I can be most helpful to the project in the long run by fitting my work into the overarching strategy, supporting the program associates rather than trying to be a superstar and do my own thing.
5. Cricket brings people together. At the end of the day, you’ve worked hard, and whether you “win” or “lose”, you’ve had a chance to bond with some really great team mates. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #malawi2014