By Annie Chave

Recently, my cricket team played a friendly 20-over game.
It was an absorbing contest that had me on the edge of my seat as the opposition team ticked away at our not-insubstantial total.
It always felt as if it was going to be a close game, and on the last ball their final wicket fell to great whoops of excitement; the scores were level.
It was, to me, a perfect result and a fitting end to an evening that had seen runs and wickets aplenty.
As I was leaving, a disgruntled couple of players from the opposing team trudged grumpily to their cars.
Throwing their kit dejectedly i...