(Part 9)
"Two players towards the boundary are standing on the third man1 and cow corner.2 Which means I can't aim for sixes or fours towards the leg side which is clearly a disadvantage from both my front and back case scenarios since I am right handed which is relatively the opposite for Heber since he is left handed. Inside the 30 inched circle. 2 players beside the wicket keeper have taken the slips. The first and the third ones." Adam thought, "That means the baller is definitely a swinger…" he looked up at the red haired boy who twirled the ball in his fingers waiting for the umpire's commence call.
"Feyz Saleh… he is the opener." Nagi pointed, "An Ambidextrous swing baller and the most dangerous baller from their entire balling order."
"Beside him there are the two more; Jules who too is an ambidextrous seam baller and Sahir a left handed swinger. The pacers would be there for starting and death overs." Evan added.
"The last two are the spinners; Arham, a right handed off spinner and Jahangir an ambidextrous leg spinner." Aigou read the sheet, "Moreover, Sahir will be a guest baller entering in between spinners anytime to turn the game's tide. Seriously, such a pain." he scoffed annoyed.
The middleschoolers listened attentive.
"Haha! You all take them a lot seriously." entered a figure.
"Haitam?" Isa turned around.
"Yo~ Haruf and the rest." Haitam waved clapping Haruf's hand. "Good to see you too little ones and best of luck for today. Beat them up!" he encouraged the middleschoolers settled downstairs.
Helios smiled nodding beside Xavier, Azazel and Seraph.
"You're welcome." Ezekiel replied.
Half of Haitam's team settled down with the highschoolers. "The middleschoolers aren't here hun." Ryan wondered.
"Haitam's right. Aren't they all just middleschoolers? What's the point of worrying that much?" entered another one.
"Romeo?" Alan asked.
Romeo smiling waved, "Hello."
Tracing Rauf he walked over settling down. "Rovan and the rest are also here?" Orion pointed.
"Yup." Rovan replied sitting beside Kazuna, "Only half of us highschoolers."
Nidou exhaling spoke, "Don't you both have a match tomorrow? What are you doing here wasting time?"
"Haiz, Rauf was the one who said he wouldn't watch our match, I didn't. I am going to enjoy myself today." Romeo replied keeping his leg a top of another.
"Moreover…" his gaze shifted towards Lahore Qalandars pavilion, "We aren't the only one with that thought."
Rauf and Evan comprehending his words glanced aside to find Quetta gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi too joining the fun.
"Heh~" Alan grinned amused.
"Exactly, as for the ones who'd be participating in tomorrow's match are working hard back at our place. No need for us to intervene." Haitam added.
The highschoolers admiring their lack of worry and complete leisure for their match tomorrow remained silent. "What life." Elias remarked.
"That's right~ live without worries boys. After all, I don't want to get old yet just like a certain someone over there." Haitam winked, gesturing at Rauf.
Romeo and the highschoolers realizing hid their laughter while Rauf, stern only looked forward. "Don't let your guard down no matter what." he warned indifferent.
"What a part popper." Azazel mumbled in disbelief. The boys and coaches settled in the pavilion accepting their defeat before him exhaled. "Oh dear…" Haitam uttered humorless.
Heber grating his shoe on the runner's crease looked up. His gaze instantly meeting Feyz who walked back. "Don't get ahead of yourself Karachi. I'll make sure to crush ya' today." Feyz warned twirling the ball in his right hand.
Heber twitching his brow grinned, "Heh~ we'll see about that."
The umpire signaling play led to the kickoff of the First innings 1st over. The crowds cheering aggressive and coercing at the same time Adam broke a sweat trying to stay focused, "I must not let anyone of us or suffer humiliation this time. We have to win this!"
Feyz stepping on the right side of the popping crease delivered the first ball. Adam tapping his bat observed attentive. The ball leaving his hand travelled on the pitch aggressively.
"Fast! And a Yorker!" Adam grasped instantly keeping his bat before his feet stopping the ball with a dot return. "A Yorker on the first delivery..." he thought alerted. Looking at the rest five players (placed on square leg, Mid-off, cover, short fine leg and point) who had surrounded the field's inner circle he grinned, "Seems like, they are really dead set on taking our wickets."
"What overwhelming pressure…" Xavier whispered.
"Indeed. I just hope the two of them can take it." Feng added. Seraph narrowing his gaze watched silently.
Feyz delivering the second ball of the over aimed for another Yorker at mid-wicket. Adam once again stopping it with a dot return stood upright. Heber nodded assuring.
The third ball, delivered by Feyz now an outswinger that travelled the pitch from inside to the outside (Right to left from batsman Pov3). Adam gaining a chance smashed the ball high towards the deep cover, "Super! Doper! Wild tornado smash!" landing in the audience's stand, the 1st over's and the match's first six was officially struck.
"Atta boy!!" Cassiel and Azazel cheered.
"Way to go Adam!" Ezekiel added.
"Adam must be relieved since he is against a new ball." Helios glanced at Seraph.
"Right. He is quiet fond of new balls and surprisingly talented at tackling them. Grasping the motion of wind, deviation from pitch and stroke power he uses his power hitting as an advantage increasing his overall score." Seraph replied.
"That's quite a talent though. Usually batsman don't like new balls and are quiet vary of them since they swing and turn a lot more, confusing them." Haitam said.
"He isn't called a 'Wild card' for nothing." Ryan remarked.
The crowd cheering in frenzy chanted, "Kings! Kings! Kings!"
"Huff! Finally a relief." Adam exhaled gaining confidence. Heber tapping his fists against Adam's whispered, "Looks like we were right to aim for shots during the powerplay."
"Hm." Adam beamed, "As masters of returning fast deliveries we aren't afraid of them. Keeping our attention to the peak let's go on like this from now on."
"Yeah, aim for an eighty." Heber said.
"Nope a hundred!" Adam declared heading back to the batting line.
"Hehe, alright." Heber chuckled.
Feyz, clicking his tongue walked back. Scoring another six on further two balls. Feyz delivering the over's last delivery snickered, "All shows over! Black lightning!"
The ball on pitch's contact immediately increased in speed flashing like light towards Adam. Adam stunned squinted his gaze, "What the?!" All of a sudden the ball aimed as an outswinger went outside the batting crease as the wicket keeper caught it in the nick of time.
The empire raising his arms in a horizontal manner gave a 'Wide' delivery signal. Feyz furrowed his gaze annoyed.
"Easy, easy, don't let it get to you." Nour dabbed his back.
Adam recalling the delivery wondered, "What was that?"
"A fast paced outswinger delivery." Helios guessed.
"Only his off timing resulted in a wide. If Adam had in any way tried to return it. It would've definitely been caught by the players on slip as an edge catch." Kazuna explained.
"Since Adam is claiming sixes mostly on outswingers. He is taking this to his advantage." Alan added.
Delivering another delivery Feyz whispered, "Black lightning!" The ball once again on the ground's contact increased in speed. However, Adam grinned, "You know… Heli, Heli's outswingers are much trickier than yours!" Tracing the ball which went away from him, he stepped aside slamming it straight to the ground, "Cool Drive 'I'!"
The ball whizzing beside Feyz's feet who tried to stop it with his feet however lost the chance went to a straight boundary hit in the shape of an 'I' as the fielders inside the 30 inched circle tried to grasp it nonetheless no use. The first over ending in Karachi Kings favor with 17 runs scored on 0 losses.
Heber and Adam exchanged ends for the next over. Their single over play had already become a spectacle of gossip for the crowd.
"Unbelievable! I heard he is in first year middle high only and to confront the first over like this?!"
"They sent Lahore into pressure in just the first over, oh my god! The second opener hasn't even started playing!"
Kenzo pleased from the overall start and crowds chatter sat with his head held high.
Alan glanced at the little rabbit who witnessed the entire over inside his hairs pleased. "They are rocking aren't they?" he asked in a whisper. The rabbit confused snuggled deeper caressing his neck.
The second over passed to Jules, Heber took the batting crease, "So he is the 1st year (MS4) Seamer…" Jules stepping on the popping crease delivered the 1st ball of the second over.
"A slow delivery…!" however, up to his surprise the ball immediately rose in speed aiming towards the wicket. Heber stepping back smirked, "Slow down already."
The ball as if receiving his command at that moment died down in speed. Jules squinted his gaze confused. Trapped in an unusual consolidated space he looked around. Heber aiming for a low cover drive murmured, "Joker's cage vanish…" immediately releasing Jules from the cage who looked around muddled. "Hehe, confusing me with a slow ball? I'll confuse you instead." he thought naughtily.
"Haha! Those two freaks." Nidou comprehended the two's thoughts. Mir on the contrary observed stern.
"Heber is really enjoying himself." Xavier noticed.
"Yeah, since he can control his joker cage much better than before thanks to the training. He is trying to confuse the baller right from the beginning." Azazel gulped, "I don't want to play him now."
"Haha, you think he'll confuse you too?" Poseidon teased.
Evan glanced at Rauf who hadn't uttered a single word since the beginning. The second over increasing runs to 24, by scoring runs and a boundary with 0 loses implemented more pressure on the Lahore's team.