An Unusual Cricket Match

This is my first fictional piece in a long time.

Commentator 1: What a fantastic game this has turned out to be so far. Chasing 350 in 50 overs seemed impossible at the outset for team Underdogs, against the world class bowling attack of team Favorites.

Commentator 2: I agree – and after a start of 40/6 in 10 overs, even the most loyal Underdogs fan could not be blamed for losing hope.

Commentator 1: Yet, Underdogs captain Mr. Effort and allrounder Mr. NeverSayDie have almost pulled off the impossible – they established a solid partnership, collecting singles on almost each delivery and hitting the occasional boundary.

Commentator 2: And they picked their moments to take their calculated risks, and executed them effortlessly.

Commentator 1: Their record 312 run partnership, with Mr. Effort unbeaten on 166 and Mr. NeverSayDie 141 has all but assured victory for the Underdogs. This will go down as one of the greatest run chases in the history books.

Commentator 2: Now, with 2 overs remaining, they need only 4 runs. It is too late even for Mr. Menace, the best bowler in the world, to make an impact.

Commentator 1: Here is Mr. Menace, bowling the first delivery of the over. And he has bowled Mr. Effort! What an unplayable delivery!

Commentator 2: Mr. Effort cannot believe his eyes – he looks crestfallen – he won’t be there to see his team home. Take a bow Mr. Effort, for a great innings under pressure! The score is 348/7

Commentator 1: Here is Mr. Menace again, bowling to the new bowler. He bowls a menacing delivery, and the batsman offers a simple catch to the cover fielder! 348/8! Is there still life left in this match? 

Commentator 2: Mr. Number-nine walks back looking dejected and disappointed. 

Commentator 1: Mr. NeverSayDie at the other end is beginning to look worried as well.

Commentator 2: The Favorites now believe that they can win this game! Their body language has changed in a matter of two balls! And the Underdogs have lost their momentum, and the faces in the Underdogs dressing room are sullen and nervous, every single shoulder in the dressing room has drooped.

Commentator 1: This is a game of momentum – and the momentum has shifted to the Favorites. 

Commentator 2: The Favorites are all huddled up, and are breathing collective energy into their team. They are cheering hard, and every pore of their being oozes confidence.

Commentator 1: Mr. Menace is on a hat-trick. Can the Underdogs number ten player Mr. Enthusiasm prevent the hat-trick?

Commentator 2: Mr. Menace bowls another unplayable ball, and he has a hat-trick! The Favorites are celebrating like maniacs! They cannot contain their enthusiasm!

Commentator 1: Wait a minute! The batsman who just got bowled, Mr. Enthusiasm, he is jumping up and down in joy as well!

Commentator 2: This is bizarre – This is the first time I have seen a batsman who got out celebrate!

Commentator 1: It looks like Mr. Enthusiasm is celebrating harder than the Favorites! He is high-fiving Mr. NeverSayDie!

Commentator 2: The Favorites seem bewildered by this strange sight – they don’t know what to make of this unusual reaction from Mr. Enthusiasm!

Commentator 1: Doesn’t Mr. Enthusiasm know that after getting out, he is supposed to look sad, and walk back in a dejected fashion to the pavilion?

Commentator 2: Number 11 player CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife is coming down to the middle – the fact that he is a sitting duck is an undisputed fact – the Favorites have all but won the game. Mr. Menace will surely clean up Mr. CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife.

Commentator 1: Mr. Enthusiasm is running wildly with a roar, and is jumping up and down together with Mr. CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife

Commentator 2: Mr. NeverSayDie has joined them and the three of them are roaring with enthusiasm!

Commentator 1: Every single Favorites player is staring at this display of weirdness. Some are chuckling to themselves, some are just staring.

Commentator 2: Time to wrap the proceedings. Let us watch Mr. Menace clean up Mr. CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife as a formality before we go to the presentation.

Commentator 1: Here is Mr. Menace. He has bowled a rank full toss, and Mr. CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife has dispatched it for a boundary! Can you believe it! 

Commentator 2: I am spellbound. What a fantastic game. Two players come and resurrect this dead game from 40/6 to 348/6. Then there is a hat-trick  that takes the score to 348/9.

Commentator 1: What happened next – well, I don’t quite know how to describe it – but Mr. Enthusiasm made the best play of the evening – he neutralized the momentum that the Favorites had gathered, as well as infused energy into the Underdogs.

Commentator 2: And we found out that Mr. CantBatForTheLoveOfHisLife can bat after all.

Commentator 1: While the man of the match would be Mr. Effort for his 166, my man of the match is Mr. Enthusiasm, for his enthusiasm which snatched back the game from the jaws of defeat!

 Image Credit: Michael Weir on Unsplash