...
Three required off the last ball.
It has all come down to this.
1130 pm on a foggy winter night. The pitch, a center of brightness lit by 4 towers of light.
The green grass wet with dew. The crowd silent. The air tingling with excitement.
.
Three required off the last ball.
The man in the middle, diminutive in stature, slight in build.
He, and he alone; bears the weight of this equation.
He can tie it with two. But it won’t get them victory.
A tie will be decided by least wickets fallen; and that run out on the second last ball has cost them dearly.
.
Three required off the last ball.
He evaluates his options.
The field is irregular; long boundaries straight, and short boundaries square.
The non-striker is just in, he’s fresh and up for a sprint.
There’s just enough space among the gaps for a quick two. But just two. Not three.
.
.
They’re lucky to be here, still, chasing 52 in 5 overs.
They were in command and winning this; until the quiet third over brought a quick fall of wickets.
The fourth over was a bonus, yielding two no balls, a wide and 18 runs.
He himself scored most of those. He’s brought them back into the game.
.
Three required off the last ball.
He sees the bowler begin his run up in the distance, left arm fast over the wicket.
Each step resonates around the ground, heavy with tension.
Time slows down.
Time slows down.
The batsman is still; and in his crease. His stance that of a coiled snake, ready to strike.
The bowler is in his stride approaching the pitch.
The fielders close in, inside the circle, cutting off the gaps which remained.
.
Three required off the last ball.
It has all come down to this.
Months of practice and preparation, of 6 a.m. alarms and harsh winter mornings in the nets.
Aggression and build-up, in the days leading up to the title defense.
Fierce rivalries among the legacy teams and hard fought battles in the earlier rounds.
.
Suddenly, his mind is blank, clear. A clean white sheet of paper.
He knows what he has to do.
Things move in slow motion.
The bowler is at the stumps. The non-striker is off and running!
The batsman walks across the line and swings! Swings hard with all his strength!
The non-striker is halfway down the pitch in the hope of running three; screaming for the batsman to make a move.
.
But he hasn’t moved a muscle since he played that shot.
He knows he doesn’t need to run.
His bat hangs in the air; frozen in time. His eyes follow the ball.
He sees it sail away, over the roof, into the night! It’s SIX!
...
Metro Warriors.
Are. You. Ready.
One goal. One Aim. LPL 7.
...
In memory of Phillip Hughes (30th Nov 1988 - 27th Nov 2014) who succumbed to his injuries on being hit in the head by a bouncer in an Australian domestic cricket match. A fighter, a believer, a perennial reserve opener in the Australian test team, an underdog who fought till the very end. You will continue to inspire us, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, no matter what the odds. Rest in peace.
For a fitting tribute to Phil by sports commentator Daniel Brettig, click here.
...
In memory of Phillip Hughes (30th Nov 1988 - 27th Nov 2014) who succumbed to his injuries on being hit in the head by a bouncer in an Australian domestic cricket match. A fighter, a believer, a perennial reserve opener in the Australian test team, an underdog who fought till the very end. You will continue to inspire us, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, no matter what the odds. Rest in peace.
For a fitting tribute to Phil by sports commentator Daniel Brettig, click here.
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