"Was that sheer luck…?" Seles questioned in disbelief.
Rauf exhaled, closing his eyes.
"What a save! What luck! Beruni Saud still stays on the pitch! What a horror some sight for Karachi Kings…!" commentary echoing the ground the crowd chanted, "Lahore! Lahore! Lahore!"
Poseidon clenched his fists, his expression hidden. "
Come on everyone don't give up." Kenzo took the boys' attention.
Ryan standing up, took the ball wiping his sweat, his glare deathly he headed back.
"I missed that delivery completely. Had it been a little low… I was definitely a goner." Beruni gulped, "Such intensity emitting a 1st year? Why does his balling stance look so familiar…" he thought taking his position again.
Playing safe for further 3 deliveries, Ryan delivered the last ball of the 6th over ending the powerplay. Smashing the ball towards the off side, Lahore openers took two runs.
The powerplay initially ending
. Total runs scored by Lahore were 56 on 0 wicket loss.
"Run rate 9.3 and runs scored even higher than Karachi Kings who scored 54 runs against 56 in the first innings! What a crucial stage the two teams are standing on…!"
Orion annoyed by his phone's rattle instantly shut it off passing it to Kazuna all on his own.
"Pft!" Zach coughed over his reaction while Isa quivered, hiding his chuckle.
"Now… yawn~" Nidou stretched his arms finally awake.
"Did sleep devils finally got bored of you?" Alan uttered sarcastic.
"Hm…" Nidou growled scratching hairs.
Mir and Pedro looked away uncomfortable.
"As seniors how will you advise them at this point?" Nidou instantly, questioned the highschoolers serious, "Their flaws, their weaknesses, how are you going to lead them and foster their development onto eliminating their limitations?" "And what should they do right now to gain an upper hand on this game?"
The highschoolers pondered silent.
"What will you do for them from now on?" Nidou ended, glancing at them sideways.
Kazuna, Noah, Zach and Rauf stared at the pitch silent.
Fielding positions changed after the powerplay, Poseidon took the 7th over.
"Poseidon Agiel, the last baller who is concealed from Karachi's balling order. Let's see what he show us now. Moreover, Probability charts that are updated for this match point Lahore's percentage of winning high 58% against Karachi's 42%. Karachi now must stand alerted and take wickets if they want to overrule this game, for Lahore's giving a blast to this audience and the media right now!" Maaz commented.
"Agreed, agreed…" Jones replied.
Beruni and Nour, studied the new placement taken by Karachi's fielders.
"Excluding Cassiel and Poseidon, Kenzo is on the square leg, Heber on mid-wicket, Adam on point and Xavier still on the 2nd slip." Nagi observed, "As for outside the 30 inched circle; Gabriel on deep cover, Ryan on Long on, Helios on long leg, Seraph third man and opposite of him is Ezekiel on cover corner."
"Why did they leave the leg side so open?" Isa squinted his gaze, "For right handers it is their very goal to hit there. Does that little king think he can catch all shots aimed that side?"
"Who knows~" Ren sang curious.
Poseidon twirling the ball in his right hand smiled ceaselessly.
Beruni on the non-striker's crease narrowed his gaze. "What is wrong with him…? Is this the time to be smiling?" he thought, "Moreover, he is an ambidextrous Leg spinner. Vice-captain's ability 'Vision of future' is already useless."
Poseidon's eyes reading every nook and cranny of the batting crease and the fielder positions next, he stepped behind the popping crease ready to ball. The 7th over commencing, Nour on the batting crease tapped his bat.
Poseidon delivering he first ball of the over smiled, "Short spin!" aimed halfway across the pitch it spun towards the wicket stumps in a split second before his shoe.
"Huh?!" Nour alerted kept his bat before his shoe returning it with a dot return. Slightly stumbling on the impact.
"Out!" Poseidon went.
Crouching down, Nour shot a quick upward look.
Cassiel too blinked. The umpire shaking his head gave out a safe.
"Haha, just joking…" Poseidon teased grabbing the ball. Glancing at Nour his gentleness and playfulness felt rather eccentric at that moment.
"He is a variation changing baller just like that first year before." Nour thought.
"Haha! That punk." Nidou grinned.
"He is deliberately doing that." Aaron said.
"Of course, everyone present here thinks that not taking wickets has only pressured us. On the contrary, being on the field for too long has pressured Nour and Beruni too. They played against all our ballers one by one with a clear mind while protecting their wicket. Now the last one will be difficult to tackle because they are tired to think against him while Poseidon right now is in great shape and forte to dismiss them." Senri explained.
Delivering the 3rd ball of the over, Poseidon spun the ball harshly, "1st tide of return." A Googly balled left to right aimed for the mid-wicket again. Stopping before his feet however slightly inside Nour countered the ball with his bat crouching low.
"Out!" Poseidon exclaimed once more startling him. The umpire confused himself gave out a not out sign while Poseidon chuckled once again showing a safe to Nour, heading back.
Cassiel glancing at Xavier and Adam too shared known smiles. Kenzo and Heber nodded.
Nour and Beruni on the contrary exchanged bothered glances.
Overall mood of Karachi's fielders relaxing. Poseidon got ready for the 4th delivery. No runs scored on previous three deliveries. Nour tapped his bat concentrated, "He is deliberately trying to make me lose my cool. Even if my 'Vision of future' doesn't work against him, like hell I'll let him have his way!"
"Pinnacle of Perfection; 2nd stage: Obscure Motion." Nour revealed. Mist surrounding his lower half of the body concealed every movement made by him. Poseidon's eyelashes sinking, he scrutinized, a crafty glance escaping his eyes, a smile cased his lips like a victor's crown.
"Heli's, 2nd stage calls all balls towards him aiming them upon choice while this one… I bet it conceals his entire action made against the ball. This must be the case because I can't see his bat and lower body at all." he analyzed.
"Obscure motion… Doesn't it conceal all shots, hits or bat movements made by the batsman?" Noah recalled.
"Hm, be it, he hits his bat left or right, front or back nobody will notice where he might aim next." Evan explained.
"Pain." Aigou and Orion uttered irritated.
"Will our little ones get confused now since they know nothing about it?" Noah supposed.
"I doubt they will. The mist obscures the batman's bat and his lower body's movement against the ball. They can easily grasp that change." Kazuna replied. Aaron gazed at Poseidon silent.
"Stay vigilant every one. The ball might come to you out of nowhere." Xavier informed. His message passed around the ground. The fielders showed their thumbs up.
Delivering the 4th ball of the over Poseidon whispered, "1st Tide of Return." The ball again aimed into mid stumps Nour clicked his tongue, "That's enough of the same thing!" His actions invisible the ball went up high into mid-air.
"WOAH~! That's huge…!" The commentators rose from their seats.
Tracing the ball after the bat's impact, Adam shouted, "It's going to your side Kenzo!"
Kenzo alerted looked up at the ball which travelled outside field for a six. He immediately ran behind it. However, before the ball could go any further its speed, spin and power immediately began to decelerate. Going up high, it began to incline.
Kenzo immediately looking up estimated it falling trajectory, "Heber cover up for me."
Heber ran beside him.
"HUH?" Nour looked at the ball and his surroundings baffled, "An ocean…?"
Poseidon resting a finger on his lips whispered, "Gravity Suppress, Reveal."
Nour faced him wide eyed, "He used another skill together with his balling?!"
The ball swiftly heading down inside the ground, Kenzo raised his hands up. The crowd rising in excitement whistled and rooted. Alan gulped beside the highschoolers.
"It's gone!" Feng jumped already obvious.
The ball landing in Kenzo's hands like a graceful feather, he tossed it back up again claiming, "OUT!" "Yes!!" the boys went.
"WOOHOO!!" Frenzy took over the entire stadium.
"Yes!!" Orion, Senri and Aigou clenched their fists while Alan clapped his hand against Mikael and Azazel's.
Karachi's very first wicket after quite a long while was now on display. The boys surrounding Kenzo and Poseidon embraced them ruffling their hairs. "Haha!!" they laughed proud.
"What a catch your highness! What a tactic Poseidon!" Cassiel remarked glowing with joy.
"Vice-captain, that was awesome!!" Ezekiel embraced Poseidon who chuckled non-stop.
"Finally! Yay!!" Adam danced with Ryan and Seraph next.
"Oh my god!! A six that turned into a catch?! What an unbelievable sight for my eyes…!" Jones commented, "Lahore's Vice-captain Nour Mirza departing the pitch after scoring 3019 (30 runs on 19 balls) by Poseidon's Agiel! Let's take look at the reply…"
Romeo and Haitam observed silent. Haruf glanced at them with a light beam. "Looks like it's time their minds start working now. They all seem so serious." he thought.
Nour looking at Poseidon one last time headed back, "Gravity suppress? What did that do to the ball? I definitely aimed for a six moreover, for a moment I felt as if I was underwater…"
Poseidon seeing him walk away followed, "Your ability 'Obscure motion' is a tricky move to tackle within such less time. So, I betted on my delivery and the course of your action. Since the entire over couldn't get you runs you would definitely aim high that was my hypothesis. And because you went with that, Adam and Xavier from our fielding side alerted the fielders for your catch."
Nour halted amid his steps squinting his gaze doubtfully, "Don't mess with me. You definitely did something to the ball. As high as I aimed it, it was definitely a six!"
A sharp smirk parting Poseidon's lips he warned, "In my balling over... this ground is my Kingdom, this pitch is my Palace. No one can move even a single inch here or there without my permission!"
A glimpse of a ferocious sea and its King flashing before his eyes, Nour gasped stepping back. Shivers travelling down his spine.