The two openers; Elias Hud Armand and Kenzo ShahJahan entering the ground, the crowd cheered upon their arrival.
"Best of luck, Captain!" Heber applauded.
Floodlights instantly flickering open, Kenzo glanced around, clicking his tongue, "Tch, again with these bulbs. It's awful batting under them!"
"Pft! Haha, even when you were practicing under them last night?" Elias questioned amused.
Kenzo rolled his eyes, "We were practicing not playing a serious match. Earnestly speaking, if I were to get out. I bet it would be a misjudged shot resulting in a catch."
Elias twirled his bat, setting his helmet. "Don't think too much, Kenzo. We just need massive runs. Runs… no one can chase. So tackling those floodlights should be nothing. You must have played the Inter academy matches under blazing sun in midafternoons. So just think of the floodlights as the sun. That feels reassuring right?" he advised.
Kenzo twitched his brow, "Reassuring my foot…" he headed towards the non-strikers end. "Not that he is wrong but it's my first time performing from the batting order rather than the middle order. I do have some doubts about my performance…" he pondered slight anxiously, soon studying the fielding positions.
Standing on the batting crease and rubbing his shoes against the ground, Elias tried to guess the baller for the first over.
"Ready~?" A figure interrupted his thoughts clasping his wicket keeping gloves together. His black hairs, contrasting yellow eyes, he smiled.
"Oh? Not going for balling this time, Ishaq?" Elias recognized.
"Nope, Mael would do that for me. As many senior bowlers we have for this match; I am bound to take keeping. Anyways, it's after a long while we are having a match against each other. Make sure to give it your all, for we won't go easy on you, Elias." Ishaq replied.
"Of course, same goes for you as well." Elias responded politely. "A left handed seamer is out now… but it doesn't mean we let our guard down." he thought cautious. Tracing the umpire handing the ball to Mael, he smiled whispering, "As expected."
Kenzo glancing at Mael who tossed the ball up and down, recalled, "Mael Orhan, a third year highschooler. A left handed swinger and seamer who is famous for his powerplay. He has earned the record of taking 3 wickets at maximum in just six overs conquering the team's batting order right from the start."
The game finally commencing, Nidou took a deep breath closing his eyes.
"Time to go to heavens?" Mir quipped, eliciting stifled laughter from the highschoolers, Pedro and Musa among them, who quickly subdued their amusement when Nidou glanced in their direction. "Shut it," he grumbled irritably.
Beside the unimpressed middle schoolers, Alan sighed deeply, rendered speechless by the situation.
"The two fielders outside the 30 inch circle are on; third man and long on. While the inside the 30 inch circle, excluding the bowler and the wicketkeeper we have: 1st and the 4th slip along with the leg slip full followed by square leg, Mid-wicket, cover point and Mid-off." Nagi informed.
"Looks like they're targeting senior Elias," Seraph presumed.
"You mean those slips?" Xavier clarified.
"Exactly, especially the leg slip for the left-hander," Seraph confirmed.
"We've faced them before, and they know our weaknesses. As we pose a bigger threat, they'll aim to get rid of us first. Frankly speaking, if we were in their shoes, we might've done the same," Isa admitted.
"Not something to boast about, though," Cassiel muttered in disbelief.
"Whether we say it proudly or not, that's the way it'll unfold," Zachariah agreed.
"Sigh~ that's how our matches usually pan out, boys. You're living in a naively kind world," Orion remarked, inserting his headphones for the match commentary.
"But to think they think of Elias as a threat even when I am not there with him is something. What would have happened if I stood at the non-strikers end?" Aigou wondered.
Noah smiled, "They might be thankful this isn't the case, Aigou."
Alan stepping down the pavilion headed towards the chain queue stand, settling down with his legs crossed on the nearby chair.
"Don't get hit with the cock once it heads for 4," Nidou remarked sarcastically. Alan frowned but chose to ignore his comment, which was quite unlikely of him to do so.
"Honestly?" Pedro sighed as the highschoolers chuckled amused. Rauf staring at the field, crossed his arms stern.
Tossing the ball up and down in his hands, Mael glanced at the fielding positions. The crowd elated to witness the first ball of the innings, cheered with joy. 'KARACHI! PESHAWAR! KARACHI! PESHAWAR!!' it was a normal chant echoing throughout the stadium.
Elias nodding at Kenzo from the batting line, took his position tapping his bat on the batting crease. "Finally, we are going through at the 5th match of the PSL tournament aren't we, Maaz? And Karachi Kings second match. After a wonderful performance against Lahore Qalandars a few days ago, we are witnessing those energetic rookies into play once more!" One of the commentators remarked.
"Not only rookies, I see some familiar faces of the past entering in the arena too from both sides. From Karachi Kings, this match's opener is Elias Hud Armand with Kenzo ShahJahan. One of the partners from Pakistan's longest Partnership owner 2nd spot. While, on the other side we have Xian Zhangli, Mael Orhan, Zaki Armand, Ishaq Russ and Abaan Mirza. All famous as All-rounder's and great bowlers from Peshawar. This is going to be a great match with rookies and seniors all present to chip in..." Maaz continued.
"Elias…" Suleiman whispered, settled on the front seats of the pavilion.
"He really did send him." Naeem smiled, I thought Head coach Nidou might have been joking but he really did sent his one of the best highschoolers against us."
"Sigh~ you look up to him too much, coach Naeem." entered a voice slightly irritated, "They are our rivals right now quit being thankful to them. We already played against them once there's no need to be this surprised, right Suleiman?" Standing behind Suleiman's seat, he rested his arms on his shoulder, with his hands crossed before him.
Suleiman however silent, observed the ground.
"Hafi, we should be thankful to everyone. You are all from the same country. Why care to fight all the times?" Naeem asked.
"Tch, they annoy us." Raza clicked his tongue.
"Only because you haven't won against them, right." Naeem guessed.
Suleiman glanced at him slightly offended. "Remember, Karachi Kings might have been unbeatable but you aren't quitters. If never before then why not this time?" Naeem encouraged.
Hafi shook his head in disbelief, "I really don't get you sometimes."
The umpire standing amid the baller and non-striker gestured the game to commence. And as soon as he did, the crowd rooted, "WICKET! WICKET! WICKET!"
"As expected, in a match against Peshawar within Peshawar." Elias thought slightly wary.
Mael stepping forward, rushed towards the popping crease. Delivering the first ball of the over, which was swift, straight and aimed directly for the wicket. Elias reading it, stopped it with a front foot defense, his timing matching the ball's approach in a split second.
"Oh!" the crowd went, alongside Ishaq, Zhangli and other fielders over the missing chance for an Lbw.
Grabbing the ball, Mael headed back.
"What pressure…" Feng whispered anxiously.
"This is just the beginning, Feng. Try to overcome it. The crowd of the World cup… you have yet to witness that horror." Senri remarked calmly, his expression reflecting years of experience.
Another three more balls delivered with the speed slightly increased and decreased with lengths remaining the same, Elias managed dot returns one after another without securing a single run.
"Tch! Just what in the world is he doing?" Kenzo clicked his tongue impatiently.
Mael, going back to deliver the fifth ball, Elias observed the fielders, setting his gloves. Glancing at Kenzo, who held an annoyed expression on his face that depicted 'Just take a run, if you can't score!' He chuckled amused. "Oh, how much fun they are to play with…" he thought tapping his bat.
Alan smiled, comprehending his entertainment.
"This looks scary…" Ezekiel whispered.
"Not a single run in the last 4 balls." Azazel added awed.
"Even a single run costs in T-20s. Many great teams shatter with just a single run." Kazuna replied serious.
Mael stepping on the popping crease left the ball. "A leg cutter it is." Elias realized, "Once again into the wickets." Raising his bat up, once the ball closed in he smashed it with force amid the mid-wicket and mid-on towards the cow corner for a four. The first four of the innings. "Finally." Elias beamed.
"Thanks goodness." Kenzo rolled his eyes on the contrary, prompting him to laugh once more.
"You are in quite a good mood, Elias." Ishaq noticed.
Elias shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows, haha…"
Smacking another 4 towards the fine leg on a wide delivery they scored 9 runs in the first over.
"A good start. At first Mael, was trying to suppress Elias but in the last two balls with a wide given. Elias grasped the chance to turn over the pressure…" the commentator stated.
"Glad! It's my turn now." Kenzo exchanged places, breathing out a thankful sigh.
"Be careful, Kenzo. Don't underestimate the next baller even if he's a middleschooler." Elias warned.
"Orhan hun… hmph! Can't get more excited!" Kenzo grinned confidently.