A cheer of joy erupted from the ground and the crowd, the umpire raised his finger up.
"Dismissed by the keeper! A brilliant chance that Elias Hud Armand not dared to lose!" Maaz commented, "A blunder by Kamiluddin Siraj cost him his wicket departing at 16/19. Hitting a slow spin and getting caught by the high edge catch. Ren Maaz gets his first wicket of the PSL. What a way to end the over!"
Ren proudly winked, blowing a kiss to Elias who chuckled delighted.
"I knew I could count on you." Senri patted Ren's back as he beamed.
"Senior Senri!" Feng waved his hand, soon clapping after Azazel did. Senri ruffled the two's hairs, "Good job."
"Way to go!" Heber cheered beside Christopher.
"Slow, slower, slowest took the wicket." Haris said, "Ren knew Siraj was playing quiet hastily."
"Peshawar losing their second wicket with 61 runs scored. Up next on fourth we have Nile Dawood on the crease a second year rookie performing marvelously with the ball before. Now let's see what he does with the bat." Jones commented, "From Karachi's side we have a new baller entering too, Nagi Srour that is… I wonder why this name feels awfully familiar, Wasim?" he inquired.
Zhangli from Peshawar's pavilion who constantly heard the commentary snickered, "A tycoon's son he is. Who doesn't know?"
"Seriously just what did he do to you that you are so against him?" Orhan asked clueless.
Zhangli rolled his eyes unresponsive. "Srour and Zhangli corporates are rival multinational corporates around the world. I bet it's that sort of rich boys' rivalry." Abaan replied.
"But… why are they fighting? Shouldn't their fathers be doing something like this?" Raza asked.
Hafiz chuckled, "Geez, you make it sound so complicated. Just say that Zhangli is jealous of him."
Zhangli hearing him freaked out, "WHAT?!"
Naeem and Hafiz both chuckled over his response. "Haha… you admire him on one side and hate him on the other. Aren't you the one who's complicated?" Hafiz looked at Zhangli.
Uzair leaned on the back of the seat, "Nagi you see fought against his father to pursue his dream of playing cricket rather than taking over his family business enduring a hell lot of ridicule from around him. Nonetheless, his intelligence gives him an upper hand. He takes care of his father's business and play's cricket altogether. Zhangli you see is different…"
Zhangli remained quiet his eyelashes dropping.
"He didn't pursue his dream against his duty like Nagi did. He is unwilling to stand against his family nor does he have capacity to accomplish both things simultaneously. And… this might be the last time you'll be playing cricket, right?" Uzair asked.
"What…?" Omar gasped in disbelief.
"Senior Zhangli, you won't play anymore?" Raza repeated.
Zhangli silent for a while opened his mouth however; remained quiet in the end. Siraj on the other hand breathing deeply looked at the ground.
"What is it?" Suleiman questioned.
"Their highschoolers… are no joke." Siraj just uttered recalling the moment Ren took his wicket, "He didn't even smile, didn't even react, didn't even show a fleck of threat and so easily took my wicket like it was… nothing." Suleiman exhaled turning to face the ground once more.
Nagi spinning the ball, shoved his glasses back, gesturing the middleschoolers to come inside the 30 inched circle, slightly changing their positions with the addition of the mid-on and shortfine leg from long-on and fine leg.
"It's senior Nagi this time… I wonder why he keeps asking all of us to come closer. Humayun's realm is still activated won't he get a chance to hit high…?" Feng thought nodding at Kenzo.
Humayun on the batting crease tapped his bat pondering, "Nagi Srour, an unorthodox off spinner/ Chinaman. I wonder what he will do…"
Delivering the first ball of the over, Nagi stepped on the popping crease and delivered a sharp off-break. Humayun defending it with the front foot defense, Nagi grabbed the ball heading back.
"Aimed straight for the stumps and pads. Such accurate precision…" Xavier studied.
Three more dots delivered, the run rate immediately decreased. "Impressive… Humayun can't even aim for the ball outside the 30 inched circle. Senior Nagi's bowling is outstanding." Azazel wondered grabbing the ball and passing it back to Nagi.
Nagi stepping 4 to 6 steps forward aimed the ball with a slightly different grip as it tapped the pitch and immediately spun, deviating from its original form. Humayun alerted once again played a defensive shot toward the cover. Senri grabbing the ball once again halted their movement.
Nagi, stern looked at Humayun who smiled masking his frustration. A light beam leaving his lips he headed back.
"Incredible… a single dot delivery now and he will have bowled an entire
"That's why he is our runs halter. Giving one or two maiden overs is his specialty. A special ability he puts into use when the team is in dire need of relieving pressure above them." Elias told.
"You mean he mostly scores maiden overs?" Helios asked.
"Mostly?" Kazuna repeated, "Always. He always manages to bowl maiden overs."
"Yup, he won't be Nagi if he doesn't do this. After all, at this moment he has negotiated with the ball and his surroundings. The fielders, the atmosphere, it's all under his command." Noah added smiling at Orion. Orion in turn rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue next.
The middleschoolers glanced at each other amazed. "Can someone really do this…?" Poseidon thought astonished.
The last delivery of the over bowled. Humayun impatiently struck his bat hard however, the ball went past his bat immediately into Elias's hands who juggled it with a smile, "Haha, a maiden over it is."
Nagi pushed his glasses up grinning, glancing at Humayun he whispered, "Binding Maiden over… attained." Senri coming close clapped his hand against his, "Thank you."
Nagi shook his head, "No need."
"You are quite clever aren't you?" Nile asked from the non-striker's end.
Nagi gave a sideway glance, his expression stern. "Bowling different variations, aiming for the stumps and the pads and reading the pitch spin movement. Why don't we see, if you can get a maiden over when I am on strike, Senior?" Nile challenged arrogantly.
"Oh?" Nagi chanted with a smirk going away.
"A stunning maiden knock by Nagi Srour, Peshawar's run rate has instantaneously dropped. Variations bowled on the pitch where spinners are the least advantaged. It was a satisfactory card Karachi kings played…" the commentators remarked, "Back to Ren Maaz once more…"
The 9th over, Peshawar's run rate 7.6 (61 runs at a loss of two wickets) Nile took the strikers end exercising. His gaze meeting Feng's he grinned. Feng clenched his fists, heading towards the deep extra cover. Delivering the first ball of the 9th over Ren delivered a top spinner.
Nile studying the delivery played a flick shot towards mid-wicket taking immediate two runs. Once again on the batting crease he tapped his bat. Playing a dot return on the second delivery, Nile looked around the field searching for gaps between the fielders.
Ren delivering the 3rd ball of the over aimed for the leg side. Nile reading the ball, struck it hard towards the cover next and into the gaps for a four.
"A beauty! That's a magnificent cover drive, pure class." Maaz remarked. Smiling contented, Nile gave Humayun a high-five. Ren shrugging his shoulders headed back. 7 more runs accumulated at the over's end. Peshawar's runs accumulated to 68 at a loss of 2 wickets.
'PESHAWAR, PESHAWAR, KARACHI, PESHAWAR! The crowd roared. Nagi in custody of the last over of the first half of the innings. Humayun headed towards the batting crease.
"Poor him… will we see another maiden over?" Aigou exhaled sympathetic, "I bet even his realm must be crying, despite being activated."
"Haha." Haruf and Aaron chuckled amused.
"He is still young. The realm rather than being under his control must be controlling him instead. This is the pressure he must bear to build it." Evan told.
"Well… sorry to interrupt your good time boys but it will be Nile on the crease, he just took a run in the last over." Seles informed.
"Oh." Aigou realized not surprised, "That's good then."
Adam concealing his laughter beside Heber and Mikael hid his face. "Haha, idiots." Ezekiel commented blatant.
Helios hid his face speechless.