What a Match! (Flash Fiction)

By

Chiksunny

(Caferati Flash Fiction Contest entry)

We returned home late. Junior opened the door, smarting at our absence.

“You missed the 20-30 cricket match!”

“20-30?”

“Err…latest rules. The higher ranked team has to bowl ten overs more to the other team. Only then is it fairly poised.  India batted for twenty overs and Ginadu team for thirty.”

Junior looked determined.

“Sachin hit the first ball over the ropes.”

“A six?”

“No, the fielder caught it, one foot on the boundary. Then he threw it at the stumps. It was misfielded and went for a four. So India got six + four = ten runs in the first ball.”

“Humph,” I snorted.

“The next ball flew like lightening towards the fielder behind the wicket keeper. Taken by surprise, he held up the helmet in self-defense. We got five runs!”

“Afterwards, when Ganguly was taking a run, the bowler purposely dashed against him.  Saurav skidded.”

“He got out?”

“No, the bowler threw the ball at Sachin’s end. Sachin was in his crease.”

“In addition, they bowled forty no-balls.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, we did not lose a single wicket. We made four hundred and fifty runs!”

“Wha...aaa…t?”

“Ginadu team sent it’s eleventh and twelfth men to bat first.”

“Twelfth?”

“New rules.”

“Really?”

“ Yeah! The first ball- and both the players ran. Yuvi was quick…took a shy at the stumps. The eleventh player got out. Dhoni threw the ball at the other end. Their player had not reached the crease.”

“Two run outs in one ball?”

“Yeah!”

I stared at my husband in disbelief.

“We won the match. They scored 60-9.” Junior was triumphant.

Copyright©Chiksunny February2008

(Note: This is my 1st entry to the Caferati contest. Please also visit my other entry

 ‘The Bait’)