CHAPTER 6 TOURNAMENT START
The man shrugged his behaviour.
That middle aged man was one of the few coaches signed by the organiser for the event. Just like him there were 3 more coaches signed for the event standing beside him.
The man then started to ask the kids about the cricket positions they preferred to play. Most of the kids replied with opener, while only a few mentioned middle order.
Witnessing the response of the kids, the man smacked his head in disappointment.
Since most of the kids preferred to play opener, the man started to sort the kids by his own will. Luckily arjun got to play as a 3 down.
However most of the kids who couldn't play in their desired position rebelled against his decision and started to create a ruckus. They were dissatisfied by the coaches decision.
"Those who are dissatisfied by my decision can leave."
He yelled in fury.
After seeing his angry face, nobody dared to complain a single word. While there were still some kids who left after his announcement, most of the kids remained.
And because of that, the parents of the kids who left made their way towards the field to complain about the coach's behaviour. To minimise the ruckus, the organiser stepped in.
"We apologize for his behaviour"
To appease the irritated parents, the organiser started to apologize.
However the man who turned away those kids didn't say a single word. He sternly believed in his judgement and refused to apologize.
Seeing the man's unwillingness to bow down, the organiser pleaded the other coach to take those kids in there team. And just like that a situation was prevented.
After that the other 3 coaches hired by the organiser started to pick their respective players and created a team.
After the four coaches picked their respective players, 4 teams of 11 starting players were formed and every other remaining player was used as a reserve. Due to arjun earlier behaviour ,he was placed in the reserves for first match.
Finally the team was allocated as such, four teams made up of individual player who showed up alone and four teams of the players who showed up in teams.
The individual players who showed up alone were at a disadvantage than those who showed up in teams.
The tournament was played in a knockout style. The winning team would move forward while the losing team would go home.
A random lottery was drawn to divide the 8 teams in two groups, Group A and group B. Group A contained four teams and Group B contained four as well.
Arjun was placed in the team of the middle aged coach. The names of the four teams formed by the individual players were named as such, Team 1, Team 2, Team 3 and Team 4.
However the other four teams were, Nehru youth club, Little boys youth club, James youth club and Thakur youth club. As suggested by their names all four of those clubs were the youth club of reputed cricket club who played professionally.
The result of the lottery came as such;
Group A: Nehru youth club, Thakur youth club, Team 3 and Team 4
Group B: Little boys youth club, James youth club, Team 1 and Team 2
Due to the groups composition, Arjun could only face Deepak yadav if his team made it to final. Deepak yadav was placed in Group A while arjun was placed in Group B.
The first match was played between the host team and Team 3. Nehru Youth Club won the toss and chose to bowl first. They destroyed Team 3's batting in 6.4 overs, restricting them to a score of 30/10 (6.4). After a 10-minute break, Nehru Youth Club chased the target of 31 in just 3 overs without losing any wickets, finishing at 32/0 (3.0).
Team 3 lost the match because they lacked coordination as a team. That's why their dismissals included 1 bowled, 3 caught out, 1 LBW, and 5 run-outs.
By the end of the first match .Nehru youth club beats Team 3 with 10 wickets. It was an overwhelming victory for the host's team.
Similarly Thakur youth club completely obliterated the Team 4 as well. They beats team 4 by 35 runs .
It wasn't much different for the team in group B as well. Little boys youth club beats Team 2 with 21 runs .
Finally after those humiliating defeat of Team 2, 3 and 4, everybody expected that it would be one of those four youth clubs who'd win the tournament. And many spectators began to lose interest in match between James youth club vs Team 1 .
The match between Team 1 and James youth club start with the toss and James youth club win the toss and choose to bat first. It was finally arjun teams turn to play. However he was benched by the middle aged coach.
Why is Arjun on the bench? Because the first impression is the last impression. When the coach arranged Team 1, Arjun scanned the other players' talents but didn't find anyone better than Deepak. As a result, he didn't pay attention to the coach's words, and the coach dislikes unfocused players.
If my team loses to James Youth Club, I won't get a chance to perform in the match, or worse, I might miss the opportunity to copy Deepak's talent. What a terrible situation for copying talent! Hey, old man, give me a chance to perform in the first match. After watching my performance, you'll never leave me on the bench. He didn't say it out loud because if the old coach gets angry, he won't listen to anyone.
Match Recap: James Youth Club vs. Team 1
James Youth Club set a target of 75 runs in 60 balls after scoring 74/6 in their allotted 10 overs. While their batting performance was modest, they managed to put up a defendable total, thanks to a few contributions from their middle order. However, their inability to accelerate in the death overs left them with a below-par score.
**Commentary During James Youth Club's Innings:**
**Commentator 1:** "James Youth Club is struggling to build momentum here. They've been inconsistent throughout the last few tournament they play , and this innings reflects their challenges. What do you think, Mark?"
**Commentator 2:** "I agree. They haven't been able to find their rhythm, and their lack of partnerships is hurting them. However, 74 runs is still something to work with if their bowlers and fielders step up."
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Team 1's Chase:
Team 1 began their chase with cautious intent, knowing that the target was achievable but not to be taken lightly. James Youth Club's bowlers started well, creating some early pressure, but Team 1's batsmen held their nerve. Despite a few hiccups, they managed to keep the scoreboard ticking.
**Turning Point:**
The match took a dramatic turn in the final overs due to James Youth Club's poor fielding. They gave away 9 free runs through misfields and a wide that missed by keeper and goes for boundary. Additionally,which ultimately sealed the game in their favor. Team 1 won by 3 wickets, but the victory was far from convincing.
**Commentary During Team 1's Innings:**
**Commentator 1:** "What luck—or should I say, what a poor fielding performance from James Youth Club! They've handed Team 1 free runs at crucial moments. That wide boundary and the misfields have cost them dearly."
**Commentator 2:** "Absolutely. Fielding is such a critical aspect of the game, and James Youth Club has let themselves down today. Missed chances and sloppy efforts can completely shift the momentum, and that's exactly what we've seen here."
Post-Match Analysis:
**Commentator 1:**Team 1's victory, though narrow, keeps them in the tournament, but questions remain about their ability to perform under pressure. Their reliance on luck and opposition errors won't always work, especially against stronger teams.
**Commentator 2:** "Indeed, Team 1 will need to step up their game if they want to advance further in the tournament. As for James Youth Club, they'll need to go back to the drawing board and address their fielding and batting issues if they hope to turn their fortunes around."
**Commentator 1:** "Has Team 1's luck run out, or will they showcase some magic in their next match? After a shaky start, all eyes are on whether they can bounce back and prove their worth. Will they rise to the occasion and deliver a performance to remember? Stay with us to find out!"
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