Story Eliot Witters: Answering The Call [Part 2D: The Second XI]

[TheGreemSim]

TheGreemSim added 2 Minutes and 55 Seconds later...

Cheers for the comments guys and yes it does mean Franklin is our overseas player. I managed to get into an internet cafe whilst on holiday as promised. Not what you were all expecting but I stumbled upon the BBC sports website looking for an update on the 2nd ashes test and I saw a headline announcing that Eliot Witters is injured.

 

[TheGreemSim]

I apologise for the lack of updates, after returning from holiday I found that my internet connection wasn't working, just got it fixed 2 days ago. I will try and update tonight and if not tomorrow

 

[TheGreemSim]

Part 2: The Sidelines: Injured​

It was absolute agony. I remembered it moment by moment. John Lewis ran up with a fierce look on his face. His arm lifting and releasing the ball which soared like a bullet through the air until it bounced short and then it just kept on rising towards my head. I wasn?t comfortable because I wasn?t using my bat, I was using a tattered old kookaburra from the ragged and torn kit bag. I misjudged the bounce and raised the bat without thinking, unfortunately not high enough. The ball thumped my elbow. A few journalists where there taking photos, I might get myself a bit of recognition in the small sports section of some unread low budget newspaper.

I then collapsed to the floor in pain and cursed aloud which gained quite a few reactions from almost everyone in the training nets. Numerous teammates rushed over to me and out of the corner of my eye I could?ve sworn I saw john punch the air and smile.
2 hours later I?m sitting up on a hospital bed in an x-ray room waiting for the doctor to come back with an x-ray of my arm. The team physio was seated next to me and I was pretty sure the doctor thought he was my dad.
At last the short balding possibly Indian doctor returned with my X-ray with a disturbed look on his face.

?Give it to me straight, doc? I said whilst thinking ?How clich?

?Well, young man, I am not having good news for you? He said in broken English. Young man, how demeaning.

?Unfortunately, you are having a broken shoulder. It will be very painful so I am recommending these strong painkillers?

He handed me a small plastic bottle full of pills with a great big warning sticker on the bottle.

?Try and be keeping your arm in this sling for as long as possible and please refrain from all sporting activities I am thinking for the next 2 weeks.?

I moaned in despair. I was out for two weeks and by then I?ll probably find it hard to get back into the team.

?What is it you do, young man?? He asked curiously.

?I?m a cricketer? I replied.

?Well I am supposing that is how you got this injury, anyway what was your name again??

?Eliot, Eliot Witters?

He chuckled a very annoying and high pitched chuckle and then said, ?Ah yes Mr. Witters, great bowling yesterday?...




-TGS

 

[Jaztheman]

Nice ending there.

John Lewis sounds like a bit of a ████ though, unfortunately and he could be a problem for you. Well when you get back from injury you can smash a straight drive straight at him when he's bowling to you.

Very good writing, mate. Nice story you got here.

 

[TheGreemSim]

PART 2: THE SIDELINES: WHERE IS EVERYBODY?​

June 1st 2009
My arm was out of that god damn sling and 2 weeks later than the doctor advised. As soon as it was removed I eagerly went to see the coach who seemed mildly pleased and informed me that I would be back in training in Cheltenham tomorrow at 2 O’clock in the afternoon.

Cheltenham, aye? Long drive tomorrow.

I arrived at the college ground in Cheltenham the next day with my gear crammed into my undersized sports bag. I must’ve been one of the first ones there however the players of players where sighing and staring at me and then a short dark skinned man rudely shouted to me “You took your time!” I recognised him to be Jackson Thompson.

I realised there where about 11 or so other players hanging around the nets but surely I wasn’t late, I mean there was plenty of other players that hadn’t arrived yet such as Hamish and Craig, Steve Kirby and dare I say John. All of our key players. Suddenly I observed the fact the none of the players who played against Somerset where there. The nets where surrounded by youngsters I didn’t know and players like Rob Woodman and Vikram Banerjee.

We all got called to gather round and I nervously did as instructed. And even more confused when Matthew Gitsham and Richard Dawson stood to both my sides. As far as I knew, they hadn’t been called up for a match this season and they were still training with us the 1st XI.

John Bracewell stood in front of us and told us all to shut up in an aggressive manor.

"Alright, today we’ll be covering our fielding since it was so sloppy in the last match!” He boomed over the noise of cars in the distance and birds singing joyfully.

“Now as you all know, we’ll be playing here tomorrow in a tough challenge against Warwickshire 2nd XI” Here was where I had to butt in. I raised by right hand, ignoring the moans from the rest of the team. John bracewell nodded towards me.

“Excuse me, sir, but um a tough challenge against Warwickshire 2nd XI. Well tough perhaps with a team like this but where are people like Hamish and James, where is the captain?”

“I’m your captain!” Chipped a loud voice. I recognised the face but couldn’t put a name on it for the life of me. I looked blankly at him.

“What, you played one match for the 1st XI and now you’re too famous to remember me!” I got taken back at his voice before realising that it was Chris dent. The Chris dent who’d been in the Gloucestershire u19’s with me. I felt ashamed that I had forgotten him. We only played 3 matches together as he had just turned 17 and I was about to become ineligible for the U19’s nonetheless you should always remember your previous team mates, especially if it was only a year ago.

“What, Chris, you can’t be captain of a team like this, you’re only 17 compared to the likes of John Lewis. Speaking of which could someone please tell me where he is. Was he injured whilst I was away? And why are we playing a 2nd XI anyway?”

Mr. Bracewell stopped me and said in a voice you’d expect a mother to talk to her baby in rather than a voice you’d expect a coach to talk to one of his players in.

“Well, Master Witters, since you’re so curious, John Lewis is currently on a long and tedious bus drive to Old Trafford along with the rest of the 1st XI. And since you can’t put 2 and 2 together, we’re playing a 2nd XI team because we are the 2nd XI team!”

There was an awkward silence for 10 seconds which seemed like ten minutes. So many pairs of eyes stared at me and made me feel very uncomfortable. After the unending silence had finally ended, Matthew Gitsham whispered to me quietly “you talk too much”...


-TGS

TheGreemSim added 1 Minutes and 29 Seconds later...

Sorry that there's no pictures in this part guys.

Oh and Jaz, damn right he's a problem for me but fear not I have a plan for him.

Oh and just so everyone knows, I didn't just wan't to have the left overs from the Gloucestershire squad in the Second XI team so I did my research and this Chris Dent fellow is in the Gloucestershire Academy. He's played a couple of matches for the Second XI according to Cricket Archive and his name was the easiset to remeber.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Haha, nice. You're a bit slow aren't ya?


I like the way you did the BBC page. Very good touch.

 

[TheGreemSim]

Haha, nice. You're a bit slow aren't ya?


I like the way you did the BBC page. Very good touch.

Damn right I am,

 

[TheGreemSim]

Part 2: The Sidelines: The Second XI​

RING! RING! Ring!
My alarm clock was blasting like a siren. I moaned and turned around to see the numbers 6 and 30 flash brightly on the clocks electronic screen.

With little strength I pulled myself up and out of bed and the first thing I did was march downstairs to check my emails, to see if I happened to be selected for the match against Warwickshire 2nd XI. Deep down I was hoping I wasn’t so I could have a peaceful Saturday to myself. Although as soon as that thought popped into my head I noticed my name on the team sheet.


To:
davisdaman@yahoo.co.uk , mattygitsham@hotmail.co.uk, d.fudgebrowny@live.co.uk, banerjeeboy@yahoo.com, thewoodman@msn.com, stayty@yahoo.co.uk, sax@gmail.com, sonson@gmail.com, irishman@yahoo.com, chrisdent@gloucestershireacademy.co.uk, eliotwitters@hotmail.co.uk, snellythesnail@live.co.uk

Subject:
2nd XI Team

From: johnbracewell@gloucestershirecricket.co.uk

Dear team,
Enclosed is the selection for the 2nd XI team today against Warwickshire 2nd XI. Congratulations to everyone who made the cut and apologies to those who didn’t. We will meet at the College ground at preciously 12pm.
I am also sorry to announce that team captain Chris Dent has informed me that he has pulled a muscle and is unfit to play.
Good luck and see you soon,
John Bracewell.

1.J. Campbell
2.R. Woodman
3.J. Thompson
4.E. Witters
5.S. Snell (wk) (vc)
6.M. Gitsham (c)
7.D. Brown
8.A. Sutton
9.T. Stayt (2)
10.V. Banerjee
11.T. Davies (1)

12th man Richard Dawson
​

Well it’s not the strongest batting side with Woodman and Thompson and Campbell then once David Brown goes out there’s nobody that can bat. I only know this because I looked at all their profiles on cricinfo.com.

I wonder if I was first choice or in for Chris dent. That was the only thought going through my head whilst I ate a small breakfast of a single piece of burnt toast with soggy weatbix which circled my bowl topped with a ridiculously unhealthy amount of sugar.

I spent the rest of the morning flicking previews to the ashes on Sky Sports 3 and highlights of soccer around the world on Sky Sports Xtra. Good to see my team HB Napier in New Zealand managed to cause an upset against Team Wellington scraping a 1-0 victory in the last minute.

At 11: 20 I checked my kitbag had everything I needed, from a bottle of lucozade sport, orange flavour of course, (the other flavours make me want to hurl) to the most important piece of equipment; my box and then walked out the door.

*​

The traffic was a nightmare, there was some sort of hot air balloon festival going on in town which the whole of Gloucestershire had showed up to see. Typical England, when 50 hot air balloons advertising ridiculous insurance companies that all offer the exact same thing launched a few 100 feet into the sky the whole city shows up, but when Bristol City are playing a hugely important rugby match against their rivals Bath to avoid relegation from the premier league everyone gets on with their dull lives as if nothing’s happening.

It was complete deadlock traffic, the constant noise of the engine rumbling and horns being tooted all round and in the back of my head I couldn’t help but be aware of the fact that Bristol is a host to the world’s longest traffic lights.

I couldn’t stop staring at the clock in the car the numbers kept ticking over each minute but my car still hadn’t moved.

*Beep*​

I jumped at the noise which was followed by flickering lights on my dashboard. 11:45, and I still wasn’t out of Bristol... Man was I gonna be late..



-TheGreemSim

 

[1iram1]

Amazing work! This is really great and fun to read!

 

[BKB1991]

Great story in the making. But i have a suggestion can u change the colour of the font? It bugs my eyes. KIU