Story The Challenge - A Battrick Story

[voldemort]

On 4th August 2007, two brave managers decided to undertake a huge challenge. They chose to try to make it to the top without buying a single player. As they progress, they will play each other to test who the better team is. The challenge to them is to become better than the other without using the Transfer Market. The managers were Zorax and Effine, And they have taken on:

"The Blind Society will be under the management of Zorax, the Ex - TT Lions manager. Although blind, they are very well trained in Cricket and under the guidance of Zorax, they are sure to improve a lot."

"Sneaky Penguins will be under the manament of Effine, who hails from Sri Lanka, after a roller coaster ride with Sinhala Ranaweera [formerly Aura]. The Sneaky Penguins play for homeless penguins who drifted away from the Antartic and take refuge in West Indies. Surprisingly, some of the penguins took up cricket and play for the team."

Stay tuned...

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I can't stand it anymore! No team to manage, no nets to assign, no matches to attend, no players to yell at, nothing!! I need a job, and I need it quick!

It's been 3 weeks. Three long weeks, since I was fired from my job at the TT Lions. The board decided the team wasn't living up to their potential after a poor season. I tried to explain, I really did. I told them that our team's morale was lower than it had ever been, that we were out of our depth, that the players needed time before they were ready for this level. The players tried to explain, saying they were trying their best, Wavell and Xavier said they were exahusted from playing with the U-19 squad, that they weren't at their best. All ignored. 2 games to go till the end of the season, they sacked me. The players couldn't stand for it. They all quit, and left to play for other teams. The squad was re-made and rehashed with a bunch of ameaturs. But the damage was done. A week later, the Board announced that the TT Lions were no-more, and the team was left to rot until some other manager came for it.

But what about me? I couldn't go back, not now, hell no. Not when people didn't trust me to bring the team back. Not when my squad had moved on. No. I needed a new team. I needed a new challenge.

For 3 weeks I search and scoured. Nothing. No team wanted to hire me. I looked all over, England, Australia, New Zealand, India, you name it. Sure, teams didn't mind me giving them advice, hanging around, to be an assistant coach. But that's not what I wanted. I wanted a team of my own. A talented squad that needed fine tuning, a ground which flans will flock to in droves to see their favourite players, a league of teams to scout and tactics and orders to set. But no one wanted me. No one wanted a has-been.

As I sat there at my desk, head in my hands, moaning about how my career was over, the phone rang.

RRRRIIIIINNG!
RRRRIIIIINNG!

I grabbed at the phone and snatched it off it's hooks.

"Hello?!?!?!"
"Hello, is this Mr...umm..err. 'Zorax Doom' ?"
"YES, that's me!"
"Ah, okay. Well Mr. Doom, I'm calling to offer you a job!"
"A JOB!! YEAA...uh, umm I mean, a job? Cool..."
"Yes. It is a coaching job with a local team here in Trinidad and Tobago, 45th Street.."
"I'll be there!"
"But sir.."

I slammed the phone back down.

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

********************************************************

I rushed to the ground as fast as I could. The last words I caught before hanging up on the man on the phone were "In half and hour". I got there in 15 minutes. The ground wasn't huge, quite a bit smaller than The Lion Stands, but definately had room for improvement. Seeing I had 15 minutes, I made a quick phone call. Or three.

******************************************************

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!?!" Screamed a man in a suit as he walked into the ground. He wasn't mad. You had to scream. The noises of construction bloked out everything else.

"HELLO! YOU MUST BE THE MAN ON THE PHONE! I'M ZORAX DOOM!!"

"OH, HELLO, WELCOME! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!!!"

"OH, THIS? I'M JUST UPDATING THE GROUND A BIT. DON"T WORRY, IT WON'T COST THE TEAM A THING! THIS IS MY GIFT TO THE SQUAD!"

"OH, WELL, THAT'S GREAT, BUT..."

"SEE THAT? THAT'S A NEW PAVILLION, LOADED WITH ALL THE TECHNOLOGY A DRESSING ROOM NEEDS NOW-A-DAYS. INTERNET CONNECTION, LAPTOPS, BIG-SCREEN TV, YOU NAME IT!"

"OH, WOW! BUT SEE..."

"AND THAT ON THE LEFT? THAT'S WHAT I CALL A SKY-DOME! IT'S LIKE A ROOF, WHICH ALLOWS PLAY IN RAIN OR SNOW! AND TO BE HONEST, IT LOOKS PRETTY DAMN COOL!"

OH, EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. BUT SEE..."

"AND ON THE RIGHT? A LARGE SCREEN TV! SO THE CROWD AND THE PLAYERS CAN SEE ALL THE BEST SHOTS OR PIECES OF FIELDING OVER AND OVER AGAIN! HELPS THEM LEARN FROM THEIR FLAWS. MONKEY SEE'S, MONKEY DOES, NO?"

"THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU! THAT PLAYERS, THEY CAN'T SEE!!!"

"WHAT'S THAT??"

"THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THIS! THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THEM"

"I DON'T GET YOU..."

"THEY ARE BLIND!!!!"

"WHAT????"

"THEY ARE BLIND!!!!!!!"

The ground fell silent. Contstruction stopped everywhere. All eyese were on us.

"Your new team. It's The Blind Society. The players you are managing are blind."




Well, I did want a challenge...

***********************************************

 

[surendar]

Hey..... I am sure that this is going to be interesting journey in BT The story of TTLions is still one of my favourites which showed me the Battrick.

Good luck to you two

 

[handsome]

Awesome start guys.......i ejoyed reading the Zorax part as well. I am looking forward to the first match which is supposed to be today?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Friendly Match Announced!!!
"Penguins to play the Blind"​

A friendly match has been announced between two very...er...'Special' teams. The Blind Society will play the Sneaky Penguins at the Z-Dome today within a few hours. The match is expected to be a thriller, and promises to be a match you won't want to miss -I mean, how often do you get to see Penguins play against Blind People at a game of cricket?? Be sure to watch it!

Click here for more information.

****************************************'

After getting the full details of my new job here, I decided to head over to the practice nets and see what these players have got. And I must say, I was impressed. For a bunch of blind blokes, they play pretty well!!
So after a few hours at the nets, I have narrowed down the best of the squad to the following:

Aaron Floors
Age: 19
Position: RM Bowler, RH lower order bat.
Review: A very talented youngster. Justin Elvins and him remind me of the combo of Drayton and Atkinson. Both complement each other brilliantly. Both of them were born blind, and were raised together, and form a brilliant pair for two lads who have never seen each other! Aaron is the more aggressive of the pair, gets good swing and can bowl some brilliant deliveries. Can hit the ball quite hard too if he connects.

Bernard Stearman
Age: 23
Position: RH Top order batsman
Review: A wonderful batsman. Really is. If he wasn't blind, he make the TT Lions easily! Heck, he'd make the team as he is! Has brilliant timing and placement, and likes to score runs quick. When he gets in, he is hard to get out. Definately one to watch.

Conor Whittles
Age: 22
Position: LH Spin bowler
Review: A good, tidy spinner. However, he is in terrible shape for a man his age and needs to work on bowling good consistent spells. But is the only slow bowler in the team, and has the potential to be a leading bowler.

Cory Camebridge
Age: 24
Position: LFM bowler
Review: A good, effective seamer. The fittest player of the team and a athletic fieldsman. Has a good head on his shoulders, and should have a good influence in the field.

Denis Holmshaw
Age: 22
Position: RH Batsman
Review: What he lacks for in fitness and concentration, he makes for in pure talent and a good cricketing brain. Needs a bit of work, but can be a vital player of the squad.

Edward Brookes
Age: 22
Position: RH Batsman, Wicketkeeper.
Review: A skilled proffessional. Works hard, and has a lot of potential. Takes his time while batting, likes to build and innings, and does a nice job behind the stumps. Has some way to go before he establishes himself as a top-order batsman and a quality keeper, but he is getting there.

Frankie Gomez
Age: 18
Position: RH Batsman
Review: A hard-hitting, talented younster. Makes for a solid middle order batsman, and just keeps getting better. Will go a long way with the team, I have high hopes for him.

Justin Elvins
Age: 19
Position: RM Bowler
Review: Aaron Floors' partner in crime. Has a steady head to complement Aaron's aggression, and is expected to take the new ball. Gets good pace from a short runup,and can suprise many batsmen. Doesn't bowl much more than accurate medium pace though, and is working on new tricks.

Kenny Mavuso
Age: 25
Position: RH Batsman
Review: The newest member to the team, seeing as he went blind just a year ago. But he has adjusted, and brings a lot of cricketing expertise to the team. Is a solid batsman in the middle order and a good presence in the field.

Leroy Gooding
Age: 23
Position: LH batsman, Wicketkeeper.
Review: He is a neat batsman who could make the team on his batting alone. However, since he is a fringe player, he has taken up wicketkeeping, and so remains Brooke's backup. He's got talent, and should do well.

Lewis Carey
Age: 28
Position: RF Bowler
Review: The veternan of the team. This strong man is expected to lead the bowling attack and the team, with plenty of experience behind him and a solid cricketing brain. He is getting on the years though, so isn't at his peak and doesn't expect to be around longer than a season or two.

Masimo Haishem
Age: 20
Position: RH Batsman
Review: What this little man lacks in batting talent, he makes up for it in gut, strength and hard work. Has a bright future ahead, and is expected to lead the batting lineup.

Sterling Mpho
Age: 21
Position: LF Bowler
Review: A terrifyingly quick bowler, who will remain on the fringes due to poor stamina. But is working hard in the nets and should be set to take over Lewis Carey as the team's quick when the time comes.

Stuart Bonner
Age: 21
Positiion: RH bat, RF Bowler
Review: Ah, the allrounder. At the age of 17, he had so much talent, and was touted to be the next Flintoff, bowling pure pace and hitting the ball hard. However, he went blind in an accident, wasn't the same since, and gave up cricket. His physical ability dropped a lot and he lost some of skills with bat and ball. But upon hearing about the formation of this team. he has made a comeback, and is a new man. He is nowhere as talented or fit as he was, but can still bowl at a very good speed and is a capable batsman. He is still young, and is working hard to regain his old talents. Definately an asset to the team.


In a few hours, these lads will be making their debut as a team. Here is hoping for the best.

 

[voldemort]

"What? you got to be kidding, You got a job to teach blind men play cricket? Well best of luck. Cant wait till my bowlers break a few bones of your blind men, then it could be the Blind and Fractured Society"

I kept the phone down laughing at the misfortune of Zorax was in. So, Finally here was the chance for me to outshine Zorax for the first time. I was called for a post of manager as well in Antigua.

"Hello, I came to apply for the post of manager for the er..umm.. Sneaky Penguins." "Ah yes, you must be Effine, i was just going through your profile, Its nice to know that you love your players to death, I am sure the players would be happy to see you."

We walked a while to the ground which was occupied by 18 penguins.

"Are they your mascots?" "No, no Effine, they arent our mascots, They are our players. You will be teaching them cricket."

Far from not seeing, I doubt they could hold the bat, or bowl, or at least run, as i watched one of the penguins took hold of the ball and began to waddle to what seemed like a bowlers lineup...

...waddle, waddle, waddle... crack! the penguin who was holding the bat didnt have time to move, as the ball sped down to hit the legstump...

"Ah Effine, meet Mr.Jepson, he will be your Assistant and translator"

"Alright" I said, "lets get to work..."

 

[surendar]

lol nice interview there.. This story has already started off well Two teams making their first international appearance against each other should be interesting to see :cool:

 

[voldemort]

The Blind Society whack The Penguins, Resistance goes in vain​

Haishen Shines, Fabians knock goes unnoticed​

One of the surprising games in the world of cricket, No one had seen a team of Penguins and Blinds face each other. And a matter of dispute among scientists, It was left to see who could play the best.

Starting off, Carey, the captain for the Blinds used his sixth sense well to win the toss and decided to bat first on a green pitch. First over, Davison, waddle, waddle, waddle, smack! Out of the ground for six. This onslaught continued till the 13th over, before Roe struck by claiming Stearman for 27. The next pair of Haishen and Holmshaw put up 119 runs for the 2nd wicket before Haishen too was bowled by Roe for 92 and the team were at 183/2. Then there were a few small partnerships and The Blind Society ran off to 280/5. With a great 20 off 8 by Brooke.

The second Innings was one of the oddest that one would have ever seen. Starting off with a 4, the Penguins collapsed to 6/1 then 6/2 and finally 6/3. Fabian and Hedley played good enough to take the score to 73/3 before Hedley fell to Cambridge for 37 and next ball Swift was gone for a golden duck. A short while later Clegg was out too and it was Fabian and Davison struggling at 95/6 with 185 runs to win at 6 per over. Although it seemed impossible, Fabian and Davison put up 140 for the 7th wicket taking the score to a hopeful 235/6. Davison fell to Carey at 80. And slowly the score moved to 265/9 in the 49th over. With 15 runs required, it was Lisbie at strike. He managed a four, but was stumped with 3 balls remaining. Fabian was not out at 109 off 116 and The Blind Society dragged themselves to a 10 run victory.

Haishen was handed the Man of the Match award. Though it is sure that his spot in the managers heart will be a better news than the Man of the Match

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Really close match you Arctic Waddlers.But don't worry, we'll get better and beat you more comprehensively next time

 

[Gilly Fan]

Oh no! Your new Lisbie made more runs than my Lisbie!

I'm loving this story already! Nice work boys.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Net Sessions!!​

Well, today was training day, and I must say, it was rather interesting! Training a bunch of blind cricketers was fun and enlightining, although rather dangerous at times! After 3 hours of bowling, batting, ducking stray balls and pushing the guys out of their path, there were some positives to be gained:
+ Haishen has definately improved his batting. Has been working hard and explains yesterday's brilliant innings.
+ Floors has started bowling a better line and less bad balls. Always good.
+ Brookes, Gomez, Bonner and Elvins all looked a little better than when I first saw them.
So a good week to start off with, and looking forawrd to next week!

 

[voldemort]

Day 1 ​

So we start off with a defeat. Of all the things to go bad, it was Zorax taunt that made my heart heavy. Thanks to Fabian, I didnt have to die with shame. It seems that the Penguins werent exactly accustomed to cricket. They did badly in nets, with the exception of a few like Rogan, Fabian, Davison [who really seems to like the heat] and Cunningham. A knock came at the door and I was greeted by my assistant. "We have bad news. It seems that all the 7 opponents in your division are way better than us. I dont think we will be able to scrape through this." Saying this he left me alone with another worry. I couldnt make these penguins give their best in every match, especially when I had to rely on two or three of them. I thought about what I had done with my last team. *sigh* I didnt expect myself to do it this early, but I had to pull my trick card out...

 

[zainawan89]

Really Good looking guys keep it up.

 

[aussie1st]

First blood to the Blind, poor Penguins just could pull of the upset.

 

[surendar]

i followed this match to some extent in BT that day.. Effine provided a great ressistance after loosing 6 wickets. Anyways good game from both the teams