The reading for today cometh from the book of Rahman V1-35.
Highgate Wood, 6/29/2013
Pacific won by 4 runs
Pacific: 117 [J.Rahman 4-23]
Strongroom: 113 [T.Ireland 4-12]
View the Scorecard
1 The word of the Gower came unto Rahman ''Rise up and go to the wood of the Gate that is High, for the Pacificites have come up before me, and the tribes of Proctor, Mellor and Schneider have hidden themselves from mine eyes, so I have chosen thee to lead the Strongroomers to victory''.
2 So Rahman girded up his loins and travelled in the belly of the underground until he came to the station of the gate and from there he followed the path to the ground where the Strongroomers and the Pacificites were to do contest.
3 When the Strongroomers knew Rahman had been sent by the Gower to lead them, they left their nets and gathered their bags and made to the scorebox to await the starting of the match.
4 Rahman had gone out to the square and he said to Hopper, leader of the Pacificites, ''call thee Heads or Tails, for the time has come partake of the toss".
5 Rahman prayed that Hoppers call would be false, and Rahman proclaimed "Strongroom shall field".
6 Then Rahman gathered the Strongroomers before him and he spoke all these words:
7 "I am Rahman your captain, sent by the Gower to lead you".
8 "You shall field in no other place but where I have set you"
9 "You shall not bowl wide, nor short, nor long but shall pitch on a length that is good"
10 "You shall not covet your neighbour's catch, but shall call it and make it your own"
11 "You shall run hard and with haste and shall not throw like your daughters throw"
12 "These are the commandments that I give to you, if you follow them your balls shall fly as swallows through the air and dance like rams off the pitch, and the Pacificites will suffer greatly at your hands, I am Rahman your captain".
13 The Strongroomers heeded the words of Rahman, and they bowled straight with a length that was good and when the overs numbered but few, Grant of the tribe of Dixon had taken two wickets, for no catches were dropped.
14 And Grant of the tribe of Dixon gave to Zain, and Zain gave to Gabbay, and Gabbay gave to Ashraf, and Ashraf gave to Rahman, the captain of the Strongroomers whose wickets numbered four, and Rahman gave to Ellis, who woreth not the spikes, and Ellis gave to Moore, who had travelled from Winchester, and he tooketh the final wicket.
15 When the innings was over the Strongroomers looked to the scorebox, and they rejoiced for they saw that it read "117 all out", and Rahman saw that it was good.
17 Then the Strongroomers fell upon the ground before Rahman and cried out to him "place us not at number 10 or 11, lest we not get a chance to bat".
18 But Rahman looked to Gabbay and said "Take thy bat of the finest English willow, and make to the pitch where thou shalt place a mark on leg, or on middle or on middle and leg."
19 "Then bat thee off the front foot, and bat not off the back foot, nor shall thee allow thy bat to swing across the line and thou shalt not seek to smite balls off a length that is good"
20 "Stay thee for long, and score thy runs slowly and in a measured fashion, for I have commanded it, I am Rahman your captain".
21 And Rahman turned also to Moore, who had travelled from Winchester, and gave unto him the same instructions, and he said "these are the ones to open the batting, for they have found favour in mine eyes, I am Rahman your captain".
22 Now Moore and Gabbay batted according to the commandment of Rahman for twenty overs or more and the scorebox had reached 63 before Hopper, captain of the Pacificites, chose Ireland, a man of left arm and low stature, to attack the Strongroomers.
23 Ireland looked to the pitch and saw skid and pace, and the Strongroomers suffered at his hands, for he had found their edges.
24 When the Strongroomers saw what Ireland the the Pacificites had done they feared for their score had reached 107 whilst Zain and Ellis, who woreth not the spikes, were batting with but one wicket remaining.
25 Then Zain smote Webley for four far above his head, and then struck a single so that the Strongroomers were only 5 runs short.
26 But Satish, the tallest of the cricketers, bowled from the other side, and Zain to smite him also, but he missed and the stumps were broken.
27 Then Rahman rent his garments and wept and called out to the Strongroomers "Did I not lead you well in the field?"
28 And they replied "you did".
29 "Did you not bowl as I commanded?"
30 And they answered "we did".
31 "Did not the Pacificites score fewer than us off the bat?"
32 And they said "they did".
33 "Then how can this be?"
34 Rahman then looked to the signs on the scorebook and saw that the Strongroomers' extras numbered 40, and he said "now it is understood".
35 Now the Strongroomers feared the wrath of the Gower for this loss, but Rahman calmed them and blessed them and brought them to the place where stands the Man of the Wood where he joined them with the Pacificites and they made sat together and bought each other rounds.
Here endeth the reading for today.
Written By: M.Gabbay
|