CHAPTER 4 PART 2

Previously, The Six are now 12 years old. It’s their last year at Primary School.

Tony had a successful debut season for the Otago Primary School 1st XI, they were now talking about him for the South Island Primary School 1st XI.

'M' was being talked about as a prospect for the Otago Primary Schools Wrestling Team. That would be a stepping stone to something bigger.

Tony made the South Island XI as a middle order batsman who could bowl medium pacers. He and the South Island XI had just lost their first two matches in the best of 5 series, and they needed to win their last three matches in order to win the series. Tony had learnt a lot from the two matches so far, and knew he needed to come back from that.

And come back he did, he helped to organize two great wins to tie the series up at 2 all with 1 match remaining, which was in his home city of Dunedin.




The next day, the North Island XI chose to bat first, and straight away had the South Island bowlers in trouble, and by the time Tony was brought on it looked as if the horse had bolted. The openers were once again in fine form, and had gone to 125 with out loss as they headed to lunch.

Tony bowled the first 3 overs and he gave the openers no chance to hit the deliveries, and they were like bewildered that none of the deliveries were really tight wicket taking ones. And with 4 more overs left til lunch, 2 of them could have been Tony’s to bowl, Tony was taken off.

Tony returned to the bowling crease 10 overs after lunch but the openers were beginning to open up again, the score was 160 for 0.

The first ball that Tony bowled in his new spell, the first opener who was on strike let it go past. He looked at Tony’s reaction, it wasn’t a good ball. Maybe he was indeed off of his game, after the first four games.

When the second ball came it surprised him so much that he never had time to react, and his wickets were up ended.

Three balls later Tony, who had had the 1st Drop Batsman’s number all season had him again caught behind and all of a sudden at 160
for 0 became 160 for 2.

At the start of the next over, the second opener was on strike. Tony was smiling at him from the run up.

The first three balls Tony bowled some great balls, the opener was struggling, and then all of a sudden, the slower ball came out of no where, the opener had misjudged the delivery, he was beaten and his wickets were up ended.

Tony heard the screams of his friends from across the park. He turned to look at them, and wave to them, as his team mates started jumping on him.

The danger men had gone. The North Island were tetering at 163 for 3.

By the end of his spell Tony managed to chip out a 4th wicket, and the North Island were 170 for 4.

Within the next 30 runs, the other bowlers picked up their games, and managed to get a further 5 wickets. The North Island team were 202 for 9 when Freddie handed Tony the ball.

FREDDIE: "Go get your 5 Wicket Bag. You deserve it."

TONY: “Thanks.”

The first 3 balls to the tail ended fooled him, but that’s what Tony wanted him to see, because the very next ball was the straight fast one, and the tail ender could not react in time, and the ball rapped the pad. Again everyone in close proximity went up and they all cheered when the umpire raised his finger.

The North Island team were all out for 202 just before tea, and they still had the late afternoon to use if they had the chance but now couldn’t.

The South Island team could now prepare longer for tomorrow.


Tony was sitting with his friends in the stands.

WENDY: “What do you expect tomorrow will happen?"

TONY: “Judging on past experiences, I think we will lose our top order early, and we will be struggling to make up the total, but I’m in form that I can go for it with the help of everyone else.”

'M': "Well we are all backing you.”


Next morning Tony was sitting with his friends at the beginning of the game, and it didn’t take long before his prediction game true. The North Island bowlers were bowling furiously, and the openers and the first drop didn’t stand a chance as they making a statement from the previous day.When the 3rd wicket went down the score was 12 for 3. Now the 203 looked miles away.

Jack had been sitting with his friends, when the wickets tumbled. He decided he better go pad up. No sooner had he got back to his team, and had his pads on, Freddie was bowled.

Tony took an over to allow himself to settle down, and then he broke loose. He picked up 12 runs, then another 12, and then 14 to be on 38 come drinks. Quirkes supported him with 4, 5 and then 16 to be on 25 and the partnership was 63, and the score was 83 for 4 at drinks.

Then heading to lunch Quirkes swash buckled his way for another 40 runs, and Tony held in there with another 12 runs of his own to take his total to 50, and Quirkes took his total to 65, and the team total 135 for 4. Still an amazing 68 runs to get.

The fact that they were now on top of the bowlers proved a massive difference. But just before lunch, disaster struck, Quirkes was bowled after mistiming a shot. And the South Island were now tetering at 135 for 5.

Tony and James went out to the middle, but the first ten overs, they looked like they were digging in for the long haul, and only 20 runs were made between them in that time. 5 from Tony which put him on 55, and 15 from James. And then the North Island XI snared James.

Sven joined Tony in the middle, the score was 155 for 6. Within a space of an over Tony showed the North Island XI his intentions, he ripped 12 off an over, Sven ripped 6 off the same over. Tony went to 67, and Sven was on 6 and the score was 173 for 6.

Sven lead the way the next over with 10 runs to take the score to 183 for 6, and now 19 was needed. Then for a few overs, the North Island Primary bowlers managed to get back on track and sent a few good ones to both Tony and Sven which they just kept out. And when Sven went moments after that, 20 runs looked bleak. 183 for 7.

As he was waiting for Smith to walk to the crease, Tony decided it was either now or never.

The next over Tony stepped up. He smashed two fours, then a six in the first three deliveries to then block the rest out to take his score 81, and the score to 197. Six were needed to win the game.

But then next over Adam received a great delivery and he was bowled, and the score was now 197 for 8.

Dean survived two balls before he hit a great delivery, and they ran three runs, which put Tony on strike.But Tony couldn’t deal to some great bowling to finish off the over, and once again he was stranded at the non strikers end. The score was 200 for 8.

Next over first ball, Dean hit a single to get Tony back on strike, and two balls later, Tony hit a belter, he ran hard for the first run.

TONY: “Push it, push it.”

He got to the non strikers end, looked where the ball was and made the choice.

TONY: “Second run, now.”

He ran hard, so did Dean. He dived as the ball was coming flying back to the wicket keeper, and he dived for the line. He was sprawled out, and he looked across to the umpire standing at square leg. He had his finger down. Did that mean that the 2nd Run counted? He sat up and looked down the wicket at Dean, and Dean was smiling. They had done the impossible and won the match.

From 2 nil down in the series, Tony had helped engineered a remarkable 3 game come back. All with the support of his friends.

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Mastermind had just arrived in Beijing, China, fresh from being at King of The Ring at Madison Square Gardens in New York. He just finished having a shower, and was now sitting down looking out the window. He notices the camera.

"I best respond to Monolith. He's finally come out from under the rock where he was hiding to do some promos. Finally. I thought I was talking to myself at one point."

Mastermind laughs and then opens his lap top. The Promo of Monolith came on. Mastermind paused it.

"I found you're first promo incoherent, so no use talking about that, but your second promo improved."[/quote]

Quote:my stock has fallen pretty low right now. Still, even I didn't think I'd come so far down the XWF hierarchy that I'd get lumbered with some mid-card non-entity like Mastermind for an opponent.

"I don't consider myself mid card material, and I'm sorry that you consider yourself to be mid card. I'll fix that up for you and push you back down the card to the cellar dwellars. I've been on a roll of a late, since losing War Games, but you'll be an after thought when I move on to better and bigger things."

Quote:Do you honestly believe that a puny weakling such as yourself will be able to lock a beast like me in a submission hold? Do you honestly think you can make me tap? Bigger and better men than you have tried, Mastermind. And bigger and better men than you have failed!

"Do I honestly believe that I am greater than you? Yes. Do I honestly believe that I can beat a beast like yourself? Hell yeah. Do I honestly believe I can make you tap after I put you in my submission hold the Mind Controller? Hell yeah. I will raise above you and I will beat you. One way or another Monolith I WILL Beat you. That's a god dam guarantee. You don't scare me, and I don't scare easily. So you will be the one to fall by my wayside.

"Like it or not that's the way it's going to happen. Now if you can excuse me, I'm knackered from my flight. I'll speak to you tomorrow."

Mastermind turns off his lap top, and ushers the camera man out of his room.