Free Web NovelChapter 57: Quiet Quarterfinal
Quarterfinal day finally arrived.
And honestly—
the pressure around Metro Sports Ground felt completely different now.
Bigger crowd.
More cameras.
More school banners.
And most importantly—
district scouts sitting clearly near commentary box.
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The moment Shastri School entered the ground—
people immediately searched for one player.
Sahil.
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Students shouted his name during warmups.
Phone cameras followed batting drills.
Even commentary started discussing him before toss.
> "Most explosive batter of the tournament."
> "Strike rate above 220."
> "And now — knockout pressure officially begins."
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The system appeared briefly.
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KNOCKOUT MATCH DETECTED
Performance Growth Multiplier: ACTIVE
Scout Evaluation: ACTIVE
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Quarterfinal 1
Shastri School frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
vs
Riverdale School
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Kabir won toss.
And immediately chose bowling.
Smart decision.
Pitch looked slow.
Dry surface.
Not easy for strokeplay.
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Commentary noticed instantly.
> "Interesting surface today."
> "This doesn’t look like a 200-run wicket."
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And for first time in tournament—
Shastri’s bowlers completely dominated.
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Aman bowled brutal opening spell.
Ravi controlled middle overs perfectly again.
Kabir rotated spin smartly.
Fielding stayed sharp throughout.
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Riverdale never settled properly.
Every boundary felt difficult.
Every risky shot carried danger.
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Even commentary sounded impressed.
> "This is championship-level bowling."
> "Shastri are squeezing Riverdale completely."
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One moment especially lifted crowd loudly.
Riverdale captain mistimed lofted shot toward deep midwicket.
Sahil sprinted sideways—
DIVED—
and caught it brilliantly inches above ground.
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The crowd erupted instantly. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
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Commentary shouted immediately.
> "HE DOES IT IN FIELD TOO!"
> "That is a sensational catch from Sahil!"
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FIELDING REVIEW
Pressure Catch: SUCCESSFUL
Reaction Timing: Improved
Reward: +1 Agility
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Riverdale collapsed afterward.
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Riverdale School — 117 All Out (18.4 Ov)
Top Bowlers
Ravi — 4-0-19-3
Aman — 3.4-0-21-2
Kabir — 4-0-18-2
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Honestly—
117 looked far too low against Shastri’s batting lineup.
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Still—
Coach Verma remained serious during innings break.
"No careless cricket."
Then he added calmly:
"Knockouts punish stupidity."
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The chase began professionally.
No panic.
No unnecessary aggression.
---
Rohan attacked loose balls.
Aman rotated strike beautifully.
Kabir anchored everything calmly.
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And suddenly—
the match ended before Sahil even padded fully.
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Shastri School — 118/2 (14.1 Ov)
Won by 8 wickets
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Top Scorers
Kabir — 46* (39)
Rohan — 33 (24)
Aman — 21 (18)
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Sahil
Did Not Bat
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For first time in tournament—
the crowd looked almost disappointed afterward.
Because everyone came expecting fireworks.
And Sahil never even reached crease.
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Commentary laughed about it too.
> "Entire stadium waiting for pull shots..."
> "And Shastri finish chase too comfortably."
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Even Riverside boys complained loudly from stands.
"WE CAME FOR SIXES!"
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Sahil himself looked slightly frustrated while packing gloves afterward.
Because deep down—
he wanted knockout statement innings badly.
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The system appeared quietly.
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MATCH REVIEW
Team Result: DOMINANT WIN
Host Contribution: MODERATE
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Positive Contributions
✔ High-pressure catch
✔ Dugout support stability
✔ Warmup readiness maintained
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District Scout Evaluation
Batting: Insufficient sample today
Fielding: Positive impression created
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Then another line appeared.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
Not every impactful knockout performance requires batting.
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That thought stayed in Sahil’s head longer than expected.
Because maybe—
real cricket wasn’t only about sixes anymore.
