Scene - top floor of the nations largest selling newspaper - Editor's Office
"Miss Jones ...... Miss Jones, get young Perkins in here!!! On the double!!!"
J. Jackie Johnson slumped back into his office chair behind his desk, and picked up Perkins report again.
He chewed hard on the unlit fat cigar in his mouth, and flicked to the next page, as the nasally voice of Miss jones crackled into his intercom.
"Peter Perkins here to see you, sir."
"Send him in!" bellowed Johnson, without even hitting the button on the intercom.
The door opens slightly, and Perkins slips through the gap, seemingly smaller than skinny body.
"Y-you w-wanted to see me? ... sir" stammers Perkins.
Johnson is standing now, and even though he is wearing very sturdy suspenders, grabs the waist-line of his pants, and hitches them up even higher.
"Listen Perkins, I sent you out there to write a story on the end of the BBL 11 SC season!" Johnson says quite firmly. Johnson continues, pointing at Perkins, as Perkins meekly raises a hand to just below shoulder height, to interject, but thinks better of it and lowers it down again. "What I didn't do, is send you out there, to write some Boy's Own, science fiction, made up, fantasy, bull crap!!!"
Johnson picks up Perkins report, and shakes it at him. "I mean, what is this???!!! You expect me to believe, that not only did one of the players get a double hat-trick, but another player scored over 150, and this .... this ...", Johnson searches for the name and reads it off the report "Diabolical Point had them both in his team????!!!!" Perkins tries to talk again, but can't bring himself to look directly at the ever reddening face of his angry boss. "I mean, you do
know Perkins, that no one has ever taken a double hat-trick in T20 cricket. You do know, that no one has ever made a 150 in BBL, don't you
Perkins???!!" Johnson is really winding himself up now, and edging closer to Perkins. Johnson looks like his head might explode. "The highest score,
Perkins, in BBL,
Perkins, is Marcus Stoinis' 147 in January 2020!!!!" "You do know,
Perkins" Johnson continued, his head so red and swollen now, Perkins is scared one or the other of them will pass out at any moment, "that Stoinis' score, is the only score ever recorded greater than M Wade's 130. You do know that, don't you,
Perkins????!!!!"
Johnson pauses just for a moment, daring Perkins to speak. Just as Perkins lips show the slightest sign of movement, Johnson launches again. "So in this fantasy you have written for us,
Perkins" the name being said more contemptuosly each time Johnson spits it out, "Not only has this "Biological Joint" [Perkins winces, as he corrects Johnson under his breath "It's Diabolical Point, sir"] snared the two greatest batting and bowling performances in BBL history", Johnson starts to quake with anger, as he chokes on the words, with spit coming out of his mouth, "but he also faded the Rounds strongest DGR players from the Sydney Sixers, and went in with just one! JUST ONE!!! No Abbott, no Henriques, no Philippe, No Dwarshuis, just Kerr. Just Kerr,
Perkins, just Kerr!!!! No, no, let's not play Abbott, the greatest wicket taker in BBL history, let's play" Johnson's voice in full mocking mode now "Layyy-Loorrr, is that what you want me to believe,
Perkins????!!!!
There's a moments silence, as Perkins tries to figure out if this was a rhetorical question or not, his eyes darting quickly left and right, as he quickly says "It's all true, sir." Perkins grabs the opportunity "They're saying it is one of the greatest tactical triumphs in fantasy sports history, sir". Perkins continues, as he senses Johnson anger subsiding slightly '"No one has ever ditched nearly all the big DGRs in an attempt to come from so far back. If you don't believe me, sir, you can go to cricinfo, and see the scores for yourself, sir". Perkins growing bolder with each sentence, as he sees Johnson struggling to comprehend what he's hearing. "A double hat-trick, AND a 150, all in the one day, and this Andrew that runs Diabolical Point had them both!!!" Perkins is nearly singing now "Can you just imagine it, sir? Watching records being broken, all to propel your team from a seemingly hopeless position, into first place!!!! Just imagine it, sir". Perkins pauses, feeling he may have spoken too much. Johnson is slumped back in his chair now, one hand shading his eyes, and keeping him from making direct eye contact with Perkins. Finally Johnson sits forward a little, and flicks his hand at Perkins, signalling for him to leave. Perkins gives a faint nod, and steps towards the door. Johnson picks up the report once more and halts Perkins at the door "Oh, and ... Perkins. See if you can get an interview with this Andrew from" Johnson squints as he reads the name "Diabolical Point. I should like to hear what he was thinking, and how it all felt, as the game was drawing to an end." Perkins smiles, but Johnson never sees it. Perkins slips through the gap in the door, only just slightly wider than the gap he entered through.
Johnson closes his eyes, and mutters with a little half smile in his voice "Fancy fading Abbott and all those Sixers in the last Round, only to win it with a 150 and a double hat-trick!" Johnson swings his chair a little, and imagines, that one day, just one day, that might be him.
Well done, Andrew. I hope the money brings you lots of joy, and is put to good use.
I know the victory will give you joy for years to come!
@Diabolical, a win for the good guys!!!!