Indulge in book cricket

Team L&M

In the current times when sports is facing a pandemic challenge and viewers are missing the game that might have helped them keep their minds off the stress built up due to second wave and its carnage, It’s Only Live Once by Ishan Kamdar is a unique book that highlights the experience of sports for players and sports lovers in the current times.
Written using “book cricket”, the action unfolds in real time, with the twist and turns of a real-life game. Experienced from the perspective of a millennial fan with access to the internet, a short attention span, and a thrill for live sport. This is the first cricket book that introduces a female character into the “mens’” team and pulls in twitter characters and conversations in a never before seen manner.

Here’s an extract that sees Sonia Chancellor, the female cricket player, enter the game and take the strike.
“England are collapsing? They were in a very strong position at 122 for 2 back in the 20th over at 221-7 it is a very different story. They will not be able to accelerate at the back end of the innings for fear of not getting to the end?”
“Bobby Jungan, when he was on earlier, called it completely correctly, they could get all out for 250 trying to chase 350, when 300 would probably be respectable. With the batting to come I think 300 is a very long way off now and if Bill can get them another 50 or so runs in the next 15 overs then they will take 280 given where they are right now. The Indians will try and keep Bill off strike and try to plough through Sonia, Hunter and Mo. He is really going to have to use his head to get to the end, as the rest of them can’t be expected to bat against a top bowling attack like India’s. Sonia is in next, a crowd favourite on both side, so she will get support from them, but Sharma knows her game, and knows where she is weak, so will have a plan.”
“Indeed Andy, Sonia Chancellor has got her pads on and strides out to the middle having been promoted up the order before the start of play to number 8, ahead of Hunter French. She has lots of experience of this Indian bowling attack having faced them all recently out at the IPL. Although she didn’t really do that much batting until a few weeks ago at the Mumbai vs Mohali match where she was able to guide Mumbai to a 3 wicket win with some sensible batting. She couldn’t help Mumbai qualify for the playoffs though and she was back in the UK preparing for this tournament just a week later.”
“Yes I watched that one on YouTube actually and she came up against Nikil Panda there. As usual he opened the bowling for Mohali and so she didn’t face him directly, but would know his style very well and will know what to expect. I think she will be more dangerous against Shubanka though. They are both leggies, and I know that she has been watching and learning from his tricks a lot to help her own bowling. That should make it easier for her to pick his variations and maybe score some runs. Shubanka has 5 overs left still so if she can see off the quicks then she may get a chance.”
“Yes that’s right Jon, Shubanka has 5 overs left, Panda has another 4 after this one. Mopal only has 1, Azer 2 and Pooran 3. So Panda to continue to Chancellor.”
Panda to Chancellor, 1 run, off the mark straight away, short delivery pulled away to square leg and Trahar fields on the boundary.
Panda to Jones, 2 runs, premeditated reverse sweep on a back of a length ball clipped down past Bihari at slip who has to chase it down to the boundary to collect.
Panda to Jones, no run, defended back to the bowler.
Panda to Jones, 1 run, the field comes in to prevent the single though a full delivery is squeezed out towards midwicket and Mopal cannot get around quickly enough before the single is taken.
Panda to Chancellor, 1 run, on the off stump and neatly driven towards Kapoor on the cover boundary. The batswomen calls for a run loudly, catching the non-striker a bit off guard, who was expecting to hold his ground and then keep the strike for the next over.