Doctor Who: Black Orchid Read Online Free Page B

repositioning for the next over keeping the open watch in his hand. And then he saw something that made him speak his anguished thoughts aloud. ‘No, no, man! Not now, not now!’ The visitors’
    captain had decided on a change of bowler and he and the new man were in earnest consultation about the placing of the field. As the discussion become protracted Sir Robert’s excitement took on frenetic proportions. ‘Come on, come on! Get on with it!’ he said loudly enough to turn a number of heads. He looked at his watch again and muttered angrily, ‘Two and a half minutes. He can’t do it!’
    The new bowler was of medium pace with a short run up. His first ball was straight and on a good length. The Doctor played it defensively back down the wicket. The bowler fielded the ball and made his way leisurely to his mark. Cranleigh crossed two fingers and Sir Robert began very slightly to twitch. Lady Cranleigh looked at him with raised eyebrows.
    ‘Robert,’ she said sweetly, ‘if you don’t calm down you’ll do yourself an injury.’
    Sir Robert licked dry lips but didn’t take his eyes from the play. The next ball was short outside the off stump and the Doctor drove it through cover for four. He was on ninety-five. The ball had come to the boundary close enough to Sir Robert for him to be tempted to take quick charge of it and throw it in himself. His fever had infected Cranleigh who began himself to vocalise his thoughts.
    ‘Come on, man! A six!’
    Lady Cranleigh smiled secretly. What boys they were!
    The next ball was again on a length and Cranleigh’s prayer was not answered. The Doctor played it coolly with a forward prod. The bowler, conscious that his opponent was within a few runs of his century, was giving nothing away and the next ball was again on a good line and length.
     
    The Doctor got forward to the pitch of it and pushed it firmly back to the bowler. Cranleigh looked quickly at Sir Robert who only sensed the move since his eyes were firmly on the field. He flicked a look at his watch and said,
    ‘Less than two minutes.’
    ‘A six, a six,’ breathed Cranleigh.
    The fifth ball kept dangerously low and turned spitefully rapping the Doctor on the pad. There was a loud appeal, more optimistic than informed, and the umpire was unmoved.
    ‘A minute,’ muttered Sir Robert. The bowler started his short run up to deliver the last ball of the over fully intending to frustrate the Doctor’s bid for a single run to allow him to change ends. The delivery was straight and on a length but the Doctor leaned back to give himself room and, with a stroke not in the text books, clipped the ball hard past the mid-on fieldsman and began to run. The Doctor’s intention was to run three and the batsmen crossed and recrossed. Sir Robert exchanged a look with Cranleigh and put his watch away glumly. ‘That’s that then,’ he said.
    The Doctor completed his second run and called again to his partner as the fieldsman got his hand to the ball and turned to throw in. The Doctor had two thirds of the pitch to run and the fieldsman threw hard at the stumps at the bowler’s end. The ball sped past the stumps and the Doctor was home. But there was no back up to the throw in and the ball went on through to the boundary.
    ‘Four runs!’ gasped Cranleigh incredulously..
    ‘Seven with the overthrow,’ almost shouted Sir Robert snatching out his watch. ‘He’s done it! He must have done it! Yes, he’s done it!’ He performed a little jig.
    ‘If you start dancing now, Robert,’ said Lady Cranleigh smoothly, ‘you’ll have no energy left for this evening.’
    The two men beamed upon her with delight and joined in the prolonged applause that greeted the Doctor’s century. ‘Will it count, d’you think?’ asked Cranleigh.
     
    ‘What?’
    ‘The record? It’s not a first class game.’
    ‘Not a first class game!’ expostulated Sir Robert. ‘You’re playing a minor county side, aren’t you? Of course it’s a