The Century
An Unnamed Oxonian has an ambition to succeed as a Cricketer for Oxford and follow his famous Cricketer father's footsteps. He wishes to make a name for himself in the Oxford vs Cambridge cricket match.
In his first year- he makes the team and has a terrific season but somehow injures his finger before the final match. In his second year- he is in poor form and asks his captain to drop him from the finals. In his third year- he is the captain.
He struggles with the ball and with the bat getting out cheaply for a duck in the first innings. In his second innings- set a total of 214 to get- he struggles and nearly gets out- but after hooking a boundary- begins to score runs briskly. At his score on 99, he is stranded in the middle of the crease and the ball is with the opposition captain Robin Oakley who instead of running the captain out and thereby putting Cambridge in a winning position chooses to allow the captain to go back to the crease. The Captain hits a boundary, scores his hundred and deliberately gets out hit wicket to honour the opposition.
The match ends in a draw as rain pours down- thereby being the ideal situation expected for one and all.
The story is reportedly based on the famous Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan "Tiger" Pataudi (also known as the Nawab of Pataudi). Pataudi was a student at Oxford, and was involved in a serious car accident in which he lost the use of his right eye.
Read more about this topic: A Quiver Full Of Arrows