“CIBBL - Y7, Summer - GSS: Athel Loren vs Skavenblight - R2:

The first game of the Great Summer Showdown had ended in disaster for the Meddlers. A fireball had ruined the first drive (and killed poor Aerys), while a blizzard did the same in the second half.

Head coach Timaris Stormwing was still pondering how it all had happened, when his assistant, the lovely Mereia, tapped his shoulder. "So coach, what's the plan for this game?, she asked. It took a few seconds for Timaris to snap back into focus, before he replied. "Do we need a plan then, against this vermin?", was his response. "This is barely a team, we are facing. They have played only a couple of games. How can they even think to stand a chance against the mighty Meddlers?". Mereia was not impressed. "Wonder where they found the inspiration for their team name", she decided to change the subject, realizing not much valuable insights would follow and sipped from her half-emptied martini. "Some might say they even got inspired by our Meddlers...".

Meanwhile the game had started. The Murderers went on a shopping spray, buying half of all available inducements, and then some. The Meddlers remained unimpressed and started the game receiving. Weary of the fireball (remember the drama of the previous game), the wood elves advanced cautiously. Meanwhile the rats set up a defensive position and started picking targets to put the boot in. Elves started falling and Timaris started getting nervous. A spasm was getting visible on his right cheek. "Dirty vermin tricks", Timaris complained. "Is that ref blind, for Ishas's sake", he continued. Mereia, who had already comfortably installed herself in a comfortable chair, lowered her shades. "Standard defensive tactics, I'd say", she replied. "Nothing unpredictable there", she continued. "If you'd had taken the time to study your opponent", she finished, putting her shades back on and directing her view to the pitch. Timaris ignored the comment of his assistant and also decided to adjust his attention back to the ongoing game.

The Meddlers had changed sides and decided to score quickly, not risking another intervention by the mercenary wizard hired by the opposition: 1-0 and 5 turns to go. The second drive started with a high kick, allowing the Verminlord to catch the ball. "Dammit", Timaris cursed. "It's not going to be easy to steal the ball from that monstrosity". Mereia remained silent, thinking it of no use to react to the obvious statement. The Murderers advanced, but got stuck in a scramble midfield, much to the excitement of Timaris. Then, suddenly, a roaring fireball hit the field. The rats' coach seemingly had instructed the wizard to intervene, hoping to create a breakthrough. Hauclir got smashed off his feet and into the KO box. Ethandril got hit as well, but remained on the pitch. All in all it could have been a lot worse. Even though this opened up some space, the rats couldn't fully push through. With a last effort, guided by Timaris's vividly shouted directions, supported by even more enthusiastic gesticulations, the wood elves held the vermin in check, avoiding the equalizer: 1-0 at halftime and the wizard gone. Things looked nice indeed!

The second half started with hammering down the treeman, followed by a foul and a failed pick-up by the Verminlord. Timaris sent his team forwards, establishing a screen trying to isolate the Verminlord in the backfield. The rats broke through though, causing much cursing by the wood elves' head coach. Mereia intervened by then, giving instructions to the team to pin the rats down on their own half of the field. Meanwhile the elves' numbers dwindled. Eventually Ethandril moved in with his special trick, cutting the ball loose in the middle of a bunch of ratmen. The ball scattered to the center of the group though, making it quite impossible for a fellow elf to move in and steal the ball. "Loec's balls!", Timaris cursed, "that should have allowed us to recover the ball!", he continued.

Matters got much worse when elves kept falling like flies. In just a few turns their number was reduced to three (and a tree). Five elves had been injured, four others were recovering in the KO box. How had it come to this? Timaris stood and watched the game developing with open mound, completely dumbstruck. Mereia ordered another martini, to dull the senses. After all, this looked like a situation beyond recovery. But it wasn't over yet. Another turn later only two elves remained (no more tree). Elaris knocked himself down while trying a desperate last effort move. Now Timaris' left cheek muscle also started showing spasms. Meanwhile the rats comfortably ran in the equalizer: 1-1.

Rumours have it that Timaris remained gaping at the field for another two hours. A rookie team had completely thrashed his valued Meddlers. He just couldn't grasp it. By that time Mereia was downing her fifth martini...

A draw for the Meddlers! Completely and utterly outbashed by a team of 1010 TV. There is a first time for everything I guess... ”