iOctagon

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the video conferencing platform Miserable Tech! It's the leading cause of stress-related and anger-related deaths for IT departments, students, politicians and businesspeople alike! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, the 87th most popular Santo-Dominian sports television personality with an unfathomably terrible sense of humour, will be your mildly unhinged host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 3! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has lost the match to the team from hosting country Larxia! This means that our home country Santos-Dominius is now sadly eliminated from contention in the Super Eight. Meanwhile, United Adaikes has scored a victory against the team from Denieria, which has been badly defeated thrice in a row! Denieria is therefore also eliminated from contention in the Super Eight. So, to recap, Larxia and United Adaikes will advance to the Super Eight, while our Santos-Dominius as well as Denieria have reached the end of our T20 World Cup journeys this year."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria is still going exceptionally strong, and has won its match against the cricket players from Teralyon! This means that Teralyon will not be able to advance to the Super Eight. In the other match, literal no-man's-land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won against Auran neighbour Blue Bubble. With this loss, Blue Bubble is eliminated from contention in the Super Eight. So, to recap, Cambria and Hertfordia will be advancing to the Super Eight from Group B, while Teralyon and Blue Bubble are now consigned to the spectator's stands."
"Let's check the results for Group C! In one of the matches, former colonial empire Saint Mark proves its might once again by winning against the team from Fhaengshia. However, unlike previous matches, Fhaengshia is not eliminated. In the other match, Auran neighbour Giovanniland faces off against drug heaven Dilber, and wins! However, this victory is not enough to save Giovanniland, as it and Dilber are both eliminated from contention in the Super Eight. Saint Mark and Fhaengshia, on the other hand, are both advancing to the Super Eight."
"And now, finally, we get to Group D! In one of the matches, war-torn museum of rubble Zoran triumphs over pacifist Fujai! In the other match, sporty Nieubasria delivers an excellent performance and wins against literal armoury Dalimbar! Following these matches, historical enemies Fujai and Dalimbar are both eliminated from contention in the Super Eight, while Nieubasria and Zoran are advancing to the Super Eight! I've just been informed that the Santo-Dominian Cricket Association has directed all of its members and fans to cheer on the Nieubasrian team, whose yellow uniforms bear a resemblance to that of the team from Santos-Dominius, for the rest of the Cup!"
"And there we have it - the results of Match Day 3! Seeing as the Santo-Dominian team is defeated, I can now pack my bags and fly back to Friberne while leaving the camera crew behind! From now on, I will be covering this Cup in the SDCSN Channel 3 studios back in Santos-Dominius, and the coverage and quality will both decrease, given the fact that we will probably have our team's funding cut for the remaining duration of this Cup. That is, if the bosses will even lend us the studios and let us cover this at all. I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 3 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for indirect and choppy coverage of the Cup as well as utterly frustrating sponsorships, and see you whenever the bosses let us cover this Cup again! Goodbye!"

While the rest of the team had been planning on how to defeat Blue Bubble/Glenpavia and secure qualification to the Super 8, Reimu Hadjieva had been working on something she claimed was a matter of great importance.
Reimu Hadjieva: Ah, at last, it's finally complete. Looks like all that hard work finally paid off.
Patchouli Knalide: Hard work from you? That's a first.
Reimu Hadjieva: You can't talk Patchy.
Patchouli Knalide: Yeah, I know...
Robert Cherganski: So anyway, what is it?
Reimu Hadjieva: It's a makeshift version of the Hadjieva Shrine! Now I can collect shrine donations here in Larxia during the T20 World Cup!
Ryosuke Tīrelis: You really are that desperate.
Reimu Hadjieva: No one visits the shrine back home, so I brought the shrine to them. Genius, huh?
Lisa Lazarenko: Your shrine supposedly houses a god that plainly doesn't exist, why would anyone even remotely sensible visit it?
Dynamis Dudka: Believing in the Hadjieva God may be unfounded, but believing in the will of the heavens holds a lot of merit.
Naho Sotirova: The world of the occult is still the closest to reality.
Rago Niedra: You are all forgetting the only true god in this world, the God of Destruction, Nemesis.
Faust Ḩarełeudeiem: Let's not get into the minefield that is the Black Sun.
Robert Cherganski: Speaking of which, the Black Sun is now an official symbol of our country.
Eirin Yaneva: How typical.
Patchouli Knalide: Oh please, you're all incorrect, everyone knows that science is just magic in another form.
Maxie Mazurenko: Why do you even bother anymore Lisa?
Lisa Lazarenko: I honestly don't know.
Patrick Manev: Hey, Rago.
Rago Niedra: Hmm?
Patrick Manev: I heard you saying something to the Teralyon cricket team players when you went up to bat. Could you repeat what you said please?
Rago Niedra: Alright. I was explaining to them the power of the Black Sun.
Patrick Manev: Repeat away. Everyone, if you didn't hear what Rago said when he was up to bat, now's the time to listen.
Rago Niedra: "That is the Black Sun. The God of Destruction, Diablo Nemesis itself!"
Eirin Yaneva: I've never heard of this 'Diablo Nemesis'.
Richard Hammond: Shush.
Rago Niedra: "I have withstood all of your attacks, all of them. And now it is my turn to attack."
Reimu Hadjieva: You then proceeded to hit a six if I'm not mistaken.
Naho Sotirova: Yes he did do that.
Rago Niedra: "You will be joining your irreplaceable rivals soon, you little worms, get ready!"

Derek Sokolov: That's a lot of confidence right from the get go.
Rago Niedra: Clearly the confidence paid off, we crushed them.
Maxie Mazurenko: Yes, we did crush them, but we also lost 9 wickets. We need to make sure we work on not being dismissed. Twice now we have finished our innings with just 1 wicket to spare.
Richard Hammond: Maxie is right, we might be excellent at batting and fielding, but we need to improve that aspect of our play if we want to make it to the final stage.
Eirin Yaneva: Then that is what we shall focus on.
Lisa Lazarenko: Not only that, but talent isn't the only thing we have at our disposal.
Reimu Hadjieva: Very true, we have some of the greatest minds in the entire tournament. Maxie, Patchouli, Lisa, Dynamis, the list carries on. Also, the offertory box is just over there.
Derek Sokolov: With our individual and team talent, and the brilliant minds at our disposal, we have both the skill and the tactics to advance past our opposition, no matter who they are.
Dynamis Dudka: That's quite a bold statement, but I am sure of it none the less.
Derek Sokolov: Well I took your declaration a couple of days ago to heart.
Dynamis Dudka: Glad to know that you see sense now.
Lisa Lazarenko: Sense? You have got to be kidding me.
Richard Hammond: I heard a couple of Blue Runners' players talking about how they didn't believe we were planning for the match.
Lisa Lazarenko: That's a big mistake. Perhaps they will fall victim to their own underestimation of the opponent, in this case us, again.
???: Hello chaps.
Richard Hammond: Hang on, why are you here?
James May: I'm here because I heard that you were talking complete rubbish.
Ryosuke Tīrelis: This is about Hammond claiming that the future is the best, isn't it?
James May: Exactly.
Richard Hammond: Oh god.
James May: The world now is better than it was just one minute ago.
???: No it isn't because a minute ago, you weren't here.
James May: Was that Je... OW!!!
Richard Hammond: Oooooo, that smarts.
James May: Ah! M-my gentleman's area! Uunnngh...
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: Is this why you wanted me to drag you here?
Jeremy Clarkson: I did say I was going to do it.
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: Fair enough. I'm going back to my hotel, Kou said he was waiting for me there.
Naho Sotirova: Kou?! He's here? Tell me where he is. That's not a request.
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: If you want to find the man you call your mentor, look in the stands for where me and Mečislavs are sitting, he should be around there.
Naho Sotirova: Thanks for telling me, now I know where to look.
James May: My testicles have retreated!
Richard Hammond: We don't need to know that!
Derek Sokolov: Could I borrow the Ecnalubma quickly? I need to check James over for any long term injuries caused by that punch.
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: Well, it actually belongs to James, but he really isn't in a position to do anything about it right now.
James May: Urgh... ow...
Derek Sokolov: I'll be getting on with that then. Robert, help me carry James into the Ecnalubma please.
Robert Cherganski: I shall do this action.
Derek Sokolov: Thank you kindly.
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: Looks like I'll be staying here for a while longer.
Reimu Hadjieva: That's no problem, you can listen to us talk. It might be something interesting. By the way, the offertory box is over there.
Lisa Lazarenko: It brings me slight joy to see you fail to get any shrine donations.
Richard Hammond: Cut out the 'Smeese', it's creepy.
Naho Sotirova: You think that's creepy? I'll show you creepy.
Faust Ḩarełeudeiem: Damian still does it better.

Some kind of argument over who has the creepiest look has broken out. Faust argues the case for Damian, who is not part of HNDK. This came out of absolutely nowhere. Stranger things have happened.
Eirin Yaneva: Okay you two, cut it out!
Rago Niedra: It gets worse, trust me.
Lisa Lazarenko: Of course it does.
Eirin Yaneva: No one cares, just stop.
Naho Sotirova: Me and Lisa clearly do.
Ryosuke Tīrelis: I'm getting tired of this, can we go back to the, um, hotel...? Ah who am I kidding, it's a ranch.
Maxie Mazurenko: Yes. There we can  meet up with the rest of the team and discuss further on the course of action to take in order to defeat Blue Bubble/Glenpavia.
Faust Ḩarełeudeiem: Derek, are you ready?
Derek Sokolov: Yeah, just finished. James appears to be in full working order.
James May: Thanks very much Doctor Sokolov.
Clarkov Jammbonevych Furutani: I, Clarkson and May will be taking our leave now. Good luck in your next match, win it for yourselves and for the nation!
Eirin Yaneva: That's what we plan to do. Also remember, this team is called the Hertfordia Shrine Maidens for the third match in accordance with the T20 team name policy.
Reimu Hadjieva: Music to my ears!
Richard Hammond: Looks like everyone is ready.
Reimu Hadjieva: Then let's pack up and get going. And, the wonderful offertory box is over there.
Rago Niedra: Too bad. I only believe in the God of Destruction.
Before an argument over beliefs could break out, Prime Minister Clarkov broke out a megaphone and put a halt to it. After departing in the Ecnalubma with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, the members of Hertfordia Shrine Maidens themselves departed for the hotel (ranch) to train further for the big match ahead. The match that would decide their fate in the T20 World Cup.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

 
PUBLIC BULLETTIN RE: VOLUNTARY HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT DEADLINE
The Hierminister for State of Health and Wellness would like to kindly remind all residents that the deadline to voluntarily enroll in a 'short-term' health insurance plan is tonight, May 14th, at 11:59pm (IAT-4). Every subject and resident must enroll with one of the insurance providers listed here before that deadline to avoid the Assignment Fee, which in some cases can cost you up to 20% more than the voluntary premiums.
Each year, approximately 650,000 Basrians are charged over 157฿ million extra through the Assignment Fee. This is avoidable.
In extreme cases, the Hierministry is able to help some individuals overturn the Assignment Fee but this requires a significant burden of proof that you have been incapacitated since the 1421 Voluntary Enrollment Period began in February. The Hierministry will not advocate for exceptions for any others who do not meet those criteria. Do not rely on the possibility of overturning the Fee, and enroll today with a registered health insurance provider. 
The Hierministry warns all subjects that there are no private companies or individuals that are able to appeal the Assignment Fee.
Do not provide payment or your personal information to any entity which claims to be able to do so, it is a scam.

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Complete Groceries Market! It's the upscale multinational supermarket chain that helps you lie to yourself! I, the absurdly untalented teleprompter fan that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly frustrating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 2! We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has very unfortunately lost to the team from United Adaikes. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts have continued their small winning streak by vanquishing the team from Denieria! So, to recap in Group A, Larxia is currently undefeated with two wins, while Santos-Dominius and United Adaikes each have one win and one loss. Denieria is in a bad position: they have two losses and no wins at the moment."
"Moving onto Group B! Cambria continues its very strong and formidable performance, winning a match against Blue Bubble and securing a coveted position in the Super Eight! Meanwhile, nowhere land Hertfordshire & Jammbo has won a victory against Teralyon, thus eliminating them and ending their T20 World Cup journey this year! So basically, Cambria will be advancing further in the Cup, while the fate of Hertfordshire & Jammbo, as well as Blue Bubble, remain uncertain for now."
"And now, time for the results from Group C! In one of the matches, former Auran hegemon Saint Mark has won against the team from fellow neighbour Giovanniland. The Giovannilandians are now unfortunately eliminated from the Cup. And in the other match, Fhaengshia from Andolia has triumphed against the probably drugged team from Dilber! Fhaengshia will now advance to the Super Eight as it has secured a slot!"
"Finally, Group D! In one of the matches, sporty Nieubasria continues to show that they're not just spectacularly good at only football! The Nieubasrians have won against the team from war-torn Zoran, scoring them a position in the Super Eight and giving them the ability to advance further in the Cup! Meanwhile, the team from pacifist Fujai has trampled over their counterparts from militant country-equivalent-of-the-minesweeper-game Dalimbar! The Dalimbari are now eliminated from the Cup and will have to spectate rather than play from now on."
"And here we have it - the results for Match Day 2! Some countries are delivering consistently strong performances, while others have a more mixed record. Some have been eliminated from the competition, but most still have a chance to beat their opponents and advance further. The winners will have to stay in prime condition, while the losers will have to work hard to recover and win! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as unfathomably annoying sponsorships, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

July 12, 1420
12:27 PM Polaris Eastern Time
Saint-Jocelyn, Cambria
Co-authored by @Bran Astor
Kunagadoga Quasena is taking a big risk by leaving Zoran and flying to Cambria. He knows that he is leaving a lot in the hands of his subordinates but after much difficulty trying to get in touch with a Cambrian official they finally got a hold of one a week ago. Kunagadoga did some basic research on the person he was about to meet and looked through the file he has on the person he is going to meet.
Darrin Oliver, a knight-inspector for the Order of Tamar. Appears he was a grenadier guard before moving to the Office of Justice. His service record is impressive and he appears to be a very accomplished man, it’s no wonder why the Order wanted him to join them. I shouldn’t underestimate him and I should show him my utmost respect if I am to work with him.
The car came to a stop and he exited the car and six mercenaries he hired for his protection exited another vehicle to accompany him as he walked up towards the Office of Justice building. The guards stopped him, “State your business.”
“I am here to see Knight-Inspector Darrin Oliver.” He said in Cambric, the guards radioed someone in to escort him to Darrin. As they walked through the building, Kunagadoga noticed how little of a threat his mercenaries looked in the presence of the Order members. They certainly do not disappoint, they live up to what I have heard about them so far. He was taken to an office where he was asked to sit and wait for the knight-inspector to arrive. But it was there that he noticed his guards were no longer with him and his eyes began to inspect the office.
The knight-inspector's office was spacious, but simply kept. It had a workmanlike look to it and the trappings that existed appeared to be out of design rather than the occupant's choice. A simple table strewn with scattered files sat in the middle of the room, a couch flanked by reading lamps sat opposite the door. A series of landscapes dominated the space above the couch. A built-in set of shelves to the right of the office's window bore testimony to everything Kunagadoga read in Darrin's file. Degrees, decorations, commendations, and trinkets from far-flung battlefields occupied every centimeter of shelf space. In front of the shelf was a hefty mahogany desk, perfectly polished and vibrantly red.
What a fine desk, I wonder if I can acquire one of these for myself after the war. But I will say I can’t remember the last time I was asked to wait in an office. It has been quite a few years since I was in a situation like this. 
He thought to himself as he waited. It took a few minutes before Darrin Oliver came into the room. He had a long white beard and wore a suit with a kilt. Kuna’s eyes met with Darrin’s extremely blue eyes and could see the experience behind them. He stood up and shook his hand,
“It is a pleasure to meet you knight-inspector. Might I say you were a difficult man to get a hold of.”
"Folks often forget to dial the '9' first. How can I be of service to you, Meistros Quasena?" The inspector smiled warmly and firmly shook Kunagadoga's hand before walking around the desk to his chair. "Please do sit. Why have you come all this way to see me today?"
“Now I believe you are aware that I am here to discuss a certain...thief or rather for you a certain terrorist.”
Darrin jabbed at his keyboard with two fingers. His brow furrowed, he seemingly split attention between hunting for the right key for the password and recalling the details of Kunagadoga's terrorist.
"You will need to be more specific. There are-" Darrin paused mid-sentence then triumphantly hit enter. "There are sadly too many terrorists in the world these days."
"What? You know, the terrorist!” He said slightly flabbergasted, he didn’t anticipate that CGZ wasn’t highlighted in any way shape or form for them, “The one that caused all the trouble in Saint-Jocelyn during the Olympics?”
"Ah! The infamous CGZ. Yes, it is true we have an interest in this fellow." The inspector reached across his desk and picked a couple red candies from a crystal dish on his desk. The room fell silent except for the sound of the hard candy clacking against Darrin's teeth.
“Here’s the deal, I do not know where his hideout is. We have been unsuccessful in locating it whether it be by drone, scouts, or scans. But I know where he is going to make his next appearance.” Kunagadoga said, “But before I get into those details, do you have any questions, requirements, demands, anything you want to mention or request.”
The gentle, almost bumbling look in Darrin's eyes hardened as Kunagadoga spoke. Whatever warmth was present a moment ago was replaced with cold resolve. Darrin held the gaze, continued to play with the candy in his mouth, but didn't speak.
What is this man playing at? I know I can be an intimidating bastard but this guy is a master at intimidation. I can’t read him whatsoever! He is unlike anyone I have ever dealt with!
Beads of sweat forms along Kunadoga’s forehead as those blue eyes unsteady him. He cleared his throat before saying,
“Now for where our target is going to be. Knowing Atsil Ani’-Wah’, the daughter of the late President Apenimon Ani’-Wah’, she will leave CGZ to join the monarchists sometime in the next month or two. When she leaves, CGZ will take her to the Monarchist headquarters and will leave her there. Thankfully for us, we recently discovered the location of where the Monarchists headquarters is. So what I propose is we have some of your officers and some of my men hide out nearby and wait until he arrives with her. We both get what we want here, I get Atsil Ani’-Wah’ and you get your terrorist. How does that sound?”
Darrin finally broke his stare by leaning forward and pressing a button on his office phone. A moment later Kunadgadoga's Cambric escort stepped into the room, ready to tend to their charge. The warmth returned to Darrin's eyes and he stood with a smile.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Meistros Quasena." He walked around the desk and shook Kunagadoa's hand again. "May the Lady watch you." Darrin nodded to the guards and returned to his deskchair.
As Kunagadoga was escorted out of the building, his mind was stirring with what Darrin could have meant.
Was that a yes? Wha-what did he mean?! I am guessing it is a yes but what in the world was that man! I couldn’t read him at all and I made my living off of reading people! Well, at least I know he is competent and that the execution of this plan will go off without much of an issue.
At this point Kuna was standing with his mercenaries outside of the building and he entered the limo that was waiting for him.
“How did it go sir?”  asked an aid in the limo,
“He beat the hell out of me,” Kuna said as he whipped his brow, “he was the most intimidating man I have ever spoken to. He savaged me, mentally, in there.” He then put his head in his hands as the limo drove to the airport for the flight back to Zoran.

T20 World Cup Matchday 2 - Review - Victory
127/7 (20 overs)
130/9 (15.5 overs)
Hertfordia Snowstorm won against Teraljonska Cricket Tim by 1 wicket
Batting   Runs Bats Fours Sixes Rago Niedra 67 31 7 4 Run out Patchouli Knalide 6 6 0 0 Bowled Robert Cherganski 25 19 0 0 Bowled Richard Hammond 5 7 0 0 LBW (Leg Before Wicket) Derek Sokolov 7 4 0 1 Bowled Reimu Hadjieva 6 4 1 0 LBW (Leg Before Wicket) Ryosuke Tīrelis 3 6 0 0 Caught Naho Sotirova 3 6 0 0 LBW (Leg Before Wicket) Dynamis Dudka 5 4 1 0 Bowled Lisa Lazarenko 3 6 0 0 Not out Scorers of wickets: Patrick Manev (3), Faust Ḩarełeudeiem (4)
 
Rago Niedra - The cricket fans of Hertfordshire & Jammbo don't call him the God of Destruction for nothing. Rago was ruthless in both batting and fielding, never giving the Teralyon lot a chance to breathe. So that's the Black Sun's power, huh? We can't wait to see more of it.
Patchouli Knalide - The unmoving great library is back, and no where near as good as her last outing. Maybe it's due to the fact that her asthma was playing up more than usual in the match. Can't blame her for something like that.
Robert Cherganski - Through sheer grit and determination, earned from growing up in the slums of Great Parndon (yes they exist), Robert made his way to a respectable 25 runs. He certainly made a show of himself with all the twirling.
Richard Hammond - Very similar to Robert, apart from the clearly lesser display. He clearly didn't appreciate Roberts twirling and tried to pick a fight. He received a cane to the face.
Derek Sokolov - Lucky number seven in total runs in this match, although being lucky isn't entirely going to help HNDK win matches.
Reimu Hadjieva - The so-called 'Wonderful Shrine Maiden of Paradise' made herself known on this particular matchday. Mind you, it wasn't because of her on-pitch performance.
Ryosuke Tīrelis - Bastion of Project D, certainly unable to invoke the spirit of Touge against the Teralyon team. It can't happen every day.
Naho Sotirova - Try and imagine the most generic performance that a completely abnormal person could perform. That's what the audiences received from her. We couldn't tell what was going on because we were too busy drifting off to sleep.
Dynamis Dudka - It's hard to tell whether Dynamis is a wise and benevolent guide or just plain crazy. Either way, he struck  a 4 and then went away, probably to look for omens or something. We don't know anymore.
Lisa Lazarenko - Pretty much the same as Naho's performance, except people seem to find this prodigy a lot more interesting than the resident occultist. A voice of logic in a sea of mythical beliefs.
 
If this game epitomized anything, it's that every little helps. Much like that shop motto we saw a while back. Most of the batters got scores below 10, but combined they slowly built up the HNDK score to allow Rago and Robert to run the show. That's exactly what they done, easily sweeping the Teraljonska Cricket Tim aside and surpassing their run total with 4.5 overs to spare. This converts to 27 bats or so we think. This leaves us with 1 win, a somewhat easy one over Teralyon and 1 loss, an unfortunate one in which a late rally by Cambria allowed them to squeeze past us in a tight finish with just 5 bats to spare. Speaking of Cambria, they have already qualified as the Group B winners, having beaten the Blue Runners of Blue Bubble/Glenpavia in what might have been a routine win. This leaves the table of Group B with Cambria in first and staying there, while Teralyon are doomed to finish rock bottom of the group and with Cambria as their final match of the tournament, things don't look too good for them. The other match is where it's all at stake, for Hertfordshire & Jammbo will be pitted against Glenpavia/Blue Bubble in San Dojas' Faltech Arena. The victor of this match will qualify for the Super 8 in second, the loser will be eliminated from the T20 World Cup in third. In the event of a draw, our future opposition would go through due to holding a higher Net Run Rate (NRR). Please note that the 3 names we chose through that poll back home are switched around regularly in a 3-match cycle. This is why we were called Hertfordia Snowstorm in this match, and why Hertfordia Shrine Maidens will be the name for the upcoming match. Now we shall introduce the results of the matches with the charmingly insulting flair that you, the cricket fans of H&J, seemed to appreciate.
 
Matchday 2 - Results
--------------------------------------------------
Group A
Not To Be Confused With Fujai - 133/7 (14.5 overs)
Insert [Name Of Horrendous Sponsor] Here - 129 (18.2 overs)
 
Farce-ia 187/2 (20 overs)
Non-Player Character - 144/9 (20 overs)*
--------------------------------------------------
Group B
Islanders Complaining About Mainlanders - 127/7 (20 overs) [Eliminated from T20 World Cup]
Countryside And Not Much Else - 130/9 (15.5 overs)
 
What's Their Name Again? - 133 (18.3 overs)
That Spawny Astoric Place - 136/6 (17.2 overs) [Qualified for Super 8 as group winners]
--------------------------------------------------
Group C
Upper Class And Proud - 148/6 (16.4 overs)
Almost A Corporate Colony - 144/6 (20 overs) [Eliminated from T20 World Cup]
 
Is This Even A Cricket Team? - 144/9 (20 overs)**
Former Giovannilandian Colony - 148/6 (19.2 overs)* [Qualified for Super 8]
--------------------------------------------------
Group D
Where Unfortunate Reporters Lie - 118/5 (20 overs)*
A Border Lovers Worst Nightmare - 193/5 (20 overs) [Qualified for Super 8 as group winners]
 
Everybody Except Them Is A Heathen - 142 (18.1 overs)* [Eliminated from T20 World Cup]
Unwashed Far-Left Tree Huggers - 145/7 (19.5 overs)
--------------------------------------------------
* = Denieria, Fhaengshia, Zoran & Dalimbar have not yet submitted official logos for their cricket team.
** = This is not the official Dilberian "cricket" team logo, we just put it there for laughs. We're still not sorry.
 
                                  

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the shampoo brand Scalp & Dandruff! It's the shampoo brand of choice for people conscious enough about their scalp problems to buy it but not conscious enough to do some research about the scalp on the Internet! I, the corporate-friendly sellout and commercial model that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 1! Specifically, let's take a look at the results for Group A. We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has won a comfortable victory against the team from Denieria, scoring 187 and then bowling them out for 94 runs. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts seem to be enjoying playing in their home country, as they have won against the team coming from United Adaikes! So, to recap, Santos-Dominius and Larxia each have one win in Group A, while Denieria and United Adaikes have one loss each."
"Moving onto Group B! The nice people from fellow Auran neighbour Blue Bubble - or Glenpavia as they themselves call it - have triumphed over Teralyon! Seems like Polaris is not having a good time today. But wait a minute - the next result immediately proves me wrong, as Cambria has won against the team from countryside bumpkin nation Hertfordshire & Jammbo! I previously referred to Cambria by it's full name 'Tara and Cambray', but it was pointed out by me by a Cambrian friend that referring to it as such is a bit weird. So, to appease our Cambrian viewers - assuming that Cambrians watch this ad-infested underfunded mess - I shall now permanently refer to their country as 'Cambria' and not by its full name."
"Anyways, let's get to the results for Group C! The team from Auran neighbour and suspected drugland Dilber has tied with the team from another Auran neighbour of ours - major continental power and former coloniser Saint Mark! Luckily, the other Group C did not end in an unfruitful draw, as Fhaengshia won against the Giovannilandian players! So, to recap, Fhaengshia has a win under their belt in Group C, Dilber and Saint Mark share a tie, and Giovanniland has a loss."
"And finally, Group D! Alleged rogue state and gigantic landmine store Dalimbar has lost to war-torn chaos carnival Zoran! And Dalimbari neighbour and pacifist enemy Fujai has lost to the sporty Nieubasrians as well! It seems like continental infighting made Polaris have a generally bad day today on Match Day 1, with Cambria in Group C and Nieubasria here being the only two exceptions! So to recap, in Group D, Nieubasria and Zoran each have one win, while Dalimbar and Fujai each have one loss. Quite interesting!"
"And that concludes today's coverage of the T20 World Cup! It's only Match Day 1 after all, so nations that lost today still have plenty of time to bounce back and advance to the next stage. And that's why today's winners shan't get too cocky: losing often provides strong motivation for players to win the next matches, and it's that strong motivation that can drive them to ultimately beat you! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 1 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as un-skippable sponsorship advertisements, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the shampoo brand Scalp & Dandruff! It's the shampoo brand of choice for people conscious enough about their scalp problems to buy it but not conscious enough to do some research about the scalp on the Internet! I, the corporate-friendly sellout and commercial model that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 1! Specifically, let's take a look at the results for Group A. We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has won a comfortable victory against the team from Denieria, scoring 187 and then bowling them out for 94 runs. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts seem to be enjoying playing in their home country, as they have won against the team coming from United Adaikes! So, to recap, Santos-Dominius and Larxia each have one win in Group A, while Denieria and United Adaikes have one loss each."
"Moving onto Group B! The nice people from fellow Auran neighbour Blue Bubble - or Glenpavia as they themselves call it - have triumphed over Teralyon! Seems like Polaris is not having a good time today. But wait a minute - the next result immediately proves me wrong, as Cambria has won against the team from countryside bumpkin nation Hertfordshire & Jammbo! I previously referred to Cambria by it's full name 'Tara and Cambray', but it was pointed out by me by a Cambrian friend that referring to it as such is a bit weird. So, to appease our Cambrian viewers - assuming that Cambrians watch this ad-infested underfunded mess - I shall now permanently refer to their country as 'Cambria' and not by its full name."
"Anyways, let's get to the results for Group C! The team from Auran neighbour and suspected drugland Dilber has tied with the team from another Auran neighbour of ours - major continental power and former coloniser Saint Mark! Luckily, the other Group C did not end in an unfruitful draw, as Fhaengshia won against the Giovannilandian players! So, to recap, Fhaengshia has a win under their belt in Group C, Dilber and Saint Mark share a tie, and Giovanniland has a loss."
"And finally, Group D! Alleged rogue state and gigantic landmine store Dalimbar has lost to war-torn chaos carnival Zoran! And Dalimbari neighbour and pacifist enemy Fujai has lost to the sporty Nieubasrians as well! It seems like continental infighting made Polaris have a generally bad day today on Match Day 1, with Cambria in Group C and Nieubasria here being the only two exceptions! So to recap, in Group D, Nieubasria and Zoran each have one win, while Dalimbar and Fujai each have one loss. Quite interesting!"
"And that concludes today's coverage of the T20 World Cup! It's only Match Day 1 after all, so nations that lost today still have plenty of time to bounce back and advance to the next stage. And that's why today's winners shan't get too cocky: losing often provides strong motivation for players to win the next matches, and it's that strong motivation that can drive them to ultimately beat you! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 1 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as un-skippable sponsorship advertisements, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the shampoo brand Scalp & Dandruff! It's the shampoo brand of choice for people conscious enough about their scalp problems to buy it but not conscious enough to do some research about the scalp on the Internet! I, the corporate-friendly sellout and commercial model that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And let's go over the results of Match Day 1! Specifically, let's take a look at the results for Group A. We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has won a comfortable victory against the team from Denieria, scoring 187 and then bowling them out for 94 runs. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts seem to be enjoying playing in their home country, as they have won against the team coming from United Adaikes! So, to recap, Santos-Dominius and Larxia each have one win in Group A, while Denieria and United Adaikes have one loss each."
"Moving onto Group B! The nice people from fellow Auran neighbour Blue Bubble - or Glenpavia as they themselves call it - have triumphed over Teralyon! Seems like Polaris is not having a good time today. But wait a minute - the next result immediately proves me wrong, as Cambria has won against the team from countryside bumpkin nation Hertfordshire & Jammbo! I previously referred to Cambria by it's full name 'Tara and Cambray', but it was pointed out by me by a Cambrian friend that referring to it as such is a bit weird. So, to appease our Cambrian viewers - assuming that Cambrians watch this ad-infested underfunded mess - I shall now permanently refer to their country as 'Cambria' and not by its full name."
"Anyways, let's get to the results for Group C! The team from Auran neighbour and suspected drugland Dilber has tied with the team from another Auran neighbour of ours - major continental power and former coloniser Saint Mark! Luckily, the other Group C did not end in an unfruitful draw, as Fhaengshia won against the Giovannilandian players! So, to recap, Fhaengshia has a win under their belt in Group C, Dilber and Saint Mark share a tie, and Giovanniland has a loss."
"And finally, Group D! Alleged rogue state and gigantic landmine store Dalimbar has lost to war-torn chaos carnival Zoran! And Dalimbari neighbour and pacifist enemy Fujai has lost to the sporty Nieubasrians as well! It seems like continental infighting made Polaris have a generally bad day today on Match Day 1, with Cambria in Group C and Nieubasria here being the only two exceptions! So to recap, in Group D, Nieubasria and Zoran each have one win, while Dalimbar and Fujai each have one loss. Quite interesting!"
"And that concludes today's coverage of the T20 World Cup! It's only Match Day 1 after all, so nations that lost today still have plenty of time to bounce back and advance to the next stage. And that's why today's winners shan't get too cocky: losing often provides strong motivation for players to win the next matches, and it's that strong motivation that can drive them to ultimately beat you! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 1 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as un-skippable sponsorship advertisements, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

May 12th, 1420
6:30 AM Auran Standard Time / 8:30 AM Over Time
Fribernese Fortress, Federal City of Friberne, Canton of Friberne, Santos-Dominius
"What is it, Paul? Why did you summon me here this early in the morning? I have meetings this afternoon, and now my eyes are going to be baggy because of you!" Stuyvesant-Callaghan asked as she walked into the room. This was a busy day - Dominion Bank had a major deal to negotiate with another big corporation. As CEO of the bank, she was to do reading on the corporation's tactics, operations and details - so as to intimidate and threaten its representatives and secure a deal that would maximise benefit for the DB. But now, here she was, disgruntled and sitting in the meeting room at the Fribernese Fortress with the old and near-centenarian President Paul Goldberg. Her disheveled and frazzled assistant put her bag on a chair next to her and put a vase of flowers on the table as she sat down angrily.
"I'm sorry, Harriet, but I've summoned you on urgent business. It's about the Zoranian Civil War." Goldberg replied.
"What about it? Didn't we make a deal with that Quasena guy a while ago? I haven't heard from you about this war since then, so I assume that it's going smooth enough."
"Well, Harriet, it's safe to say that...I'm getting cold feet. And I need your advice on whether we should limit our involvement, stay the same, or increase our support for the corporates." Goldberg said in a reserved manner. Evidently, the old President was having concerns about both his political career and the safety of his relatively small country. If he makes the right decisions, then both would be safeguarded. But ally with the wrong people, send support at the wrong time or make any other wrong decision, and both would be in enormous peril. He was over 90 years old, and he didn't want the legacy of his 2nd term to be that of a catastrophic failure.
"Cold feet? You asked me to get here to provide you advice because you're having cold feet? Are you out of your mind, Paul?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as she walked towards the President. "You have advisors! National security advisors! Military generals! Seasoned diplomats! All at your disposal! Why bother me when you know I'm a busy woman with far too many responsibilities and far too limited amounts of time to deal with your cowardice!?"
"Stop it, Harriet! Don't you bully an old man." Goldberg stubbornly replied. "I have invited you here because you are my only major collaborator in this scheme of ours. Telling anyone else in the government would risk leaking this clandestine operation - one that isn't authorised by the National Senate, mind you - to the opposition. Just imagine the field day Art Bernstein and the Coalition of Roses will have with this scheme if it leaks! My party and I will crash to defeat at the next cantonal elections in Niedersasslen. Your bank will have serious questions to answer and will fire you. The stakes are too high for me to make a decision on my own!"
"Ugh! This is why I hate the public sector with a passion. People like Senator Bernstein cannot be bought, unlike in the private sector, where everyone is for sale...only at different prices." Stuyvesant-Callaghan moaned. "So, what are our options? Remind me again - and quickly! I still have work to do."
"Our first option is to stay the same, Harriet." Goldberg explained. "As long as we remain silent and keep upholding our end of the bargain, the corporates will probably give us the benefits they promised without fail. But, since our involvement with the corporates is low-profile, illicit under Santo-Dominian law and politically damaging if leaked, Quasena can easily renege on his word and refuse to give us anything if he does win. We will have nothing to hold against him, nothing to force him to give us what he owes. And we don't even know if he will win."
"Sounds like blind faith, Paul." Stuyvesant-Callaghan remarked. "That's very risky."
"It is blind faith, Harriet. And yes, it's risky. So that's why we can consider the second option: pulling out of the war. We will inform Quasena of our unwillingness to continue supporting the corporates in the war, and then slowly but surely cut back our aid until we fully retreat. We will cut our losses if Quasena had decided not to pay us back, but we will also miss out on the war chest if Quasena had originally decided to pay us what he owes to us. It's the safest option, but also the one that doesn't give us any benefits except an opportunity to fully save ourselves and avoid anything if Quasena loses."
"Sounds dumb. So, I assume that the final option is increasing our aid to the corporates."
"Correct, Harriet." Goldberg said. "We can opt to increase our monetary aid to the corporates. Now, we can either inform Quasena of our willingness to further support him...or we can choose to keep that from him. If we choose to inform Quasena, we will be able to secure his trust with our forthright attitude and honesty - but we will lose a bargaining chip. If we choose to go behind his back, we can make him inadvertently rely on us more. This is the bargaining chip we will get if we choose to increase support without consulting him, and it's the one we'll lose if we tell him."
"Three options...and all of them have positives and negatives. Well, Paul. I've already made my decision. But I want to hear from you. What's your decision?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan probed.
"Well..." Goldberg answered. "...I was thinking we should either maintain our current level of support, or pull out of the war entirely. You know, I'm serving my 2nd term as President, and I intend to run for re-election one last time in February 1421 to secure my 3rd and final term. If our involvement gets out, I will be doomed. Utterly. So I'm just thinking that we should play it safe and back out."
"You coward! I knew that caution ran in your blood." Stuyvesant-Callaghan barked. "Well, I like risks. Actually, to rephrase, I like taking risks with big potential rewards. I think we should opt to increase our monetary aid to the Zoranian corporates and Quasena. The war has been raging on for a bit now, and if we can send enough support, we might be able to help Quasena win decisive victories that scores him the final triumph in this devastating war. Then, we will be able to reap the numerous benefits we're entitled to for supporting the right people at the right moment by taking the right risks."
"Alright, alright! You're really disrespectful and rude in the morning, Harriet. Fine! We shall proceed with your plan. But since I call the shots in this country, we're informing Quasena of our willingness to increase aid. I'm not going to gamble big and try going behind his back - we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve. I'll have someone send him a message via secure channels that will ensure the secrecy of this operation and our involvement. You can go now, Harriet." Goldberg said.
Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan snatched her bag, stood up and left the room in a composed hurry. President Goldberg then closed his briefing book, stood up, turned off the TV in the meeting room and went upstairs to his presidential office. Then, Stuyvesant-Callaghan's assistant came into the room, picked up the vase of flowers, and detached from its inside a small black cube that flashed a small red light. It was a recording device.

May 12th, 1420
6:30 AM Auran Standard Time / 8:30 AM Over Time
Fribernese Fortress, Federal City of Friberne, Canton of Friberne, Santos-Dominius
"What is it, Paul? Why did you summon me here this early in the morning? I have meetings this afternoon, and now my eyes are going to be baggy because of you!" Stuyvesant-Callaghan asked as she walked into the room. This was a busy day - Dominion Bank had a major deal to negotiate with another big corporation. As CEO of the bank, she was to do reading on the corporation's tactics, operations and details - so as to intimidate and threaten its representatives and secure a deal that would maximise benefit for the DB. But now, here she was, disgruntled and sitting in the meeting room at the Fribernese Fortress with the old and near-centenarian President Paul Goldberg. Her disheveled and frazzled assistant put her bag on a chair next to her and put a vase of flowers on the table as she sat down angrily.
"I'm sorry, Harriet, but I've summoned you on urgent business. It's about the Zoranian Civil War." Goldberg replied.
"What about it? Didn't we make a deal with that Quasena guy a while ago? I haven't heard from you about this war since then, so I assume that it's going smooth enough."
"Well, Harriet, it's safe to say that...I'm getting cold feet. And I need your advice on whether we should limit our involvement, stay the same, or increase our support for the corporates." Goldberg said in a reserved manner. Evidently, the old President was having concerns about both his political career and the safety of his relatively small country. If he makes the right decisions, then both would be safeguarded. But ally with the wrong people, send support at the wrong time or make any other wrong decision, and both would be in enormous peril. He was over 90 years old, and he didn't want the legacy of his 2nd term to be that of a catastrophic failure.
"Cold feet? You asked me to get here to provide you advice because you're having cold feet? Are you out of your mind, Paul?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as she walked towards the President. "You have advisors! National security advisors! Military generals! Seasoned diplomats! All at your disposal! Why bother me when you know I'm a busy woman with far too many responsibilities and far too limited amounts of time to deal with your cowardice!?"
"Stop it, Harriet! Don't you bully an old man." Goldberg stubbornly replied. "I have invited you here because you are my only major collaborator in this scheme of ours. Telling anyone else in the government would risk leaking this clandestine operation - one that isn't authorised by the National Senate, mind you - to the opposition. Just imagine the field day Art Bernstein and the Coalition of Roses will have with this scheme if it leaks! My party and I will crash to defeat at the next cantonal elections in Niedersasslen. Your bank will have serious questions to answer and will fire you. The stakes are too high for me to make a decision on my own!"
"Ugh! This is why I hate the public sector with a passion. People like Senator Bernstein cannot be bought, unlike in the private sector, where everyone is for sale...only at different prices." Stuyvesant-Callaghan moaned. "So, what are our options? Remind me again - and quickly! I still have work to do."
"Our first option is to stay the same, Harriet." Goldberg explained. "As long as we remain silent and keep upholding our end of the bargain, the corporates will probably give us the benefits they promised without fail. But, since our involvement with the corporates is low-profile, illicit under Santo-Dominian law and politically damaging if leaked, Quasena can easily renege on his word and refuse to give us anything if he does win. We will have nothing to hold against him, nothing to force him to give us what he owes. And we don't even know if he will win."
"Sounds like blind faith, Paul." Stuyvesant-Callaghan remarked. "That's very risky."
"It is blind faith, Harriet. And yes, it's risky. So that's why we can consider the second option: pulling out of the war. We will inform Quasena of our unwillingness to continue supporting the corporates in the war, and then slowly but surely cut back our aid until we fully retreat. We will cut our losses if Quasena had decided not to pay us back, but we will also miss out on the war chest if Quasena had originally decided to pay us what he owes to us. It's the safest option, but also the one that doesn't give us any benefits except an opportunity to fully save ourselves and avoid anything if Quasena loses."
"Sounds dumb. So, I assume that the final option is increasing our aid to the corporates."
"Correct, Harriet." Goldberg said. "We can opt to increase our monetary aid to the corporates. Now, we can either inform Quasena of our willingness to further support him...or we can choose to keep that from him. If we choose to inform Quasena, we will be able to secure his trust with our forthright attitude and honesty - but we will lose a bargaining chip. If we choose to go behind his back, we can make him inadvertently rely on us more. This is the bargaining chip we will get if we choose to increase support without consulting him, and it's the one we'll lose if we tell him."
"Three options...and all of them have positives and negatives. Well, Paul. I've already made my decision. But I want to hear from you. What's your decision?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan probed.
"Well..." Goldberg answered. "...I was thinking we should either maintain our current level of support, or pull out of the war entirely. You know, I'm serving my 2nd term as President, and I intend to run for re-election one last time in February 1421 to secure my 3rd and final term. If our involvement gets out, I will be doomed. Utterly. So I'm just thinking that we should play it safe and back out."
"You coward! I knew that caution ran in your blood." Stuyvesant-Callaghan barked. "Well, I like risks. Actually, to rephrase, I like taking risks with big potential rewards. I think we should opt to increase our monetary aid to the Zoranian corporates and Quasena. The war has been raging on for a bit now, and if we can send enough support, we might be able to help Quasena win decisive victories that scores him the final triumph in this devastating war. Then, we will be able to reap the numerous benefits we're entitled to for supporting the right people at the right moment by taking the right risks."
"Alright, alright! You're really disrespectful and rude in the morning, Harriet. Fine! We shall proceed with your plan. But since I call the shots in this country, we're informing Quasena of our willingness to increase aid. I'm not going to gamble big and try going behind his back - we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve. I'll have someone send him a message via secure channels that will ensure the secrecy of this operation and our involvement. You can go now, Harriet." Goldberg said.
Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan snatched her bag, stood up and left the room in a composed hurry. President Goldberg then closed his briefing book, stood up, turned off the TV in the meeting room and went upstairs to his presidential office. Then, Stuyvesant-Callaghan's assistant came into the room, picked up the vase of flowers, and detached from its inside a small black cube that flashed a small red light. It was a recording device.

May 12th, 1420
6:30 AM Auran Standard Time / 8:30 AM Over Time
Fribernese Fortress, Federal City of Friberne, Canton of Friberne, Santos-Dominius
"What is it, Paul? Why did you summon me here this early in the morning? I have meetings this afternoon, and now my eyes are going to be baggy because of you!" Stuyvesant-Callaghan asked as she walked into the room. This was a busy day - Dominion Bank had a major deal to negotiate with another big corporation. As CEO of the bank, she was to do reading on the corporation's tactics, operations and details - so as to intimidate and threaten its representatives and secure a deal that would maximise benefit for the DB. But now, here she was, disgruntled and sitting in the meeting room at the Fribernese Fortress with the old and near-centenarian President Paul Goldberg. Her disheveled and frazzled assistant put her bag on a chair next to her and put a vase of flowers on the table as she sat down angrily.
"I'm sorry, Harriet, but I've summoned you on urgent business. It's about the Zoranian Civil War." Goldberg replied.
"What about it? Didn't we make a deal with that Quasena guy a while ago? I haven't heard from you about this war since then, so I assume that it's going smooth enough."
"Well, Harriet, it's safe to say that...I'm getting cold feet. And I need your advice on whether we should limit our involvement, stay the same, or increase our support for the corporates." Goldberg said in a reserved manner. Evidently, the old President was having concerns about both his political career and the safety of his relatively small country. If he makes the right decisions, then both would be safeguarded. But ally with the wrong people, send support at the wrong time or make any other wrong decision, and both would be in enormous peril. He was over 90 years old, and he didn't want the legacy of his 2nd term to be that of a catastrophic failure.
"Cold feet? You asked me to get here to provide you advice because you're having cold feet? Are you out of your mind, Paul?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as she walked towards the President. "You have advisors! National security advisors! Military generals! Seasoned diplomats! All at your disposal! Why bother me when you know I'm a busy woman with far too many responsibilities and far too limited amounts of time to deal with your cowardice!?"
"Stop it, Harriet! Don't you bully an old man." Goldberg stubbornly replied. "I have invited you here because you are my only major collaborator in this scheme of ours. Telling anyone else in the government would risk leaking this clandestine operation - one that isn't authorised by the National Senate, mind you - to the opposition. Just imagine the field day Art Bernstein and the Coalition of Roses will have with this scheme if it leaks! My party and I will crash to defeat at the next cantonal elections in Niedersasslen. Your bank will have serious questions to answer and will fire you. The stakes are too high for me to make a decision on my own!"
"Ugh! This is why I hate the public sector with a passion. People like Senator Bernstein cannot be bought, unlike in the private sector, where everyone is for sale...only at different prices." Stuyvesant-Callaghan moaned. "So, what are our options? Remind me again - and quickly! I still have work to do."
"Our first option is to stay the same, Harriet." Goldberg explained. "As long as we remain silent and keep upholding our end of the bargain, the corporates will probably give us the benefits they promised without fail. But, since our involvement with the corporates is low-profile, illicit under Santo-Dominian law and politically damaging if leaked, Quasena can easily renege on his word and refuse to give us anything if he does win. We will have nothing to hold against him, nothing to force him to give us what he owes. And we don't even know if he will win."
"Sounds like blind faith, Paul." Stuyvesant-Callaghan remarked. "That's very risky."
"It is blind faith, Harriet. And yes, it's risky. So that's why we can consider the second option: pulling out of the war. We will inform Quasena of our unwillingness to continue supporting the corporates in the war, and then slowly but surely cut back our aid until we fully retreat. We will cut our losses if Quasena had decided not to pay us back, but we will also miss out on the war chest if Quasena had originally decided to pay us what he owes to us. It's the safest option, but also the one that doesn't give us any benefits except an opportunity to fully save ourselves and avoid anything if Quasena loses."
"Sounds dumb. So, I assume that the final option is increasing our aid to the corporates."
"Correct, Harriet." Goldberg said. "We can opt to increase our monetary aid to the corporates. Now, we can either inform Quasena of our willingness to further support him...or we can choose to keep that from him. If we choose to inform Quasena, we will be able to secure his trust with our forthright attitude and honesty - but we will lose a bargaining chip. If we choose to go behind his back, we can make him inadvertently rely on us more. This is the bargaining chip we will get if we choose to increase support without consulting him, and it's the one we'll lose if we tell him."
"Three options...and all of them have positives and negatives. Well, Paul. I've already made my decision. But I want to hear from you. What's your decision?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan probed.
"Well..." Goldberg answered. "...I was thinking we should either maintain our current level of support, or pull out of the war entirely. You know, I'm serving my 2nd term as President, and I intend to run for re-election one last time in February 1421 to secure my 3rd and final term. If our involvement gets out, I will be doomed. Utterly. So I'm just thinking that we should play it safe and back out."
"You coward! I knew that caution ran in your blood." Stuyvesant-Callaghan barked. "Well, I like risks. Actually, to rephrase, I like taking risks with big potential rewards. I think we should opt to increase our monetary aid to the Zoranian corporates and Quasena. The war has been raging on for a bit now, and if we can send enough support, we might be able to help Quasena win decisive victories that scores him the final triumph in this devastating war. Then, we will be able to reap the numerous benefits we're entitled to for supporting the right people at the right moment by taking the right risks."
"Alright, alright! You're really disrespectful and rude in the morning, Harriet. Fine! We shall proceed with your plan. But since I call the shots in this country, we're informing Quasena of our willingness to increase aid. I'm not going to gamble big and try going behind his back - we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve. I'll have someone send him a message via secure channels that will ensure the secrecy of this operation and our involvement. You can go now, Harriet." Goldberg said.
Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan snatched her bag, stood up and left the room in a composed hurry. President Goldberg then closed his briefing book, stood up, turned off the TV in the meeting room and went upstairs to his presidential office. Then, Stuyvesant-Callaghan's assistant came into the room, picked up the vase of flowers, and detached from its inside a small black cube that flashed a small red light. It was a recording device.

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the video game "Assault: Shade Mythicals"!. We know you've heard about them in every sponsored video you've ever watched on the Internet, but we here at SDCSN Channel 3 are constantly in desperate need of funding and we don't care for your ears! I, the magnificent man with a name that's a mouthful that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And we're here at New Larxia Airport, where our Santo-Dominian cricket team arrived about a few hours ago. Unfortunately, our flySD flight was delayed and we couldn't arrive here in New Larxia earlier to tape their arrival. Oh, and I've just been told that quite a few groups of Santo-Dominian cricket fans flew here to cheer for the team, but apparently mistook our Santo-Dominian players as Nieubasrian players and didn't cheer at all when our country's cricket players emerged from customs. It has been said that those fans were confused due to both the Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian team uniforms using yellow as the primary colour, but we're still trying to get some additional information about that unfortunate incident."
"In the meantime, we've also managed to completely miss the opening ceremony! The bosses back in Friberne only sent one camera crew with us, and all of us were on the same delayed flight. Anyways, we've been told that our yellow-loving competitors from Nieubasria, as well as all the other teams, have attended the opening ceremony. I'm sure both Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian fans won't be puzzled if the two teams face off against each other. That was sarcasm. Did I pull off sarcasm? I'm being scolded by my assistant who has mouthed that I shouldn't have clarified that I was being sarcastic. Alright, let's move on from that failure!"
"Wait a minute, that's the end of this broadcast? Okay! Haha! I'm totally not embarrassed at all. Santo-Dominian cricket fans, as well as the Santo-Dominian Cricket Association, are to sure to pay very close attention to this Cup, given that this is the first time Santos-Dominius has contested an international cricket competition! So, here's a reminder: this is the channel for live and direct coverage of the T20 World Cup! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was the Opening Day of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SCDSN Channel 3 for coverage of the Cup, and see you whenever stuff happens, even if that means that I have wake up at night and report from my hotel room!"

_________________________________
_________________________________
 
          FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLIC RELEASE
CLUB COUNCIL PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON STREAMING ACCESS TO CRICKET WORLD CUP
Due to pre-existing licensing agreements, television and online streaming access to the T20 World Cup in
New Larxia will be available exclusively through the Cambrian News Corporation either on the CNC network
as provided in your television package or through cnc.cm/watcht20.
Cricket Basria asks all community members and cricket fans to be on the lookout for pirated streams.
These can be a serious risk to your information security, and NEVER give your credit card information to 
any website purporting to allow you to stream the T20 World Cup as it is only available through CNC. 

It was 10 hours before the opening ceremony and the team had just landed.
Bernard grinned as he walked through the air bridge, looking refreshed. His phone was on the end of a selfie stick so he could capture the whole team. "Good morning Guys!" He spoke loud and clear. He was a good-looking guy - the perfect poster child for the team - their PR manager thought as she followed ahead. She already knew the news network was set up for the pre-opening ceremony interview with the team, just ready to start after the team gets settled in.
Behind her, the captain was chatting to a climbing audience, having already introduced the team. Evander Sibel had been the quietest during the flight, She wasn't used to flying just yet, but she managed it. Barely. But when she was in front of the camera, she had lit up, and for PR Expert Landel Akom, that was perfect. "We are so ready to just show what Glenpavia has to offer. Bluemen never give up without a good fight." Evander winks at the camera. She was a rural southern island girl, and her accent was catching the attention of a lot of adversing agencies.
 When they got to immigration, the team was finished filming, having answered some viewer's questions, and reported their excitement. By the time they got to the hotel, the team's page and accounts had excitingly increased in numbers, and they were ready to show off whatever rooms they got.

The rest of the day went swimmingly for the team and their managers. After the opening ceremony, the team all went into one room to celebrate their arrival. Their Coach, Walen Pother, had made sure no alcohol was consumed. That was going to be saved for later, saved for when they win.
 

"And now, over to our Sports Correspondent, Tennie, Over in New Larxia with our all-star cricket team"
The light went red, and Tennie softly smiled at the screen. "Hello from New Larxia, where I am here with the greatest of the greats!"
"Now now Tennie, we haven't won just yet" Bernard winks at her, joking. She laughs, joining in with the rest of the team, "Of course, but you are all come recommended by your own clubs back in Glenpavia, how does that feel?"
Kasp Aitry speaks up "It is an honour to be seen so highly by our own clubs. I know we had to go through a tough screening process to get on this team, and I am just thankful for not only our clubs, but all of our nation for believing in us. I know we are up against some tough competition, but to echo what Evander said earlier" she motions to the girl on the right of her "We will not give up until our last breath in this tournament"
The rest of the team nod in agreement, the captain ending the answer with a "We have quickly bonded as a team, and we can't wait to get out on the pitch"
From behind the camera, Landel Akom give them a thumbs up as Tennie continues "And we back at home are all rooting for you. My next question was about how excited you are, but you have already seemed to have answered that! Who do you think your toughest team will be?"
Grant Yonlon chooses to answer "Well, we have watched some teams play before, but others we don't have a clue about, so we cannot answer in terms of the whole tournament. There are a lot of highly skilled and confident players out there, and we are going to have to be on our A game to win the cup. But I think with confidence and teamwork, we will be able to fight through"
"I am sure we will be on the edge of our seats watching your matches guys! Now I noticed you did a video stream a few hours ago, Bernard, Do you have anything to say to your fans back home here on TV?" Tennie looks at him.
He nods "I just want to say, when we win this, we will do it for you guys, and the rest of Glenpavia-" Tennie speaks up over him "I am sorry Bernard, but I have just received news that Our current leader, Kassakira Petrovikan, will be joining you from the sidelines this tournament. I know a lot of bluemen have travelled to watch, but how exciting to have someone of such influence watching in person. How do you feel?"
Delkee was the first to speak, from surprise mostly. The leader of Blue Bubble was known for how eccentric she is, but also well she looks after the nation. For a nation who lives though the media, she rarely gives interviews or personally posts online. For Bluemen at home, playing "spot the leader" was a fun bet to play while watching if there was any wind of the woman being in the crowd. "We love that Kassakira has decided to support us in person" She looks at the camera "We hope to see you soon Miss 1st Leader, and we hope to make you proud!"
"And that's all we got time for today, Thank Blue Runners for joining us, and I hope you have a successful run this tournament. This is Tannie, back to the studio."

Hertfordshire and Jammbo Cricket - T20 World Cup Preview

Hello and welcome to the first ever report by HAJC on the T20 World Cup here in Larxia. Well, when we say here in Larxia, we have only just arrived in this country. Despite being one of the closest nations to Larxia itself - the western-most part of Hertfordshire & Jammbo is even in the same time zone as Larxia - we were the absolute last team to arrive and for once it wasn't due to getting lost on the way here. What happened was that our team coach actually broke just before we left. There was no other proper mode of transport we could use, so take a good guess what we arrived in Larxia with...

We aren't making this up. Hertfordshire and Jammbo is widely known as the countryside bumpkin nation, full of farms and wonderful scenery. At no point did we think it would have to go this far though. Those vehicles attached to the third one was on all three tractors in different forms.
 
Once we had finally arrived, we had a 'chat' with the coachbuilders behind our transport. Let's just say it was full of colourful language and a whole lot of furious shouting. Still, it could be worse, and then it was. We found out much to our dismay that the opening ceremony for the T20 World Cup had already finished some time ago. The misery was piled on by reports we found in the local news that United Adaikes made it earlier than us despite being a 20 hour flight away. Now that's just humiliating, our image as the 'dismal isolated farmers country' really is being confirmed to the rest of the world.
Mind you, just because we missed the ceremony, that by no means results in us not being there at all. We are not letting our presence go unreported. Instead of going down to the training ground, we headed straight for where the opening ceremony had taken place. Armed with the national flag of our nation St. Harlow's Cross, Faust Ḩarełeudeiem who is the captain of the Hertfordia Heathens burst through the stadium taking the janitors completely by surprise and just planted the Hertfordian flag where it is meant to be. This is somewhat normal to us lot.

This is Faust Ḩarełeudeiem, the captain of Hertfordshire and Jammbo Cricket's team (Hertfordia Heathens/Snowstorm/Shrine Maidens) as well as the former manager of the Hertfordshire and Jammbo Rugby Union's team. Don't question it. His first action in Larxia was to plant a flag far later than everyone else. The manager was going to do it but he was too busy shouting on the phone to the coachbuilders some more. This guy can be subtlely threatening without even trying.
Well, now that we have that out of the way we can introduce ourselves. We are those whose names shall never be uttered on this news service. Yeah, we aren't giving our names, mainly because we actually stole the job from the original presenters by sending them through a rather detailed and sinister gate. Even if it was a gate to Hell it wouldn't be surprising. If you really must know we are: Editor - Damian Hadjiev, Reporter - Frank Wezapad, Deputy Reporter - Yoshikage Ķile. It's not exactly much but we are more than capable of doing reporting. Apart from the fact we know next to nothing about cricket. But let's just gloss that to one side, we shall end the preview of the tournament with the news that we are in Group B with Glenpavia/Blue Bubble, Cambria & Teralyon as the third seed. Therefore we shall be playing Cambria in our first match. Goodbye for now, see you lot back home some other day.

An accurate representation of the training facilities that Hertfordshire and Jammbo have to use while here in Larxia. Honest.
 
                                  

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the video game "Assault: Shade Mythicals"!. We know you've heard about them in every sponsored video you've ever watched on the Internet, but we here at SDCSN Channel 3 are constantly in desperate need of funding and we don't care for your ears! I, the magnificent man with a name that's a mouthful that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."
"And we're here at New Larxia Airport, where our Santo-Dominian cricket team arrived about a few hours ago. Unfortunately, our flySD flight was delayed and we couldn't arrive here in New Larxia earlier to tape their arrival. Oh, and I've just been told that quite a few groups of Santo-Dominian cricket fans flew here to cheer for the team, but apparently mistook our Santo-Dominian players as Nieubasrian players and didn't cheer at all when our country's cricket players emerged from customs. It has been said that those fans were confused due to both the Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian team uniforms using yellow as the primary colour, but we're still trying to get some additional information about that unfortunate incident."
"In the meantime, we've also managed to completely miss the opening ceremony! The bosses back in Friberne only sent one camera crew with us, and all of us were on the same delayed flight. Anyways, we've been told that our yellow-loving competitors from Nieubasria, as well as all the other teams, have attended the opening ceremony. I'm sure both Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian fans won't be puzzled if the two teams face off against each other. That was sarcasm. Did I pull off sarcasm? I'm being scolded by my assistant who has mouthed that I shouldn't have clarified that I was being sarcastic. Alright, let's move on from that failure!"
"Wait a minute, that's the end of this broadcast? Okay! Haha! I'm totally not embarrassed at all. Santo-Dominian cricket fans, as well as the Santo-Dominian Cricket Association, are to sure to pay very close attention to this Cup, given that this is the first time Santos-Dominius has contested an international cricket competition! So, here's a reminder: this is the channel for live and direct coverage of the T20 World Cup! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was the Opening Day of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SCDSN Channel 3 for coverage of the Cup, and see you whenever stuff happens, even if that means that I have wake up at night and report from my hotel room!"

Cantonal Council snap elections in bellwether canton of Niedersasslen heat up
Today, Norbert Heitmann(DCB), Head Councillor of the Cantonal Council of Niedersasslen(NL) announced that he would be dissolving the council and calling a snap election. News of this quickly spread throughout the Federal Republic, and Santo-Dominians across the nation began to pay close attention. The Canton of Niedersasslen has long been one of the bellwether cantons in Santos-Dominius, often alternating between supporting the centre-right Democratic Congress Party(DCB) and the centre-left Coalition of Roses(CoR). Now, as news of the snap election reaches Friberne, the two major parties have already begun to field candidates, raise funds and schedule rallies in the canton.
The calling of the snap election proved to be rather surprising as Heitmann, a veteran in Niedersasslen politics, long presided over a slim but secure DCB majority in the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council. His decision was unexpected as many Santo-Dominians as well as the DCB party leadership thought that he would hold out until the regular elections in January next year, elections that he was projected to win. However, in recent days, public support in the canton has swung towards the left, especially after the formation of the CoR and the subsequent union of the Santo-Dominian left. It was these warning signs, political commentators believe, that led to Heitmann drawing the conclusion that he had to call for a snap election in order to secure his narrow majority and buy time for the DCB before it falls below the critical 50% line.
This isn't the first time the DCB has been forced to fight hard to retain Niedersasslen. In the February 1421 presidential elections, the almost-centenarian President Paul Goldberg(DCB) barely won the canton by 485 votes after weeks of intense and brutal campaigning in the cantonal capital of Anheit. To give some context: 400,631 Niedersasslons voted in that election. The canton saw the tightest presidential vote in Santo-Dominian history in that election. After the election, Sen. Art Bernstein(CoR-WS), Leader of the Opposition, said that "Niedersasslen's bellwether status is not to be underestimated".
Head Councillor Heitmann will face off against a formidable challenger in the form of Cantonal Councillor Jane Figures(CoR), former mayor of Anheit and leader of the CoR minority caucus in the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council. Figures is a well-known politician within the canton, mostly because her mother, Valerie Figures, famously led the successful push for universal suffrage in Niedersasslen. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Jane Figures has ran a strong campaign with voting rights and felony enfranchisement at the helm. Her populist rhetoric and criticism of Heitmann's notorious politicking has earned her the support of grassroots CoR voters and supporters, especially key demographics like youth voters, students and university graduates - all important support bases that have helped CoR win cantonal and national elections before. However, this has also attracted ire from established and entrenched politicians like Cantonal Councillor Robert Bennington(CoR), who has argued for a more moderate and pragmatic approach to the race.
As the race heats up, so have the polls. The latest poll conducted by the Santo-Dominian Institute for Public Opinion(SDIPO) shows the DCB and CoR in a dead heat, and Head Councillor candidate polls also show a similar picture - Heitmann and Figures are basically tied, with neither able to outpoll the other. With all 75 seats of the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council up for grabs, the DCB is expected to win at least 29, while the CoR will bag at least 26 seats. This reflects the uncertainty around the race: a whopping 20 seats are projected to be swing constituencies, with 14 of them being constituencies in which the leading candidate has a lead of less than 3%.
The stakes are very high in these Cantonal Council elections, and will likely make or break the Coalition of Roses. If the DCB loses, Heitmann will be ousted and replaced by Figures, and the CoR will receive enormous political capital. If the CoR loses, it will cast doubt on the new big-tent centre-left party's ability to truly unite the Santo-Dominian left wing, and it will also considerably worsen Figures' chances of ever getting the position of Head Councillor. Both parties are already campaigning hard to appeal to their support bases and undecideds, and the voters of Niedersasslen will have to pick between two starkly different parties in the elections.

The Cricket Team of the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius
(Santosian: Équipe de Santosie-Dominigne de cricket)
(Dominian: Cricket-Team von Santoreich-Dominien)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Team Information

Style Modifier: -3.5
Home Stadium: Mulberry Field, Friberne
Stadium Capacity: 20,000
Coach: Roger Bennington
Manager: Enoch Theroux
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
RP Permissions
Injure my players: yes
Dismiss batmen: yes
Deliberate unfair play: yes
Godmod injuries: yes
Godmod scoring: yes
Godmod other events: yes