Kaboom Kid #8 Page 5

  All too soon, the break was over. The Red team got ready to bat, as Kaine set his field.

  Davey had decided to hold himself back until the last two overs, knowing that it was likely to all come down to that.

  Jonathan opened the batting. He did well and made ten runs.

  The Reds batted carefully and, while they didn’t set the world alight, they managed to score at a rate of around six runs an over without losing too many wickets.

  When Davey and Sunil came in as the last pair, they’d lost four wickets in making 125, a net score of 109. To win, the Red team needed 25 off the last two overs – very difficult task.

  Sunil faced the 19th over bowled by the Blues’ fast bowler. He managed only four off the first four balls and a quick single off the fifth.

  Davey faced the last ball of the over and managed a delicate glance down towards the fine leg boundary and the batters ran as fast as they could to make three, so that Davey could face the last over.

  Kaine was to bowl the last over and the Reds needed 17 runs to win.

  The first ball was short and wide of off stump. Davey slashed at it and got a very thick edge which flew over third man’s head and over the short boundary for six!

  ‘What a fluke, Warner,’ said Kaine.

  The next ball was straight, but right in Davey’s hitting zone. He moved his front leg out of the way just the way he had practised in the nets and struck the ball high, wide and handsome straight back over Kaine’s head into the sightscreen.

  This time the crowd erupted in a roar! Five to win and four balls to come . . .

  ‘I thought you said you bowled a bit,’ said Davey, his confidence growing.

  Kaine, now furious, turned on his heel and came racing in attempting to bowl a yorker. He overpitched and sent a knee-high, full toss at Davey’s leg stump.

  This was meat and drink to Davey in form and he simply smacked the ball straight over mid-wicket and into the stands.

  ‘Yes!’ Another six!

  The Red team had managed 18 runs off only three balls. They had won!

  Davey’s support team went wild. Max barked hysterically and the crowd chanted for the Reds. Bella and her cheer squad ran out onto the pitch shaking their pompoms frenetically. Ms Maro in particular looked really pleased. It gave Davey a warm glow.

  Davey was pumped. He’d done it. They had done it!

  Akhil got to him first and shook his hand.

  ‘That’s some of the best hitting I’ve ever seen, Davey!’ he cried.

  ‘Thanks, coach.’

  The crowd ran out onto the pitch, giving high fives and hugs to the Red team.

  Davey felt stunned as he shook Benny’s sausage fingers, Josh’s firm hand and even Mr Mudge’s sweaty palm.

  ‘Not too shabby, Warner.’ Mudge even looked as if he had enjoyed himself. Mrs Trundle nodded encouragingly and her left eye twitched.

  Davey’s mum and dad clasped him in a bear hug.

  ‘Well done, son.’ His dad looked as proud as punch.

  ‘You played very well, Davey.’ His mum had tears in her eyes.

  Steve tousled his hair. ‘You’re a cricket player, no doubt about it, squirt.’

  Mr H winked at him.

  Davey stood still among the noise and cheering and let it all sink in. Against all the odds, they had beaten the Blue team, which had the best Marauders players. And he had proved himself as a worthy vice-captain.

  Mo, Tony and Nero lumbered over.

  ‘That was torture!’ Mo pulled a face. ‘Get us out of here!’ He pressed a half-chewed Whopper Chomp into Davey’s palm and ambled off.

  ‘Urgh . . .’ Davey put the sticky mess in his back pocket.

  ‘Look who’s doing a runner!’ Sunil nudged Davey with his elbow. They watched as Kaine headed towards the car park, trying to make a quick exit. But the Blues’ coach, Tom, was jogging after him.

  After a few quiet words, Tom nodded towards the Red camp and raised his eyebrows. Kaine marched over to Davey and Sunil. His vice-captain Scott was nowhere to be seen. He’d probably run off so that Kaine couldn’t blame him for their loss.

  ‘Well played,’ Kaine said, as he shook Davey’s hand. ‘Next time you won’t be so lucky,’ he snarled under his breath.

  But nothing Kaine could say was going to spoil their moment. Sunil and Davey shared a look and gave each other a high five.

  ‘Thanks, captain.’ Davey grinned at Sunil.

  ‘Not so bad yourself, Warner.’ Sunil adjusted his cap on his head. ‘We make a good team.’

  ‘A great team.’

  Max let out a series of short sharp barks which seemed to say, ‘Go Davey! Go Davey!’ He tore around the field in a frenzy, digging up the perfect pitch, but nobody batted an eyelid.

  Davey noticed Dermot and Mr Gold standing together. He drew himself up tall and walked over to join them.

  ‘Davey,’ Gold shook his hand warmly, ‘great game. Not only did you play well, you led your team well and executed your plan well.’

  ‘That was a captain’s knock right there,’ Dermot growled. ‘You and Sunil displayed excellent leadership potential.’

  Davey studied Dermot’s expression. He looked angry, but then he always looked angry. It was impossible to tell if he was pleased or not.

  ‘You’ve helped me to make my decision about the Slammers captaincy, Davey. Don’t say anything to the team just yet, but I think you and Sunil will be very happy with my decision. You have both proved how well you work together.’

  Davey broke into a huge grin of pleasure.

  ‘Thank you, coach!’

  Davey took off to find his friends. He invited everyone from the Red team over to his place for pizzas to celebrate.

  CHAPTER 14

  PLAYING ON

  ‘Now, Mum, you just sit down and relax,’ Davey announced. ‘I’ll make the pizzas.’

  Davey’s mum looked anything but relaxed.

  ‘But we just finished repainting the kitchen!’ She made a move to get up off the couch.

  ‘I know. I promise I’ll be careful.’

  Davey’s mum took a deep breath and lay back. ‘Thank you, Davey, that would be lovely.’

  Davey put down the bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. He had everything he needed to make a dozen pizzas. But there was just one more thing he wanted to do before everyone arrived. Quietly as he could, he slipped out of the house.

  ‘Come on, dog!’ Davey called to Max, who was sniffing hungrily at the food on the counter. Max trotted down the front steps after Davey.

  Davey crossed the road and opened the gate of Number 45. He knocked on the front door and waited.

  Mr Henderson opened the door. ‘Aah, Davey, well played today!’

  ‘Thanks, Mr H. I was wondering if you’d have time one day to give me a few tips?’

  Mr Henderson’s eyes crinkled as he broke into a huge smile. ‘I’d like that. I’d like it very much.’

  He leaned in closer to Davey. ‘I used to play for New South Wales Country, you know.’

  ‘I know.’

  Davey gave Mr Henderson a wave, ‘And we’re having pizzas in a bit if you’d like to come over.’

  ‘Thank you, Davey, I might just do that.’

  Davey and Max made their way back down the path.

  ‘Come on, Max, let’s see what you’ve got!’

  The pair raced down the street and Davey pulled a cricket ball from his pocket. He took a run-up and sent the ball flying down the street.

  Max took off at a sprint. Faster, faster, faster. Ruff, ruff, ruff.

  The ball sailed high into the air . . . High into the air and over the fence of the house next to Davey’s.

  A loud crash of glass shattering rang out through the air.

  ‘Uh oh,’ Davey sucked in his breath.

  Davey looked at Max. Max whined as if to say, ‘You’ve done it again!’

  ‘David Warner! Get over here now!’ Mrs Deep’s voice was high-pitched and shrill as she made
her displeasure known.

  Davey hoped his mum wouldn’t mind waiting a bit longer for dinner.

  ‘Come on, you mangy mutt!’ Davey called to Max as he raced over to Sunil’s house.

  He might be vice-captain, but right now things were back to normal.

  Or as normal as they could be.

  YOUR AMAZING CRICKET STATS

  NAME:

  BORN:

  BATS:

  BOWLS:

  HIGHEST SCORE:

  MOST SIXES:

  MOST CATCHES IN ONE MATCH:

  MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:

  TOUGHEST OPPOSITION:

  FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN PLAYER:

  FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL PLAYER:

  ULTIMATE DREAM TEAM:

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE KABOOM KID SERIES

  THE BIG SWITCH

  PLAYING UP

  KEEP IT DOWN!

  HIT FOR SIX

  THE BIG TIME

  HOME & AWAY

  TEST MATCH

  THE KABOOM KID – CAPTAINS’ KNOCK

  First published in Australia in 2016 by

  Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Limited

  Suite 19A, Level 1, 450 Miller Street, Cammeray, NSW 2062

  A CBS Company

  Sydney New York London Toronto New Delhi

  Visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.au

  © David Warner and J.S. Black 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Creator: Warner, David Andrew, author.

  Title: Captains’ Knock / David Warner, with J.S. Black; illustrated by Jules Faber.

  ISBN: 9781925368208 (paperback)

  9781925368215 (ebook)

  Series: Warner, David Andrew. Kaboom Kid; 8.

  Target Audience: For primary school age.

  Subjects: Cricket—Juvenile fiction.

  Cricket players—Juvenile fiction.

  Cricket matches—Juvenile fiction.

  Other Creators/Contributors: Black, J.S., author; Faber, Jules, 1971– illustrator.

  Dewey Number: A823.4

  Cover and internal design by Hannah Janzen

  Cover and internal illustrations by Jules Faber

  Typeset by Midland Typesetters, Australia