Playing Up (8 page)

But you never knew how quickly the tide could turn. The Skiffs' fast bowler, Zane, came back into the attack for a few overs and caused a collapse. The Saints lost four wickets for very few runs.

Davey was next in. He was batting at number ten. He picked up Sunil's bat. It wasn't Kaboom, but it was the closest thing he had.

‘Go, Davey!' his dad shouted. Davey's stomach did another flip and he concentrated on taking deep breaths as he approached the pitch.

Steve was the other batter. The situation was dire. They had enough overs left, but still needed fifty-nine runs to win, with only two wickets standing.

‘Try to give me all the strike and I'll get the runs,' Steve advised. ‘You just have to stick around and grind this out.'

‘I'll grind
you
out,' Davey said firmly. ‘Put a sock in it, Steve.'

Steve glared at his young brother. ‘I'm the captain and your job is just to defend,' he said.

They had a small chance of winning this game, if they didn't kill each other first.

The first ball Davey faced was a swinging yorker. He managed to jam his bat down on it and it squirted off to the leg side for one. Steve drove the next ball to the boundary for a four.

They pressed on. Little by little the target was reduced. Davey began to relax a little and started to time his shots better.

We can do this
, Davey realised.
We could actually win!

Although Zane peppered Davey with short and fast deliveries, he had made thirteen runs.
An unlucky number for
some,
but not me
, thought Davey.

Josh came on to bowl and over-pitched his first delivery. With a rush of confidence,
Davey instinctively knew what to do. He stepped down the wicket and drove the ball long and high over the bowler's head for four. The crowd loved it!

Josh glared at Davey.

‘So much for getting hurt,' Davey said smugly.

Steve walked down the pitch and Davey thought he was coming to congratulate him on the shot. ‘What was that?' his brother snapped.

‘A great shot?' Davey felt on top of the world. ‘A legend in my own lunchtime?'

‘A loser who doesn't listen,' Steve hissed.

The two brothers glared at each other.

‘Forget your history with Josh,' Steve said. ‘I said
play it safe
! Protect your wicket, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'

Davey couldn't believe it. How dare Steve bawl him out in front of everyone when he was playing so well?

Who did Steve think he was?
Davey thought bitterly as Steve stalked back to his end. He thought he could yell at Davey just because he was his little brother. It was so unfair!

Davey sneaked a look at the scoreboard and the team watching from the sidelines. They looked grim. He could just make out Jerome and Danny glaring at him. With a jolt, Davey realised Steve was right. He'd been thinking about himself and not the whole team.

Realising the seriousness of the situation, Davey concentrated on protecting his wicket while letting Steve score most of the runs. He deflected the next delivery off his hip for a single, to put Steve back on strike.

‘Good one, Davey.' Steve praised his efforts.

The brothers communicated well and finally began to work together as a team. They managed to put on fifty runs together. While Davey's contribution was only seventeen, it was much needed. They were getting very close to the target.

With nine runs still needed to win, the Skiffs' best fast bowler, Zane, came back into the attack for his last over. Steve cut the first ball for four, but going for a big shot on the next ball, he was caught behind. That was it. He was out.

This time he didn't give Davey any advice as he walked off the pitch. Davey kind of wished he had.

The fate of the game rested with Davey and the Sandhill Saints' number eleven.

With just five runs still needed to win the game, out walked Harry, the number eleven batter. Harry was a great bowler but a well-known bunny. He'd do almost anything to get out of batting and the whole team supported him in this wish. It was harsh but true – Harry was the world's worst batter.

Davey met Harry mid-pitch. He noticed that Harry was carrying two bats.

‘Your mates thought you might need this,' Harry said, handing a bat to Davey.

Davey took the bat and looked at it in surprise. It was Kaboom! Davey had never been so pleased to see a piece of wood in his life.

‘What the . . . ?' Davey looked up at the stand and saw Kevin, George and Sunil with his dad. So the boys had made it to the game. And they'd brought Kaboom? Davey couldn't get his head around it. How did they get Kaboom away from Mudge?

‘Forget about the bat, Davey,' Harry said. ‘The team's stuck with an eleven-year-old and me. It's not looking pretty.'

‘That's where you're wrong, Harry,' Davey said. He held Kaboom to his chest and felt a surge of confidence. ‘This is a game changer. We can win this!'

‘O-kay . . .' Harry looked doubtful. ‘What's the plan?'

‘We need five runs, right?'

Harry nodded. ‘Yeah, I checked with the scorer.'

‘Just try and block the first one somehow or let the ball hit you,' Davey said. ‘No matter what happens,
run
. I'll be coming.'

‘I'll do my best,' Harry said.

Harry moved back to his crease to face his first ball. He looked really nervous and Davey watched anxiously as Zane sent down one of
his fastest balls. Harry never had any hope of actually hitting the ball with his bat, but he bravely took it on the arm.

‘Oof!' Harry grimaced as the ball made contact.

‘Ooh,' cried the crowd in sympathy.

‘Run!' Harry yelled, taking off from his end.

Davey took off and sprinted down the pitch with all his might. They just made it, scampering through for a leg bye.

Only four runs to go! Zane didn't look happy. He went back to the top of his mark and glared at Davey.

‘This'll sort the men from the boys,' he said loudly enough for Davey to hear.
‘If you thought that one hurt, wait till you feel this!'

Davey glanced at Harry, who was still rubbing his arm. He shut him out. Davey ignored Zane and his sledging and he thought about Ricky and everything he'd learned. He gripped Kaboom. All other distractions faded away. It was Davey, Kaboom and the ball.

‘You'll feel it all right,' Davey said to himself, as his eyes followed Zane's every move.

Zane ran in and let fly a fast bouncer aimed straight at Davey's head.

‘Ooh!' the Saints supporters voiced their alarm when they saw the trajectory of the ball.

Up until now Davey had tried to avoid hitting the short ball, ducking and weaving and concentrating on keeping his wicket. As the red blur came screaming towards him, Davey realised there would be no second chances. It was now or never. He had Kaboom back in his grip. He didn't even have to think about how to stand or hold his bat. It felt completely natural. It was time to take action.

‘Show me what you've got, Kaboom,' Davey said. He kept his eyes fixed on the ball and swivelled on his left foot. Kaboom hooked the bouncer high and handsome, way over the fine leg boundary for a huge six!

They'd won! The crowd erupted in a roar and Davey felt completely stunned.

‘We did it!' Harry yelled, running down the pitch towards him. He looked completely and utterly ecstatic.

It took a minute to sink in. They'd won. They'd won! Davey was suddenly surrounded by people jostling him, slapping him on the back.

As usual at the end of a game, the players from the two teams all shook hands with each other before leaving the field. Josh even managed a grudging ‘Good shot, Warner', before joining his team to talk over their defeat.

Even Steve was beside himself. ‘Well played, Davey,' he said, grabbing his brother in a bear hug. ‘You little beauty!'

Rob, the selector, appeared at Davey's side, his little notebook in his hand. ‘You played some impressive cricket today, Warner,' he said. ‘I'll be keeping an eye on you.'

‘Thanks!' Davey couldn't remember ever feeling so happy. He hugged Kaboom and ran to find his friends.

Later that night Sunil, George, Kevin and Davey were hoeing into homemade pizzas at Davey's house.

‘I still don't understand how you got Mudge to give Kaboom back,' Davey said.

George chuckled. ‘The poetry book. When we got sprung in the classroom, I stuck it in my pocket. I'd forgotten I still had it.'

‘Urgh!' Davey pulled a face. ‘Trundle and Mudge – so gross!' It was enough to turn him off his pizza. ‘But what's that got to do with Kaboom?'

‘I had to give Mudge something to keep him quiet. We sneaked into Penguin Palace RSL and found Mudge's bag. Sure enough, there was Kaboom. Remember he was taking it with him everywhere? So we took Kaboom, but we left Mudge his book.'

‘So he'd know to keep quiet or we'd spill about his little crush!' Davey exclaimed. ‘That's gold!'

George nodded smugly. ‘I tell you one thing,' he said, before taking another bite of pizza and munching happily. ‘I won't be doing rubbish pick-up for a long time!'

‘Cheers to that!' Kevin agreed.

The friends clinked their glasses of lemonade. There was a day–night game of cricket on TV to watch and they had plenty to celebrate.

Just then they heard a loud cry from the kitchen.

‘Max, you thieving mongrel!' A split second later, Max flew into the room past the boys with a whole salami gripped in his teeth. Max and Davey locked eyes for an instant before Max pinned his ears back and flattened himself under the couch.

‘Have you seen Max?' Davey's mum appeared in the doorway, her apron covered in flour and pasta sauce. She was brandishing a wooden rolling pin.

George, Sunil and Kevin all looked at Davey.

‘Sorry, Mum, he's not in here.'

‘Hmm.' Davey's mum looked unconvinced, but after a quick glance around the room she
stalked back to the kitchen. ‘When I get my hands on that dog . . .'

Davey stuck his head under the couch. Max was gnawing enthusiastically on the sausage.

‘Max, you're a mutt!' laughed Davey. ‘But I'm glad someone else is in trouble with Mum for once!'

More adventures with The Kaboom Kid available now!