Return to Glory

By Bob Cattell

Glory Gardens Cricket Club is back. This time the team is in Australia facing the challenge thrown down by their arch rivals, Woolagong C.C.. The hastily arranged tour gets off to a difficult start with players struggling for form and problems over team discipline. As Christmas approaches, captain Hooker Knight is battling to motivate his players for the vital, three-day ‘Ashes’ game. Will Glory Gardens still retain Ohbert’s urn when they return home to England? The Glory Gardens series is the perfect read for young cricket fans and players of all abilities. e action-packed stories are brought to life with diagrams, scoresheets and illustrations, plus a special cricket ‘jargon buster’. You’ll be stumped without them!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mereo Books
• Release date: Oct 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781909874985

Book preview

RETURN TO GLORY

BOB CATTELL

Illustrations by

Bob Linney

THE GLORY GARDENS SERIES

(in suggested reading order)

Glory in the Cup

Bound for Glory

The Big Test

World Cup Fever

League of Champions

Blaze of Glory

Down the Wicket

The Glory Ashes

Return to Glory

Copyright © 2016 by Bob Cattell

Published by Mereo

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Bob Cattell has asserted his right under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a work of fiction and except in the case of historical fact any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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ISBN: 978-1-909874-98-5

To Micky

CHAPTER ONE

Ohbert doesn’t live far away. Just off Bason Street, near the petrol station. But I’d never been to his house before and I don’t think any of the others had either.

So I was surprised that morning to meet Erica as I opened the front gate of 13 Tufnell Terrace.

Did you get a phone call too? she asked.

I nodded. Oh but, Hooker, it’s really, really important, Ohbert had said.

I asked him what he wanted but he cut me off. I hope he’s not wasting our time, said Erica.

Suppose we’d better find out.

Erica pressed the front door bell and we both jumped at the loud, grunting sound that echoed across the neighbourhood. It was like that weird noise Gatting makes when you give him a biscuit, only much louder. Gatting is our coach Kiddo’s old Labrador. He’s Glory Gardens

Cricket Club’s official mascot – Gatting I mean, not Kiddo.

We waited. Neither of us wanted to press the button again. I was beginning to think Ohbert had forgotten about us, when the door opened a couple of centimetres and an eye peered at us through the crack.

Oh but, it’s you! said the familiar voice. The door opened a little wider. Ohbert was wearing a monster set of fluffy, black headphones.

Who else were you expecting? Erica said.

The buzzing and thumping from the headset made it impossible to talk.

Turn it down, Ohbert! I shouted.

Ohbert blinked at me and, without another word, turned and walked up the stairs. We followed him into a small, dark room. The curtains were drawn and the walls appeared to be painted black. Erica sniffed at the odd, musty smell. Ohbert slumped on a bed in the gloom and started to manipulate a laptop with remarkable skill. The headphones were still hammering away, filling the room with their strange sounds.

We waited patiently. As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, I noticed, pinned on the black wall next to the black curtains, a small map of Australia. Below it was written in large capitals, WOOLAGONG and an arrow pointed to a red sticker on the map.

There were two photos alongside it. One instantly recognisable… a selfie of Ohbert, shaking hands with Shane Warne. It had been taken just a few months ago after the ‘test match’ with Woolagong. The Aussie superstar, who had surprised us all by turning up to award the trophies, was smiling charmingly. Ohbert just looked weird. He had a big swelling above his right ear where the ball hit him before he took the unlikely catch on the rebound, which won us the game.

The other picture was our latest team photo taken at the end of the season.

Ohbert’s on the front row, second from the right with the baseball cap. Real name, Paul Bennett – you may have already guessed why we call him Ohbert. Erica, who’s one of our top all-rounders, is standing behind him. And I’m next to Ohbert, with the cricket bat. My name is Hooker Knight – I’m captain of Glory Gardens. You’ll meet the others later.

Back row: Azzie Nazar, Frankie Allen, Jo Allen (scorer), Cal Sebastien, Mack McCurdy, Erica Davies, Clive da Costa, Jacky Gunn

Front row: Marty Lear, Matthew Rose, Kris Johansen, Hooker Knight (captain), Ohbert Bennett, Tylan Vellacott

Glory Gardens C. C. is no ordinary cricket team. It’s not a school side – although most of us go to Hereward School.

And we’re not really part of a club even though we used to play all our home matches on the Priory ground. We founded the team ourselves and we arrange all the fixtures – or rather Jo, our team secretary, does. We’re named after Glory Gardens recreation ground, at the back of my house, where we first started playing together.

It’s less than three years since the team was formed but we’re now county league champions. And last year we were winners of the national League of Champions. Obviously that means we’ve got some talented cricketers – Azzie and Clive are two of the best batters in the county and Marty took well over fifty wickets last year. But we’ve also got Ohbert, who is unquestionably the most naturally ungifted cricketer in the history of the game.

I’ve forgotten the reason why Ohbert started playing for Glory Gardens. I think he’s always been with us – and the team wouldn’t be the same without him. Ohbert makes things happen… and in a funny way he’s a match winner, too.

An unmistakable silly grin spread slowly across Ohbert’s face as he turned the screen of the laptop towards us. Are you ready? he said, finally pulling off his headphones and leaving them thumping away on the bed.

A picture of an orange and silver paper urn filled the screen. It was the Ashes Trophy, the replica that Ohbert had made for ‘Ohbert’s Ashes’ last summer. The image then morphed into the familiar faces of Robbie Gonzales, captain of Woolagong C.C. and Slim Squirrell, their wicket-keeper.

G’dday, Hooker, Erica, said Robbie. His bleached, blond hair was a bit longer than it had been in the summer but otherwise he looked exactly the same.

Hello, said Erica, recovering from her surprise more quickly than me."

So, how d’you guys fancy spending Christmas in Australia? said Slim.

Like most of the wicketkeepers I’ve met Slim’s a bit eccentric. I assumed he was having us on and laughed.

Deadly serious, Hooker mate, Robbie said.

We’re challenging you boys… eh, and girls… to a rematch.

Unless you’re just too damn scared.

And if you are you can hand over that trophy right away. Erica and I stared wide-eyed at the screen while Robbie explained the proposed itinerary. First a three-way tournament against Wooolagong and a team from Mumbai in India who were touring Australia. Then, the Ashes would commence. On Boxing Day.

We’ve fixed you up a warm-up game too, when you arrive, said Robbie.

Against Tin Pot Bay, the runners up in our league. They’ll soften you up for us, said Slim.

You paying for this? Erica asked sarcastically. No fear.

So?

Well, Wally and Willy are, of course. It was sort of half their idea, said Robbie.

Wally is Walter Whitman, the founder and owner of Whitmart Superstores. He’s a big supporter of Glory Gardens and he helped us to pay for our new pavilion.

And who’s Willy? asked Erica.

William Wardle. He owns Willy’s Wineries here in New South Wales.

He’s a pal of your mate, Wally. They’re both rich as hell.

And mad about cricket.

You don’t need to worry about the flights.

And we’ve sorted your accommodation.

So, if there are no more questions.

We’ll see you, mates, in Oz.

December 14. You better get some practice in.

Prepare for a hammering. I’m off to dinner – I’m starving, said Slim.

The image faded. But, after Ohbert had given the screen a couple of delicate flicks, Frankie and Walter Whitman appeared. Wally was dressed in the usual crisp, white jacket and MCC bow tie, with his well-trimmed white beard poking out over the top. By comparison Frankie looked as if he’d been through a tumble dryer.

Bet you didn’t believe it, said Frankie grinning as if he’d won the lottery. Frankie’s our wicket-keeper and probably the most unreliable member of the team.

How long have you known about this, Frankie? asked Erica sternly.

Oh, not long… began Frankie, looking to Wally for help. We’re here to answer your questions, said Wally in his precise way.

Then when are we supposed to be going to Australia? said Erica.

December 13th, said Wally. You be arriving early on the 14th.

And for how long?

Almost three weeks.

So how do we get a week off school before the holidays start? said Erica.

Kiddo’s sorted all that for us, said Frankie.

And the flights? I said.

They will be taken care of by me and Mr William Wardle, said Wally. We’ve made a block booking. I shall be flying out with you. And Mr Johnstone, your coach will join us later, after the end of the school term.

Mr Johnstone is ‘Kiddo’. He coaches Glory Gardens and teaches some of us French at Hereward School. If Kiddo was part of this then the whole crazy plan might just

Reviews for Return to Glory

[Tessa Whyatt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My son loves these books and reads them on repeat. Only one on this platform, a few through the library. Seems to be out of print. Great series!