Cricket Crazy

By Vivienne Bailey

Tom Willard is a cricket-crazy eleven-year-old who lives in Wellington with solo dad, Dave, and Archie the dog.

 

He dreams of making the junior rep cricket squad and playing at the fabled Basin Reserve, but his prized cricket bat has disappeared and he's got to face Menace Mitchell, "the bowler from hell".

 

Just when Tom thinks things couldn't get any worse, his dad's dog-hating girlfriend moves in. But then he meets Izzy, a star all-rounder, and things start to look up – or do they?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ahoy
• Release date: Mar 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9780995123380

Book preview

1

C’mon, Tom, give us a six. It was Mr Gavin the coach.

Tom’s stomach squirmed. He squinted against the sun, sweat trickling down his forehead and stinging his eyes. Feet grounded, he steadied himself, and felt the bat, sure and strong in his hands.

The ball drifted, turning and dipping towards the crease. Tom came forward to meet it.

Thwack!

He lofted a hefty swing high on the on-side.

The umpire stuck both hands in the air. Six runs. Game over. They’d won.

Players and parents rushed onto the field. There was thumping on Tom’s back, and kisses from some of the mothers. Yuck.

Tom took off his helmet and looked for his dad. Dad was always first on the pitch, no matter what. Wiggling past Mr Gavin’s pot belly, Mrs Gavin’s baby stroller and a bag oozing cricket gear, Tom saw a flash of red and black, a Flexfit cap. Dad was talking, his smiling head bent towards the woman beside him. She had red hair and wore a black T-shirt that showed you-know-what. Tom had never seen her before.

Was this Tanya? Dad had never brought her to cricket.

What was she doing here?

Tom grabbed his dad’s arm. Did you see it? My magic bat did it again!

You played really well, mate, said Dad, giving Tom’s hand a big shake. That was his way. He never hugged like Fletcher’s dad did.

Tom smiled. It’s the magic in my bat.

Tom-holding-cricket-bat

Dad shook his head, laughing. It was good when he laughed, especially when Tom was telling a joke. He laughed with sort of an intake of breath and a clicky noise, like a cicada. For ages after Mum died there hadn’t been much laughing. But it was better now.

The woman wasn’t laughing. Tom stared at her. She was real short, even though she was wearing those ugly cowboy boots with giant heels. She had bright pink lipstick on her lips and black stuff on her eyelashes. It looked horrible. It reminded Tom of Izzy Thompson, the time she wore makeup to the school social. Tanya’s hair was red like Izzy’s too, and curly so it stood out like a fuzz ball around her face. Dad wrapped one arm around her and pushed her forward.

Mate, this is Tanya. She likes cricket too.

Puke, he thought. She doesn’t like cricket, she just wants to make out with Dad. Tom wasn’t actually sure what make out meant, but he thought Fletcher probably knew. He understood about things like that because he had a big sister.

Tom held out his hand to Tanya, like his dad did.

Hiya, Tom, Tanya said, smiling now, and shaking his hand. Her teeth were white and sparkly, like in a toothpaste ad.

The three of them made their way to the outfield. It felt weird walking beside Tanya. It had always just been Tom and Dad hanging out after a match.

Tom walked faster, putting space between him and Tanya, and was relieved when they reached the boundary. He grabbed his sports bag and piled his helmet and pads inside.

Fancy a burger at Macca’s? asked Tanya.

Tom paused, then nodded. Dad must’ve told her he liked McDonald’s. What else had he said?

Holding the Gray-Nicolls bat under his arm, tight and safe, Tom kept walking towards the car. Tanya and Dad were right behind him.

They could see Archie waiting for them in Dad’s car. Archie had been Mum’s dog and now he was Tom’s. When Mum had brought Archie home from the animal rescue centre, Dad had chucked a mental. He’d said they were too busy with cricket to look after a dog. Mum had taken no notice. But Dad had grown to love Archie big-time, always giving him treats when no one was looking.

Archie’s black-splotched head was hanging out the open window of Dad’s car and he was barking at everyone going past, including Mr and Mrs Gavin, who stopped and stared at him. Looked like they didn’t know much about dogs. Then again Archie looked crazy-as, with his I am totally busting face, so Dad opened the door and unclasped Archie from his harness.

Archie gave Dad major licks all over his face, then leapt out, raised his leg and let fly with the longest pee ever – right over Tanya’s new boots. She just stood there, flapping her hands and shouting. She sounded like an erupting volcano.

My boots!

She glared furiously at Archie, her eyes wide and bulging. Tom thought she looked like Finn, Fletcher’s goldfish.

Bloody dog! Dad bellowed. Grabbing Archie, he shoved him into the car and slammed the door really hard. Tom blinked. He had never seen his dad so mad.

2

Tanya was staring at her boots. Pee-smell wafted around her.

These cost two hundred dollars, she said. Her voice was quieter now. I only got them yesterday.

I’m sorry, babe, said Dad. He’s never done that before.

Yuck, thought Tom, what’s with the babe thing? Dad must be going soft in the head. But it was true, Archie had never peed on anyone, not even when he was busting. Thank goodness McDonald’s was only a block away. Maybe a burger would make Tanya happier.

Tom looked over at Archie. He had his normal, not-worried face