Glenn Maxwell 1 by Patrick Loughlin

Author:Patrick Loughlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2014-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

‘All right, gang. Remember, this is high stakes,’ Jack said in a half-serious tone. ‘Not only will the losers have to wash up tonight, but the winners will get to rub it in their faces for the last twenty-four hours of camp!’

All the coaches had come down to play in the game, although they were only allowed to field. Dan joined the girls’ team to even up the numbers, and Jack was the umpire.

The girls won the toss and strangely decided to send the boys in to bat.

‘I’d prefer to smash the winning runs myself,’ said Zoe, and the boys guffawed.

Will and Shavil opened the batting once again, and this time it was a little easier than facing Darren. The ball was just a low-impact rubber ball, which meant the pace was slow and it didn’t travel far when it hit the sand. Once the boys got used to it, they began advancing down the sandy pitch and smashing the ball far and wide.

Will especially had fun with Zoe fielding out in the deep. He kept whacking it just over her head and into the waves so she’d have to wade in to get it. Then he hit it straight to her for a catch, but a wave knocked her off balance and she came up soaking wet and without the ball.

‘Oops!’ Will grinned. ‘Did you bring a towel?’

Zoe glared at him but said nothing. Instead, she put herself in to bowl. Will had more fun hitting her around the beach.

Time to try a few T20 shots. He sized up the next delivery and loosened his grip for a reverse sweep. But Zoe had changed up her pace and he mistimed it, chopping it back onto the plastic yellow stumps.

‘Ha!’ screamed Zoe.

‘We’ll still win,’ said Will as he handed the bat to the next boy.

But the wickets began to tumble. The next kid, a skinny boy called Brian, fell cheaply, edging it behind. Then Shavil went for a massive slog back over the bowler’s head and was caught by a diving Dan. The boys put on some more runs but not with the same ferocity as the first five overs when Will and Shavil had cut loose. The girls had picked up their game in the field and took some nice catches as well as two quick run-outs.

By the end of the 20 overs, the boys had made a respectable 89, with Darren adding a quick-fire 18 at the death.

‘No chance the girls will get that,’ said Freckles.

But there was something about Zoe’s face that Will didn’t like. She looked totally calm, as if she knew something they didn’t.

It soon became obvious what that something was when Kat, one of the girls’ openers, smashed Darren’s first ball back over his head and into the faint blue horizon. The ball kept going and going. It was a monster hit, bigger than any the boys had hit.

The boys’ jaws dropped.

But after both openers did it repeatedly, ball after ball for the first four overs, Will finally figured it out.

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