by Brett Lee
Georgie gently placed a pillow under Ally’s head and I covered her with my doona.
‘Most appropriate,’ Jim chuckled, eyeing the cricket scene on it.
All I could think of was an Aussie flag being draped over the coffin of a returning soldier.
‘Come along, Toby. I promise you that there is no more to be done right now. Ally is resting. Take a break, you’ve both earned it.’
We walked slowly to the door.
‘A part of her was lost after her first visit to Brisbane, wasn’t it, Jim?’ I thought of some catches she’d dropped, and times when she’d looked tired. It was so unlike Ally. ‘And now more of her has gone…’
‘What do you mean more of her?’ Georgie asked. ‘More of what?’
‘Her spirit, Georgie. Her life. Her will to live.’ Jim paused. ‘Everything that is Ally: her memories, alertness, vigour, motivation and enthusiasm—her will. She is very vulnerable in this state. We must watch over her carefully.’
‘But why Ally?’ I asked. ‘What about me? I’m not suffering like she is, and I’ve seen myself in the past.’
‘You have, Toby, but you’re stronger. After all, you have the gift. No, there’s something else going on here, something out of Ally’s control. But I’m sure we have got her back in time,’ Jim added, trying to sound more cheeful.
Downstairs we joined the rest of the group, who were cheering every wicket of the last session. Georgie and I picked at our food, pretending to be cheerful. Rahul, Jimbo and Jay kept on giving us meaningful looks that we politely ignored. When someone asked about Ally, we simply explained that she was resting upstairs, which was accepted as others had commented that she didn’t seem herself.
‘She’s probably caught that nasty bug that’s going around,’ Mum said, passing out plates of chocolate cake.
‘Well, well!’ Dad said suddenly, ‘Speak of the devil.’
There was Ally, standing at the door to the hallway. She smiled tentatively and, after a moment of hesitation, walked over to the couch where Georgie and I were sitting.
‘Room for me?’ she whispered, snuggling between us.
‘Always,’ Georgie said with a smile, putting an arm around her.
At that moment, I think I loved Georgie almost as much as cricket.
‘Jim?’ Dad said, staring at the TV. ‘That’s not you over there skulking behind that gum tree, is it? Who’s got the remote? Jimbo, hit the rewind button.’
Everyone leaned forwards.
‘There!’ Dad shouted.
Jimbo hit the pause button.
‘You have some explaining to do to your grandson, Jim,’ Dad laughed. Meanwhile, Mum and Nat had come in from the kitchen.
‘Grandson?’ Jim said, sounding puzzled.
‘Well, any elderly bloke who gets off his sick bed to come and watch a boy play cricket is a grandfather in my book.’
I felt tears brimming, and Ally gently squeezed my hand. Jim’s arms opened wide as I sprang up from the couch and rushed over to him, hugging him tight. I buried my face in his shoulder, only partly drowning out the cheers from all around me.
‘Howzat!’ Dad yelled, pointing at the TV.
I looked at the screen to see I’d just run out Scott Craven and won us the championship.
‘Play it again!’ I shouted.
Dad rewound then slowed the tape down, taking us through those final moments frame by frame.
‘Geez, Toby, you only just hit the stumps,’ Georgie laughed.
It was great seeing the action on TV—the video had some terrific shots of the run-out and the celebrations immediately afterwards.
‘I’m sure that won’t be the last time young Toby here sees himself on television performing miracles on the cricket field,’ Jim said, leaning back in his chair.
‘Was that the doorbell?’ Mum queried, getting up and leaving the room.
‘And if Toby had missed the stumps?’ Mr Pasquali said, as we watched yet another replay of Scott Craven being run out.
‘Scott would have made his ground and the game would have been a tie,’ Jimbo said.
‘Yes, and the Scorpions would have got the trophy,’ Rahul added.
‘Did someone mention the trophy?’ Mum asked, coming back into the room. ‘Look what I found!’ she said, revealing a shiny object she’d been hiding behind her back.
‘The trophy!’ I gasped, bouncing up.
‘Was anyone there?’ Dad asked.
‘No. Just the trophy on the doorstep and a rather flash-looking car speeding away,’ Mum said, shrugging.
I glanced at Georgie as I took the trophy from Mum. We both knew who had left it there. But thankfully Phillip Smale hadn’t hung around. Even though we’d finished with the Scorpions I knew that we weren’t done with Smale. Not yet. But Ally’s problems and Jim’s talk of Lord’s and a final dangerous trip made Smale seem much less important.
‘How about a few photos, Dad?’ I said.
As the whole team, including Mr Pasquali, gathered around me, I couldn’t help but grin. I knew there’d be more time-travel adventures to come, but for now I just wanted to enjoy our win.
‘Everyone say “Champions”,’ Dad said.
We all put our hands on the trophy. ‘Champions!’
Arthur Mailey has the best innings bowling figures by any Australian in a Test match. He took 9 for 121 at the MCG in the fourth game of the 1920/1921 Ashes series.
See page 603 for more details about Toby’s Under-13 competition.
Brett Lee’s Cricket Tips
Like Toby and his friends, I know that it takes more than one player to win a cricket match. Each team member plays an important part in helping their team do its best…as well as having fun along the way!
BL
1—Captain
The captain is responsible for all decisions on the field. Great captains always lead by example, and they should motivate the team as well as setting the standards for the batting, bowling and fielding.
A captain should be thinking about the game constantly, as it is important to anticipate problems in the game before they occur and make any necessary adjustments to counter them.
2 – Warm-up
It is important that before you undertake any sport you have a solid warm-up. Work up a light sweat by completing a few light runs and then having a good stretch. This is also a chance to play a few short ball games such as fielding soccer or touch football. This will loosen your muscles and allow you more freedom during the course of your match or training session. It is a good habit to get into and you should repeat this at the end of a day’s play.
3 – Setting a field
When setting a field you need to take into account the situation of the game and the conditions. If you are defending a low score then it is likely that you will be a little more defensive. On the other hand, if it is overcast and you have runs on the board then you might look to attack a little more. I normally have three slips and a gully as my attacking fieldsman. I am happy for the batsman to drive through the covers because it has them playing away from their eyeline and opening the face of the bat. This way I am more likely to get a nick to the keeper or the slips. A bowler should have a big say in setting his own field!
4—Opening bowler
Opening bowlers are given the job of getting the fielding side off on the right foot and setting up the innings. They have to bowl the correct line and length straight away without giving the batters a loose ball and, therefore, an opportunity to play a few shots and settle in. It is important to make an opening batter play as many difficult balls as possible in the first 10 overs to force mistakes and possibly get wickets.
When I am opening the bowling I ensure I make the most of the new ball. When the ball is new it is naturally harder and therefore should bounce more. It is shiny so it should swing more and travel through the air quicker. I feel this is the best time for me to take wickets so I want the batsman to have to commit to a shot every time I let one go. I have to be car
eful that I am not trying too hard or attempting to bowl too quick. I want to land the ball in a small area on or around the line of off-stump as this way he is hopefully in two minds as to whether to play it or let it go to the keeper. Opening bowlers have to have a ‘big heart’; we have to bowl at times on flat wickets in really hot conditions, so my advice is never to give up.
5 – The grip
For bowling: The ball needs to be comfortably positioned in your bowling hand. The thumb should rest towards the bottom of the ball and your index and middle fingers slightly split on either side of the seam. The angle of the seam will depend on the type of delivery you are bowling—in-swinger, seam angled towards the batsman’s leg side and the opposite for an out-swinger.
For batting: Lay a bat on the ground face down. Straddle it, then bend down and pick it up with the ‘v’ between your thumb and index fingers running down the handle. Ensure your hands are a comfortable distance apart, grip the bat and stand up. Do not hold the bat too tight—your top hand should have a firm grip but your bottom hand should be the ‘rudder’ for your stroke play.
6 – The run-up
Your run-up should be more about balance and being fluent than speed to the crease. I am learning that a shorter run will conserve energy and assist with building a comfortable rhythm. At the moment I run about 30 metres but I am looking at shortening this.
7 – Shine
Fast bowlers shine one side of the ball so that the ball will swing through the air. You naturally end up with a shiny side and a rough side. As the ball is bowled, the air will travel over the shiny side more quickly whereas it will be slower over the rough side. This will pull the ball towards the rough side, creating swing. If you hold the ball with the rough side on the same side as the batsman’s legs, it will swing from off to leg (in-swinger), whereas if you hold it on the other side it will swing from leg to off (out-swinger). This takes a little practice so don’t give up!
Try to keep the ball off the ground as much as possible when passing it back to the bowler for the next delivery; you want to keep the shine for as long as possible.
8 – The slow ball
The slow ball is a delivery that should be used when you think the batsman is well set. It is a ‘surprise’ ball, in that he has been playing everything at a similar pace and then the slow ball is bowled and he is too early on the shot, hitting it in the air. Bowlers bowl this ball in a variety of ways. Some roll their fingers over the ball. Others, like Ian Harvey, bowl it out of the back of their hand, and some split the two fingers on top of the ball a long way apart. The key is to bowl it at the right pace. Some people say my slow ball is too slow, as I am bowling around 150 km per hour and then slow to around 110 km per hour. The batsman has time to adjust his shot. The slow ball needs to also be of a full length as you are trying to fool the batsman into thinking he can drive it.
9—The yorker
This delivery, sometimes called the ‘sandshoe crusher’, is a lethal weapon and every fast bowler should use it. Medium-pacers can also use a yorker to good effect.
A yorker is a ball that is pitched up so far that it pitches close to the crease, where the batter is standing.
Its other feature is that it is bowled quicker than the bowler’s normal delivery in order to surprise the batter. This combination of speed and fullness can often lead to problems. The batter can be bowled if his or her bat doesn’t get down quickly enough or he or she can be trapped lbw. This happens because the batter doesn’t have time to move forwards.
It is not an easy ball to bowl. Too much fullness, and you give the batter a full toss to hit. A little too short, and the batter has a half-volley. And these are juicy deliveries for a batter to receive!
10 – No balls
A delivery can be a ‘no ball’ for many reasons. Front foot over the line, back foot touching the side crease and, the less common, bending the elbow (throwing). The most common is the front foot no ball and to combat this you must make sure your run-up is in order. Grab a friend and put down a mark on a field somewhere where you will start your run-up. Now run and bowl a ball over whatever distance you feel comfortable with. Mark where your front foot lands. Now pace or, with a measuring tape, measure the distance between the two markers. Transfer this distance to the nets and then into matches.
11—First-change bowler
First-change bowlers work with the openers as well as spinners and even part-time bowlers. They may have to take an attacking role or just apply pressure and tie up an end. As a first-change bowler you need to have a lot of skill to be able to adjust your game to fit whatever your team needs.
A first-change bowler can expect to bowl a lot of overs throughout a Test or four-day game.
12—Spin bowler
As with all bowlers, a spinner’s main aim is to take wickets. However, spin bowlers can be called upon to play certain roles depending on the situation and the condition of the pitch. They may be asked to tie up an end and put pressure on a batter which the next bowler can capitalise on. Or, if the pitch is providing a lot of turn and movement, a spinner might be aggressive and go for wickets.
It is important to keep the batter guessing as to what delivery is coming next. It is not just about spinning the ball; a good spin bowler will use many variations in the flight and pitch of the ball to entice batters to play shots or simply to put doubt in their minds.
13 – The hat trick
During the 1999 World Cup I found myself on a hat trick against Kenya. I hadn’t been on one many times before in international cricket but I had in junior cricket. I remember what my coach used to say: ‘Give yourself every chance, bowl at the stumps and make sure he has to play the ball.’ I remember bowling a yorker and I thought it hit him on the foot so I started to appeal when I realised it had bowled him. I remember sprinting straight down to fine leg for some strange reason and was met by Glenn McGrath. I was so excited—it was such a great feeling.
14 – Taking guard
I take guard whenever I get to the crease. I do it for a couple of reasons: 1. to appreciate exactly where my stumps are and 2. as part of a routine to get me focused. I stand my bat on end and ask the umpire to line up middle stump at my end and middle stump at the bowler’s end. I then put a mark on the batting crease to show me exactly where it is. Some of my friends take different marks, such as ‘middle to leg’. Take whichever mark you feel most comfortable with.
15—Opening batter
In a Test match the opening batters aim to be at the crease for the whole first day of play, and therefore they take a major role in setting the foundation for a big team score. If they do the job well, their side should only have to bat once.
It is important that opening batters establish themselves, and see out the new ball and any early movement in the wicket.
16—First-drop batter
The best batter in the team is usually the ‘first-drop batter’. This is the person who goes in to bat when the first wicket falls. It is a challenging position because they need to be padded up, focused and ready to go as soon as their team’s innings begins. If the openers get off to a good start, they could be sitting in the stands for hours—or they could be walking out to face the second ball of the innings.
First-drop batters need to be able to adapt their game depending on how the match is going when they take the crease. If they are in early due to a quick wicket, they need to consolidate their team’s position and take on the opener’s role. However, if the openers get a big score before getting out, the first-drop batter may need to go in and score quick runs late in the day.
17—Number six batter
A batter coming in at this stage of an innings is often faced with one of two situations, each requiring different skills. If their team has been playing well and has a lot of runs on the board, the number six’s job is to attack the bowlers. This will keep the run rate ticking over and take the score as high as possible within the overs or time remaining in the game.
Howev
er, a number six batter may also come to the crease at a point when the fielding team is doing well. In this case the batter must play safely, forming partnerships with all remaining batters to ensure they see out the designated overs or time while scoring as many runs as they can.
18—Working together
Batting is a partnership. It’s 11 against two. And two is a whole lot better than one. Take the opportunity at the end of overs to talk to your partner. Offer advice and encouragement. Tell your partner how well he or she is playing. Sometimes it can be too easy for the fielding team to gain a psychological edge over the batters because they outnumber them or they get vocally enthusiastic! Always remember: it’s 11 against two.
It’s your job to try to rebalance the situation by coming across as strong and confident. Appear in control of the situation, even if you don’t feel in control.
A few good overs, a couple of fours, can make a huge difference in your outlook. As a batting partnership, you should set yourselves goals.
You might want to work at pushing some quick singles or perhaps bat in 15-minute blocks.
Above all, support and encourage your partner. With any luck, you will be supported and encouraged in turn.
19—Making the right call
To avoid being run out there are some important rules to remember when you’re batting. There are three calls that batters should make when deciding to run or not: Yes, No or Wait. Saying ‘Go!’ is definitely to be avoided. It sounds too much like ‘No!’. Generally, if the ball is played in front of the batter, then that person—the striker—should make the call. If the ball goes behind the batter, the non-striker should make the call. Sometimes you can’t do anything about a freakish piece of fielding. You just have to run like crazy, reach forwards with your bat as you near the crease and hope that the stumps haven’t been broken by the time your bat crosses that line.
