Hat Trick!
Page 1
In cricket, when one bowler takes three wickets with three balls, one after the other, we call this a hat trick. The taking of the hat trick may be spread out, eg another bowler might deliver from the other end of the pitch or the opposing team might have an innings. Hat tricks are rare.
It is thought that the term dates from the late 1800s in England, when the club would mark the achievement by awarding the bowler a new hat. Nowadays, the term is used in almost any sport to describe a run of three impressive feats by an individual, eg a soccer or hockey player scoring three goals in a game, a pitcher in baseball striking out three consecutive batters or in horse racing, when a jockey wins an annual race three years in a row.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Epigraph
The Main Fielding Position
Glossary
Foreword
Prologue
Illustration
Book 1 Toby Jones and the Magic Cricket Almanack
1 The Equation
2 The Library
3 The Chase
4 The Gym
5 The Cricketer
6 The Past
7 The Run-out
8 The Mistake
9 The Heat
10 The Warning
11 The Simpson Hospital
12 The Visit
13 The Garage
14 The Agreement
15 The Proof
16 The Enemy
17 The Advice
18 The Return
19 The Letter
20 The Wisden
21 The Game
Book 2 Toby Jones and Secret of the Missing Scorecard
1 Imagination
2 Fire
3 Jim’s Tale
4 Mini Cricket
5 Benchley Park
6 So Close!
7 Being Chased
8 The Great Don Bradman
9 A Birthday Away
10 Surprise Visitors
11 Nash Street
12 TCC Get Belted
13 Jim Returns
14 A Chase in the Car Park
15 How Much Does Scott Know?
16 Rescue at the Station
17 Georgie’s Surprise
18 Caught!
19 Trapped!
20 Jim’s Dream
21 Scott Lends a Hand
22 Tobler
Book 3 Toby Jones and the Mystery of the Time-Travel Tour
1 Runs on the Board
2 Virtual Cricket
3 Come Back, Jim
4 Can It Get Any Hotter?
5 All Tied Up
6 Georgie Snaps
7 Toby Jones Opens on Boxing Day
8 The Double-wicket Comp
9 The Crazy Ride
10 Ben, the Goodlooking Geek
11 The Surprise
12 Who’s Pixie?
13 I’m Not the Paperboy
14 Timeless Travel Tours
15 Collapse
16 Out of the Blue
17 Ally or Jessica?
18 Back to Brisbane
19 So Close
20 Trouble for Ally
Brett Lee’s Cricket Tips
Toby’s Interview with Andrew Symonds
2003 Australia v Pakistan Scorecard
The 1999 World Cup That Toby Did His Project On
1999 World Cup Scorecard
1999 Australia v Pakistan Scorecard
Rahul’s Interviews
1986 India v Australia Scorecard
1985 Australia v New Zealand Scorecard
1960 Australia v West Indies Scorecard
1930 England v Australia Scorecard
Under-13 Southwestern Division
How to Play Dice Cricket
How to Play Double-wicket Cricket
Toby Jones and the Timeless Cricket Match
Toby Jones and the Clash with Father Time
Acknowledgments to Book 1
Acknowledgments to Book 2
Acknowledgments to Book 3
About the Author
ALSO BY MICHAEL PANCKRIDGE
Copyright
About the Publisher
The Main Fielding Position
Glossary
bails Two small pieces of wood that sit on top of the stumps. At least one has to fall off the stumps for a bowled or run-out decision to be made.
centre-wicket practice Team practice played out on a cricket field, as opposed to in the nets. Sometimes two or more bowlers are used, one after the other, to speed up the practice. If the batter goes out, he or she usually stays on for more batting practice.
covers A fielding position on the side of the wicket that the batter is facing, halfway between the bowler and the wicket keeper.
crease There are quite a few creases in cricket. They are lines drawn near the stumps that help the batters and bowlers know where they are in relation to the stumps.
fine leg A fielding position down near the boundary line behind the wicket keeper. Often a fast bowler fields in this position.
gully A close-in fielding position along from the slips—the fielders next to the wicket keeper.
lbw Stands for ‘leg before wicket’. This is a way for a batter to be dismissed. If the bowler hits the pads of the batter with the ball, and he or she thinks that the ball would have gone on and hit the stumps, then the bowler can appeal for lbw. If the umpire is sure that the batter didn’t hit the ball with the bat, then the batter may be given out.
leg-stump There are three stumps. This is the stump that is nearest the legs of the batter.
maiden If a bowler bowls an over and no runs are scored from it, then it is called a maiden.
mid-off A fielding position next to the bowler. It is on the off, or bat, side of the pitch as the batter looks down the wicket.
mid-on A fielding position next to the bowler. It is on the on, or leg, side of the pitch as the batter looks down the wicket.
no ball If a bowler puts his or her foot entirely over the return crease (the marked line) then it is a no ball and the batter can’t be given out—unless it is a run-out.
off-stump The stump that is on the batting side of the batter.
third man A fielding position down behind the wicket keeper but on the other side of the fine leg fielder. The third man fielder is behind the slips fielders.
yorker The name for a delivery, usually bowled by a medium or fast bowler, that is pitched right up near the batter’s feet. It is full pitched and fast.
Foreword
JUST like Toby Jones, I was obsessed by the game of cricket when I was a kid. I was always looking for ways to improve my game. I learned so much from my elder brother, Shane, and from seeking the advice of coaches. I read every cricket book I could get my hands on and I watched and learned from my idol: Dennis Lillee. Dennis was my inspiration, someone who I looked up to. I wanted to be just like him. (As it turned out, he has had a lot to do with my cricket career.)
I am sure you will find that this book is not only an excellent read, but also a very useful guide to the game of cricket. It contains lots of great hints and information that I hope you will be able to use to improve your own game.
When I first became involved in cricket, I had no idea where the game would take me. The opportunities and possibilities it has created for me are endless. Cricket has taught me many valuable lessons. Most of all it has shown me that if I always play hard and enjoy the opportunity of representing my country, I will be successful.
Every time I get asked to offer cricket advice to kids, my answer is always the same: enjoyment is the most important part of the game. When I am on the field, you will nearly always find me with a huge smile on my face. After suffering several injuries in my younger years, I have learned to make the most of every mo
ment I get to play cricket.
This book reminds me of my own childhood days spent in the backyard with my brothers, always battling hard on the pitch to see who would be the champion player at the end of the day.
Toby Jones and the Magic Cricket Almanack, Toby Jones and the Secret of the Missing Scorecard and Toby Jones and the Mystery of the Time-travel Tour all bring back truly great memories for me. I hope you enjoy reading Hat Trick!
Brett Lee
Prologue
What wonders abound, dear boy, don’t fear
These shimmering pages, never clear.
Choose your year, the Wisden name,
Find the page, your destined game,
Then find yourself a quiet place
Where shadows lurk, to hide your trace.
Whisper clear date, place or score
While staring, smitten; then before
(You hope) the close of play,
Be careful now, you’ve found the way.
So hide your home, your age, your soul
To roam this place and seek your goal.
Be aware that time moves on—
Your time, this time; none short, or long.
So say aloud two lines from here
Just loud enough for you to hear.
From a quiet spot, alone, unknown,
Back through time, now come—alone.
And never speak and never boast,
And never taunt, nor ever toast
This knowledge from your time you bring.
To woo the rest, their praises sing:
They wonder, and your star shines bright…
Just this once, this one short night?
But every word that boasts ahead
Means lives unhinged, broken, dead.
Don’t meddle, talk, nor interfere
With the lives of those you venture near.
Respect this gift. Stay calm, stay clever,
And let the years live on forever.
Illustration
BOOK 1 TOBY JONES AND THE MAGIC CRICKET ALMANACK
IT’S NOT JUST A GAME—IT’S TIME TRAVEL!
1 The Equation
Thursday—afternoon
‘OKAY. Here’s the equation. Listen up. Six balls to go. Nine runs to win. Can they do it? Jono, check your field. Toby, are you ready?’ he said to me.
Mr Pasquali was excited. Boy, does he love his cricket. He is our cricket coach, and our class teacher too. Everyone wanted Mr Pasquali as their class teacher. Even the Year 3s were talking about him and hoping that they’d get put in his class when they got to Year 6. And if you were mad about cricket—like I was—then his class was the place to be. Mr Pasquali had a way of bringing cricket into most of the subjects we did.
It was the end of centre-wicket practice. We were tired, but Mr Pasquali always managed to keep us interested. Better still, I was batting. The only downer in the situation was the bowler, Scott Craven. He was fast, mean and ugly. Jono, our captain when we play against other schools, was going on the attack. He had two slips, a gully, third man, fine leg, then a ring of fielders around me. If I could go over the top and score a two or maybe even a four (you hardly ever ran three on our small school cricket oval) then Jimbo and I just might score the nine runs we needed to win. Win what? Nothing, but still, getting one over Scott was something.
The first ball thumped into my pads. Scott yelled his appeal. Mr Pasquali had a good long look at me, then at my pads, and said firmly, ‘Not out!’
Five balls left, still nine runs to get. Jimbo Temple strolled down the pitch.
‘Toby, I’m running this ball, no matter what.’
You didn’t argue with Jimbo. He was an awesome cricketer, but there was something about him that made you think twice before you spoke to him. He liked to keep to himself, and even Scott Craven kept pretty well clear of him.
I didn’t see the next ball. It whacked me on the body. Jimbo was screaming at me to run. He was halfway down the pitch before I’d got my balance and set off. I felt clumsy and slow. My pads were flopping everywhere and my bat was heavy. And I had a throbbing pain in my ribs.
I hobbled up the pitch. WHACK! The ball smashed into my back. I groaned and stumbled on, finally making the crease at the other end. I really needed to work on my batting.
Once again Jimbo strolled up the wicket.
‘Smart running, Toby. You saved your wicket. You okay?’
This was just about the most Jimbo had ever said to me in one go. I was in pain, but Jimbo was on strike. What had I been imagining—putting Scott away for a four?
‘You’re history, loser,’ Scott sneered at Jimbo as he walked past us.
Jimbo didn’t seem to notice. ‘Back up, and listen for the call, okay?’
I nodded.
Jimbo strolled back, took a look at the field, which hadn’t changed, then settled down to wait for Scott. The boys in the field were clapping and urging the bowler on.
Scott raced in and sent down a thunderbolt. It was a beamer. A massive full toss heading straight for Jimbo’s head. He ducked out of the way, just, as the ball flew past him. It was too hot for Martian—Ivan (Ivo) Marshall, the keeper. The ball bobbled down towards fine leg. Jimbo looked at me. I can’t have looked too keen. He held up a hand and shouted, ‘No!’
‘You’re a wimp, Toby Jones. Gutless wonder,’ Scott sneered at me as he walked past.
‘Okay. It’s going to be tough,’ yelled Mr Pasquali. ‘Four balls to go, seven runs to win.’
‘Hang on. What do you mean four balls? I’ve bowled three already.’
Scott Craven was looking mean. He knew the answer.
‘That last ball was a no ball, Scott. Extra delivery and a run to the batting team. If you’re good enough you should win it from here. Look alive, everyone!’
Jimbo tapped his bat on the crease and waited. He looked as calm as ever. Scott started his run-up. He was actually a very good bowler.
Suddenly there was a mighty THWACK. I almost missed it. One minute Jimbo was tapping his bat in the crease, the next he was leaning back, bat high in the air, watching the ball sail over covers and out towards some sheds near the school fence.
‘Hey, Jay. Did that clear the line?’ Mr Pasquali called.
Tough call for Jay, but he was in the best position to judge. He nodded.
‘I think so,’ he shouted, then jogged off to get the ball from up against an old hockey goal.
Scott Craven was fuming. In one shot, Jimbo had reduced the equation to three balls and one run. We were level.
‘Control and focus,’ Mr Pasquali was saying to everyone. ‘Each of you, think of your role here.’
Jono was bringing all the fielders in close to the wicket.
‘Good thinking, Jono. No good having anyone out now. You’ve got to stop the single,’ Mr Pasquali said.
I looked at Jimbo. His expression hadn’t changed. There was no excitement on account of his six. We hadn’t won yet.
I turned round to look at Scott Craven. He was waiting at the top of his run-up, looking down at the ball. He was changing his grip. Being a bowler helped me know about these things. He was going to bowl a ‘slow’ ball. You know, when everything looks the same: run in just as fast, and then out it comes—slow—either through the back of the hand, or with a finger tucked behind so it doesn’t come out with all the power it should.
Jimbo played all round it. He completely missed the ball. It made him look clumsy, but luckily the ball was wide of the stumps.
‘Two balls, one run,’ bellowed Mr Pasquali. He didn’t need to. Everyone knew.
Scott’s next ball was probably his best of the over. A fast yorker. Jimbo just managed to get a bit of bottom edge onto it, which was just as well: otherwise he would have been lbw.
Now everyone was tense. Scott Craven was talking with Jono Reilly at mid-off, nodding his head. I looked at Jimbo and started walking towards him.
‘I can tell if it’s a slow ball. I’ll raise my bat if he’s going to
bowl it.’
Jimbo looked at me. ‘Good idea, Toby. Then get ready to run.’
I had a job to do, but I didn’t want to make it too obvious. I turned away from Jimbo and looked out past Mr Pasquali to where Scott was standing.
‘Okay everyone. This is it. I want a winner here,’ called Mr Pasquali.
Scott hadn’t looked down at his hands. He started to move in. I stared at his bowling hand, desperately trying to see his grip. He was halfway in now, almost at full speed. Suddenly his other hand shot down to the ball. He was changing his grip. I pushed my bat up into the air as Scott approached the bowling crease. I just hoped like anything that this was going to work.
Scott swung his arm over and let go. Jimbo waited. The ball seemed to take ages to get to him. Jimbo stepped back, but the ball was bang on line, heading for middle stump. He pushed at it with all his force, looking for the gap between bowler and mid-off.
‘Yep!’ he shouted, as Scott dived towards the ball. I took off. A moment later I heard a yell from behind. Scott had grabbed the ball and flicked it at the stumps. Everyone looked at Mr Pasquali, who was staring at the broken wicket.
He pointed both his hands up to the sky and drew a box in the air. He was asking for the third umpire, the way they do in cricket matches on TV. Jimbo had kept on going, not even interested in the result.
‘Too close to call that one, boys. Great finish though.’
‘I thought you wanted a winner,’ said Scott Craven. He looked tired.
‘You’re all winners today,’ Mr Pasquali beamed. ‘Now let’s get this gear packed up. And don’t forget that tomorrow some of you are coming on the excursion to top all excursions: the MCG visit.’
As if any of us could forget that. I couldn’t wait!
Thursday—evening
At the dinner table, I told Mum and Dad about cricket practice. They were always interested to hear how practice went—I reckoned Dad was sometimes more interested in cricket than he was in any of my school subjects. Even Natalie, my eight-year-old younger sister, was tuning in.