Previously, The Six are now 12 years old. It’s their last year at Primary School.

Tony had a successful debut season for the Otago Primary School 1st XI, they were now talking about him for the South Island Primary School 1st XI.

'M' was being talked about as a prospect for the Otago Primary Schools Wrestling Team. That would be a stepping stone to something bigger.

Tony made the South Island XI as a middle order batsman who could bowl medium pacers. He and the South Island XI had just lost their first two matches in the best of 5 series, and they needed to win their last three matches in order to win the series. Tony had learnt a lot from the two matches so far, and knew he needed to come back from that.





In game 3 in Wellington the South Island Primary XI battered first, and for once the openers stayed steady until they hit the 50 run mark, and lost a wicket, but another 50 run partnership for the 2nd wicket got South Island to 100 for 1 before the 2nd opener went, two quick wickets fell including that of Freddie had the South Island XI shaky again at 110 for 4.

When Tony passed Freddie on his way out, Freddie stopped him.

FREDDIE: “This is your time Boyd, get in, and then help Quilks with the recovery.”

TONY: “Yes sir.”

Tony settled down and faced the first two deliveries and indeed felt that this was his day.

Along with Quilks they formed a 100 run partnership to be at 210 for 4 before Quilks lost his wicket, and two more quick wickets had the South Island shaking again at 212 for 7 before Tony stepped up and added another 30 runs for the 8th wicket before stumps was approaching he lost his concentration and then his wicket, he made a stunning knock of 56, his first ever half century, and at stumps the South Island XI decleared with a respectable 256 for 8.

At stumps, Freddie spoke to Tony.

FREDDIE: “Great job, Congrats on your first 50.”

TONY: “Thanks.”

FREDDIE: “We’ve got them on the ropes, I’ve spoken to the coach, he agrees with me, we’re going to open the bowling with you tomorrow.”

TONY: “Are you sure?”

FREDDIE: “We need to get those two openers out, and at the moment you’re our best chance that we have.”

TONY: "Only if you are sure?”

FREDDIE: “We are very sure.”


That night Tony spoke with 'M', Jack, Wendy and Alice, on the phone.

TONY: "So I’m opening the bowling with Cookson tomorrow.”

JACK: “Wow that’s genius. Pure master stroke."

'M': "After the day you had, surely that’ll transform into tomorrow?”

TONY: "All I have to do is get rid of the openers, and the match is ours.”

WENDY: “We have every confidence in you,"


The next day, Freddies masterstroke paid off when bowling the 2nd Over of the day, Tony struck first with his second delivery, a really slow medium delivery, which caught the opener out, and he was hit plumb in line to be l.b.w.

Freddie spoke to Tony during the mid pitch celebration.

FREDDIE: “What a delivery, keep that up and we’ll be doing okay.”

Just before the end of his bowling spell Tony snaffled the second wicket, but it wasn’t the 2nd Opener, the one that everyone was after, it was the 1st Drop. It was 21 for 2.

The 2nd Opener took control in Tony’s absence and when he came on for his second spell, it was looking as if the North Island XI were wrestling the game back in their favor. It was 152 for 3.

Tony knew it was do or die, as the North Island XI still had plenty of time to make 104 runs. He decided that his 3rd delivery was going to be the slower delivery, but after 2 deliveries he felt that the opener was waiting for it. He needed to disguise it.

And disguise it he did. On his fourth delivery a ball which looked to skid on, suddenly held up, the second opener was already through his shot, he missed it, and the ball skipped through his pads, and onto the wickets.

The team went up for applause, and Freddie came running up.

FREDDIE: “What a delivery, great delivery, awesome job, we need to finish this.”

TONY: "Thanks, We have them now.”

Tony then spent the remainder of his spell slowing their run rate down, and then on his 2nd to last delivery he snared the wicket keeper, who was the last recognized batsman.

Not long after that, the other bowlers between them snared the remaining wickets to give the South Island XI their first win of the series.


Back in Dunedin, Tony spoke with his friends.

TONY: "We have to make sure we do it all again. In Christchurch. We need to back that up, we have them figured out.”

WENDY: “Well I think you are going to have another cracking game."

TONY: "I feel like we've turned a corner.”

JACK: Well you have, you sounded dead and buried the first game,.”

TONY: "It’s all about their openers, one of them needs to go early on for us to have a chance”

'M': "And your scored your highest ever runs, you should be proud of that.”

TONY: "I am, I think I can get more.”

WENDY: "Well score more,."

Tony smiled.

TONY: "I will.”




In Christchurch, the South Island XI won the toss and elected to bat first again. But their bad start again from the first two games returned, and the South were reeling at 23 for 3 when Freddie and Quilks joined each other. They had a mini revival, of 50 runs, but then at 73 for 3, Quilks departed to become 73 for 4, and the South Island were in all sorts of trouble.

Tony joined Freddie at the crease.

FREDDIE: “Can you recreate the form from last week?.”

TONY: "I feel I have what it takes to keep going from last week,”

After an early scare which resulted in a near lbw decision, but was turned down, Tony worked himself to lunch to have the South Island at 88 for 4.

After lunch Tony got going again, and with Freddie formed a remarkable recovery, when they got to 106 for 4 Freddie made his half century. Once they got to 173 for 4 Tony made his 50.

They went to tea at 190 for 4.

After tea at 201 for 4, Freddie was approaching a remarkable century, he was on 92 before he was caught and bowled. But then as he was trying to continue on in Freddie’s absence, he was caught off a magnificent hit, and that was the end of Tony for a gallant 61.

That led to the rest of a down fall for the South Island team and they were all for 230.


The next day, Tony wasn’t called on in the early overs, which he felt kind of strange, but took it on the chin. But when the openers started to mow down the bowlers, Tony was brought on with the score at 104 for 0.

In Tony's first over he learnt a lesson, a quick one, the openers were waiting for him, and he played into their hands, and they took a quick 26 runs off his first over, and all of sudden they were 130 for 0.

Freddie gave him the ball for the 2nd over.

FREDDIE: “If this doesn’t work I’m taking you off.”

TONY: "Trust me, I’ll get a wicket.”

The batsman who he was about to bowl to at the start of his 2nd over was the same batsman who he got out in Wellington. He decided to try him first ball.

The batsman had not learnt, he thought this ball was the quick one, but he realized too late when he was through his shot, and tried to move his legs, but the ball skidded through his pads again and bowled him.

He had gotten into his mind again and just smiled at him as he walked off.

Three balls into his third over he snuck the 1st drop out and the North Island now were 135 for 2.

Into his fourth over, he had the second opener facing him for just the second time since the dismissal of his partner, but something told him that he had just become uncomfortable with him.

Tony decided to use the faster delivery, and he used it, and it fooled the opener into thinking it was the slower ball. He had not even given a shot when it rapped him on the pad.

The whole inner field went up for the shout of the LBW attempt, and when the finger went up from the umpire there was a huge eruption from the fielders and the crowd.

Everyone congratulated Tony, but Tony felt the job was not yet done.

On his 2nd to last ball of his 1st spell, Tony took another wicket to have the North now in trouble at 152 for 4.

Slowly but surely the wickets started to crumble, and the North Island finally were all out for 192.

Tony had helped even up the series at 2 all, with one match to come in his home town.