Double Time Page 6

  Ellyse made it into maths just as Mr Waugh was closing the door. He frowned but didn’t tell her off, and she slid into her seat, her heart thumping. I can stop being a chicken now! she thought.

  Right in the middle of two full weeks of training sessions, practice games, homework and a cricket match with the Hoppers, was Ellyse’s debating class.

  ‘Our team has been allocated the affirmative,’ said Ms Wheatley. ‘Since Ellyse and Hu are our sports stars, I think it would be a great idea if they were on the team.’

  Ellyse and Hu looked at each other in horror. ‘No way!’ Hu said.

  ‘I’m sorry?’ Ms Wheatley said icily.

  ‘We won’t be able to,’ Ellyse said. ‘We’re both doing extra training after school and on weekends, and we’ve got all our homework to keep up with.’

  Before Ms Wheatley could say anything, Hu added, ‘We’ll help the team – we want to help – but we can’t do the debate. We’re really sorry.’

  Ms Wheatley hesitated for a moment. ‘All right, then. It’s a shame, though.’

  Ellyse almost shrugged, but she knew Ms Wheatley hated shrugging in her class. Instead, she sat quietly and was relieved when Mia, Ruby and Emma were chosen for the team. The rest of the period was spent working on helping them with their arguments. Ellyse was able to tell them what Ms Beattie had said and what had happened at the Hoppers’ recruiting day.

  ‘Once the girls were shown how to play,’ she said, ‘they were keen because they didn’t feel silly anymore. Maybe you could suggest that the school has a “try any sport you like” day.’

  ‘That’s an excellent idea,’ Ms Wheatley said. ‘I might even pass that on to the principal.’

  Dad picked up Ellyse and Hu straight after school and took them to the Aztecs’ ground for the final training session before the game against Japan. After warming up, Wendy had them alternating running sprints and jogging, and then Mike took them through kicking and tackling drills. As always, they kept their clipboards handy and made lots of notes as they watched.

  Hu was paired with Ellyse towards the end of the session. ‘I need to do more running,’ she whispered. ‘Maybe we can work on stuff at school?’

  ‘Good idea,’ Ellyse said.

  ‘Are you nervous about the game?’

  ‘Yeah, but more about who’s coming to watch,’ Ellyse said. Already it seemed like half the school, all of the Hoppers and lots of Mum and Dad’s friends were coming. I’m not nervous. I’m totally freaking out!

  The day of the match against Japan finally arrived. Ellyse had agreed with Dad that she shouldn’t play cricket with the Hoppers in the morning. But she still went to watch the game until it was time to leave for the stadium. It was Charlie’s first match where she’d be bowling for the Hoppers and Ellyse didn’t want to miss it.

  Charlie bowled four overs and, although she didn’t get anyone out, she did well. Jamie seemed to be doing his best to help her and cheer her on, which made Charlie blush a lot. Ellyse giggled as she watched them. It seemed hilarious that they were getting together. She could remember back in primary school when Charlie gave Jamie a bloody nose in softball! But she made sure not to say anything or tease them.

  At the stadium, the Aztecs team gathered in the meeting area before going down to their separate changing rooms. ‘This is a really special day for the Aztecs,’ Mike said, beaming. ‘Our first youth international game. So the club has provided special shirts for you.’ One by one, he called up the players, gave them their shirt and shook their hands. ‘Congratulations,’ he said to each one.

  ‘Remember this is a friendly game,’ said Wendy, ‘but of course Japan are keen to win. Ignore the cameras, ignore the crowd. Focus on your game, your teammates, and play your very best.’

  The butterflies in Ellyse’s stomach threatened to fly up and choke her as she got changed. She sipped from her water bottle and practised steady, calm breathing, then double-checked her laces and made sure her new headband was on nice and tight. Mum had presented it to her that morning. ‘It might last you through to W-league,’ she’d said with a grin.

  As they ran out onto the ground, Ellyse sucked in a sharp breath. The stands were full of people and they were all cheering! Okay, they weren’t totally full, but there were heaps more people than she’d expected. Her heart thumped against her ribs.

  Hu ran over and gripped Ellyse’s arm, her eyes shining. ‘This is it. I think I might die! Play like a star.’

  ‘Me too. I mean, you too!’ Ellyse laughed, and they moved into the row of teammates as the Japanese national anthem rang out over the loudspeakers. At the end of the Australian anthem, the referee blew his whistle and the game began. Ellyse and Hu weren’t the only girls – the Aztecs also had a girl as goalkeeper – and the Japanese team had three girls, two of whom were strikers. They looked fit and fast, and they soon took control of the ball, hurtling down the field.

  Ellyse ran up to tackle and was knocked sideways. Boy, they are tough! It was like hitting a brick wall. The referee blew for a foul and Ellyse took the free kick. The ball soared into the air and Hu claimed it, dribbling hard towards the goal. A Japanese player came in and tackled, and the ball was his. Back and forth went both teams. They were evenly matched, and possession changed almost every few seconds. By half-time, it was still nil-all.

  They jogged off the field and into the changing rooms for water and fruit, and a pep talk from Mike and Wendy.

  ‘You’re doing really well,’ Mike said. ‘They’re a strong team. Half of them have already played internationals.’ He talked tactics for several minutes and then added, ‘I’ll be putting on subs in the second half, so don’t be upset if you’re told to come off. I want everyone to have a go today.’

  Ellyse bit her lip. She knew if she lost concentration or looked tired, Mike would put on a sub. I’m going to keep doing my absolute best so I can play the whole game. She ran onto the field for the second half, feeling more nervous than before. She wanted to see where Mum and Dad were. Just one wave from them would help her feel more confident, but she couldn’t take the time to look. Focus! I want us to win!

  It seemed like Japan had found new energy in the break. They powered up the field, passing speedily and dodging the Aztecs defenders. The ball shot towards Ellyse. She stopped it, turned and dribbled away, sensing a Japanese player at her elbow.

  Step over, turn, kick hard.

  The ball went up the field, was tapped across to Hu, who charged ahead with the ball. She got past one defender, two, kicked to her left. Her teammate took it up the sideline, then kicked hard into the air. The ball came up and over; for a couple of seconds Hu was undefended and she headed it towards goal.

  And it missed! It skimmed the crossbar and went into the crowd. They roared and cheered, and play started again with Japan’s goalie kicking the ball way down the field. In this half of the game, time zoomed past. With only five minutes to go, it was still nil-all.

  Ellyse’s legs were aching and her shirt was soaked in sweat, but her mind felt clear. Come on, let’s get a goal. We only need one.

  A Japanese player had the ball and was powering towards her. He was the tough one, and all through the game they’d been evenly matched. This time he jinked left and right, trying to get around Ellyse, and she tackled hard. The ball popped out behind him and she spun past, taking it fast up the sideline. There was nobody defending on that side for a few moments until the Japanese team regrouped and two players zeroed in. Ellyse tried to evade one tackle, but another player hit her solidly and she fell with a thump.

  Pfwwt! The referee ran across, his arm up for a foul. Ellyse got to her feet and rubbed her hip.

  ‘Take the kick,’ the ref told her.

  Ellyse took the ball and looked around in surprise. She was further up the field than she’d thought. She kicked hard to Hu, who passed, and then the ball was racing back towards Ellyse. She controlled it and dribbled, but couldn’t see anyone to pass it to. Just then, as the players jostled, a ga
p opened up.

  Ellyse kicked as hard as she could. Japan’s goalie moved across, and then there was Hu, running across, her legs pumping. She took the ball on the fly, got her right foot to it and propelled it past the goalie’s outstretched arms. Goal!

  The crowd was on its feet, cheering and clapping, but Ellyse barely heard them. She ran over and hugged Hu, and copped everyone’s backslapping as well. Mike and Wendy were on the sidelines, both with their thumbs up and huge grins on their faces.

  The end of the game came two minutes later, with a 1–0 win to the Aztecs. Ellyse felt the last fizz of excitement drain away, leaving her happy and tired. The Aztecs and Japanese players all went to shower and change, and then were taken upstairs for the after-game function. The Aztecs were presented with gift boxes of coloured Japanese sweets, and in return the Japanese players were given furry toy kangaroos.

  Hu and Ellyse found themselves next to the Japanese girl players, who had a translator with them. They said hello to each other, and one of the Japanese girls said, ‘You played very well. Thank you for the game.’

  ‘You did too,’ said Ellyse. ‘You were very tough.’ When she saw the translator frown, she quickly added, ‘I mean, strong.’

  ‘Thank you,’ the girl said. ‘I want to play like Homare Sawa. And you?’

  Ellyse knew that name – she was Japan’s most famous women’s soccer player who helped them win the 2011 World Cup. She smiled and nudged Hu. ‘We’re going to be Matildas, aren’t we, Hu?’

  Hu laughed. ‘We sure are.’

  Ellyse gazed around the room at the players, parents and coaches chattering and celebrating. It had definitely been worth giving up Callinan cricket for eight weeks for this. But she couldn’t wait to get back out there with her cricket ball and bat, all the same.

  Dad and Mum came over, Dad shaking his head. ‘I can read your mind, Ellyse,’ he said. ‘You’re already thinking about training in the park tomorrow, aren’t you?’

  ‘Dad!’ she said in mock horror. ‘Of course not.’ And she grinned back at him.

  Yes, I totally am!

  FULL NAME: Ellyse Alexandra Perry

  NICKNAME: Pez

  BORN: 3 November 1990 in Wahroonga, NSW

  HEIGHT: 176 cm

  CRICKET POSITION: All-rounder; right-hand bat, right-arm medium-fast bowler

  CRICKET TEAMS: Southern Stars, NSW Breakers, Sydney Sixers, Loughborough Lightning

  SOCCER POSITION: Defender

  SOCCER TEAM: Sydney FC

  1. What’s your favourite breakfast to have before a full day of sport?

  A big bowl of Bircher muesli with mixed berries and Greek yoghurt, washed down with a latte!

  2. Which cities and countries has your sporting career taken you to?

  I have been so fortunate to travel around all parts of the world playing sport. Some of the countries I’ve had the pleasure of going to are England, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies, Japan and China.

  3. Do you barrack for any sports teams? (Apart from the ones you play in, of course!)

  I’m always barracking for the ACT Brumbies and the Wallabies in rugby union. I also love to see the Aussie men’s cricket team do well.

  4. What advice would you give to aspiring sports stars?

  Choose whatever sport you enjoy the most and which makes you happy. If it’s a sport you enjoy, you’re always going to work hard at it and the rest takes care of itself!

  5. What do you see for the future of women’s sport in Australia, especially in cricket and soccer?

  The progress in both cricket and soccer for women in Australia over the last few years has been huge. Everything is heading in the right direction, from participation to more money being invested in the game. I think more opportunities are going to present themselves for young women to choose sport as a potential career choice – and that’s exciting.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Penguin Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Version 1.0

  Double Time

  ePub ISBN – 9780143781295

  First published by Random House Australia in 2017

  Copyright © Penguin Random House Australia, 2017

  The moral right of the author and the illustrator has been asserted.

  A Random House book

  Published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd

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  www.penguin.com.au

  Addresses for the Penguin Random House group of companies can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com/offices.

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Creator: Clark, Sherryl, author

  Title: Double time/Sherryl Clark, Ellyse Perry

  ISBN: 978 0 14378 129 5 (ePub)

  Series: Ellyse Perry; 4

  Target audience: For primary school age

  Subjects: Girls – Juvenile fiction

  Sports – Australia – Juvenile fiction

  High schools – Juvenile fiction

  Cricket stories

  Soccer stories

  Other creators/contributors: Perry, Ellyse, author

  Dewey number: A823.3

  Cover photograph of Ellyse Perry by Steven Chee/DLM Australia

  Cover and internal illustration by Jeremy Lord

  Cover design by Hannah Janzen

  Ebook by Firstsource