Hawks Heroes

• Danny Costello, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2017

There were two friends whose names were Danny and Hayden. They loved playing cricket and joined a team in the summer of 2016 called the Albany Creek Green Hawks. Their first game was against the Blue Hawks. They started the innings bowling first and the other team went into bat.
The team was made up of 8 players and in the team there was Jake, Dan, Ansh, Kohen, Hudson, Hayden, James and Danny. Hayden started off the bowling and Danny was first up to wicket keep. The first ball went so fast it knocked the bails clean off. What a start to the game! By the third over the Blue Hawks had only managed to get thirteen runs and were down to 3 batsmen. The innings finished with the Blue Hawks only getting 64 runs in twenty overs.
It was time for the Green Hawks to bat. Danny and Hayden started the batting and got off to a flying start with 34 runs between them before Hayden had finished batting his 12 balls. Next in was Jake and off the next 2 balls, Danny and Jake both hit sixers way out over the boundary into the other teams field. They only needed 30 runs to win in the next fourteen overs; they eventually took out the win in fifteen overs! The boys couldn’t wait for their next game.
Danny and Hayden continued to play for the Hawks and school team for a few more years together, all their friends and coaches started to notice what great cricketers they were.
In Year 11 when they were 16 years old, the sports teacher had some very exciting news for them. He said “Danny and Hayden can you please stand up”. The whole class looked at them. The teacher said “The Brisbane Heat have called me and want you to join their squad”. The two boys grinned at each other and the whole class cheered. “Wow I can’t believe it”, said Danny. They went home and told their parents. Their parents were so happy for them after all their training and practice.
Over the next week they went to training with the Heat after school. The Heat’s first game was against the Adelaide Strikers. They were feeling nervous for their first big game. Chris Lynn and Brendan Mccullum shook their hands and wished them both good luck!
The Heat were fielding first, Hayden was bowling seventh in the line-up. Hayden took a wicket on his third bowl; Danny ran in and congratulated him for his first wicket in the BBL. The Adelaide Strikers were all out for 117. Danny was into bat at fifth; he made 49 runs and had 3 sixes. The Heat won the game in fifteen overs. The boys and their teammates were so excited about their first game and win.
A few matches later, they were told they were being called up in the squad for the Australian T20 team. What an achievement by these Hawks Heroes!