Not out by Mitchell Starc

Ill. by Philip Bunting. Mighty Mitch book 4. Scholastic, 2018 ISBN 9781742769165
(Age: 7-10) Themes: Cricket. Teamwork. Mitchell Starc's fourth instalment of the Mighty Mitch series Not out is another fun and fact-filled story about the under-ten's Wander Hill Wombats cricket team. Mitchell is so focused on winning the semi-final, he's continually daydreaming about the match. During Music lesson he even falls off his chair diving for an imaginary ball on the boundary line. Mitch's team mates try to help him conquer his fears; they discuss all the bad-luck things in cricket, and Raf is particularly helpful, because he records all their cricket stats in his little notebook. Which pad should left-handed batsman Mitch put on first, he's really worried? The Crocodiles are a formidable team with three strong new players that the Wombats don't recognise. With play by play descriptions, text boxes filled with the Wombat's Top 5 Lowest Points of Our Fielding Innings, the Wombat's try to do their best. When the Crocodile players use sledging - name-calling, their tactics slip to an all-time low.
While Mitch's spirits are dashed, Josh his mate decides to liven things up at school with games of Toilet Tennis. This is quickly stopped by their principal. Mitch's father surprises him when he tells him to grab his cricket gear. What is happening? To the team's surprise, the Crocodiles had cheated by adding three older more experienced players to their U10's team. With Oli and Raf's investigative skills the semi-final winners were disqualified. The competition is now evenly matched with the Wombats up against the Koalas.
Not out is an exciting addition to the Mighty Mitch series, jam-packed with facts, figures, cricketing tips and plenty of fun and humour. Both girls and guys will enjoy this easy to read story, learning about cricketing terms and techniques. Sportsmanship, listening to the coach, practising and developing skills, and playing fairly are good guidelines for young players to follow.
Rhyllis Bignell