Let's Play Cricket

Shabnam Minwalla

Rohan, wake up. We have work to do.
We have to make a cricket team in one hour.
We are playing a match against Tall Towers School
tomorrow. We need to find 11 players.

We need five people who can bowl.
We need five people who can bat.
Five plus five is ten.
5 + 5 = 10
I know a cricket team has 11 players.
You have forgotten the wicket keeper.
Ten and one make eleven.
10 + 1 = 11

I can call my three friends —
Quick Milli, Funny Meera and Hungry Haseena.
You can call your two friends —
Sneezy Suraj and Happy Husain.
How many is that?
Three plus two is five.
3 +2 = 5

We can ask those two tall boys,
Albert and Pinto, who study all the time.
We can ask Haseena’s elder brother,
Mohsin and Meera’s younger sister, Maya.
How many is that?
Two and one and one make four.
2 + 1 + 1 = 4

First we had five.
Then we had four.
F ive plus four is nine.
5 + 4 = 9

What do you mean we have no
one else? I am part of the team.
Nobody can bat as well as I.
Nine and one make ten.
9 + 1 =10
Aren’t you going to be part of the team?
Ten and one make eleven.
10 + 1 = 11

Our cricket team is ready.
Now practise your bowling.
We have to win.