John Meller

Plumber Stephen Smith’s life had become tedious. He had slipped into an ever-decreasing spiral of work and beer. He was rapidly getting old before his time.

But an unexpected telephone call changed everything.

Now Steve Smith could do what he really wanted to do. He could write a story. And he could write it about the village cricket team of his youth. But life for Steve Smith was now even better than that. Not only could he at last explore his own clearly amazing literary skills, but he had also been given license to slag off all his old cricketing mates while he was doing so. And he was going to get paid for the privilege as well. Stephen Smith was a very happy man indeed.

Steve’s chronicle of a special cricketing season is written in a match-by-match format. And his presentation is such that readers should easily identify with each of the characters, and their countless amusing little foibles.

That phone call was to become a wonderful turning point in Steve Smith’s life. But there was a question constantly gnawing away at the back of the plumber’s mind: why had he received it in the first place?