“I stood, entranced, holding the card as I re-read it and gently traced my forefinger over the signature, enchanted at receiving such a rare gift. For a brief, beautiful moment I imagined being there with her, walking on the bleak sandy beach, shaking the sand out of our walking boots and tidying our tousled hair. The sensation disappeared rapidly and all I had was the card, which I placed on the mantelpiece.” Brian Clarke has an ordered life, a life of village cricket, solid principles, and careful interaction with those around him. He is resolutely fending off advancing middle-age with a straight bat, determined to defend his wicket against life's occasional fast balls. Then he meets Elizabeth a gentle, caring, genuinely selfless soul who is a glowing bloom amongst the ordered hedgerows of his existence. As Elizabeth demands Brian's interest and breathes hope into his heart he must reassess his self-defined role as the lone batsmen and fight to find the courage to fall in love. Or risk losing her forever. Close of Play is a thoughtful, funny, beautifully honest story of love and manners. It is a tale of missed opportunities and a chance at redemption and the fear of opening our hearts to another when we think we have forgotten how to love.
