Thanks once again for all the kind reviews and comments on this story, they really are most appreciated. I'm now 5 chapters in and it's already much longer than I expected so I hope you enjoy the next part of their day at the cricket. One more chapter to go after this I think.

Harry and Ruth sat down as they settled back into their seats for the final session of the day, having each taken advantage of the tea-break to visit the facilities, and in Harry's case to get another beer for himself and a water for Ruth to quench their thirst. Their well meaning, but incredibly annoying neighbour, having heard their plans to tag-team out during the break in order that one of them stayed with their seats and their bag, made an offer to watch their stuff; but Harry hadn't got to the position he was in today without having an inbuilt mistrust of people, his present company excepted of course, and while he didn't believe it likely that she had some hidden criminal tendencies other than a penchant for sticking her nose into something that didn't concern her, he wasn't taking any chances and had politely declined her offer.

"Well England need to get five wickets in the next 2-3 hours or the Ashes will be heading back to Australia," Harry said despondently.

"I thought the game could go on until tomorrow?" Ruth asked. "Don't test matches usually last five days?"

Harry smiled wryly, "I thought you said you didn't know anything about cricket?"

"I don't think that I ever said that," she replied light-heartedly, "I know lots of random stuff about things, including cricket; it was more that I just didn't particularly like it."

He glanced over at her, "and has today changed your mind at all?"

Ruth was quiet for a couple of seconds before she answered his question. "I wouldn't say today has turned me into an aficionado of the game... but I have enjoyed today very much." She lowered her voice to a whisper, "even with all the uninvited comments coming in from the side-lines."

"I'm glad," Harry said, reaching over and squeezing her hand lightly, "so have I. And in answer to your original question, the game theoretically could go on into tomorrow, but given that Australia only need 143 runs to win, it's very likely that it'll finish this evening as long as the light stays good."

Ruth looked up at the still cloudless sky, the scorching heat of earlier in the day had dissipated somewhat and it now felt much more pleasant. "We've been lucky with the weather."

"Very, though I could have done with it being a bit cooler at times!"

"Ah yes, though that's partially your own fault?"

Harry looked at her questioningly, "And how do you come to that conclusion Miss Evershed?"

"I forget, was it the insistence that the whiteness of your legs would blind the bowlers during their run up," she teased, "or your discovery that Savile Row didn't make shorts!"

Harry smiled, "very funny, and I'll have you know that my legs aren't that white."

"Really?"

"Hmmm," Harry replied with a wink, "if you're good I might let you get a glimpse of them at some stage..."

Ruth suddenly felt flustered at his teasing and certainly hotter than she'd been a minute ago. She changed the subject away from Harry's legs quickly. "Is this the warmest you've ever had it while watching the cricket?"

Harry thought back, "no, that would be sometime ago. I was in Jamaica in the early 80's and saw the legendary West Indian team play a test there. It was against India I think."

"You were there on holiday?"

Harry paused for a moment, "No, family holidays at the time tended to be a week in Cornwall rather that the Caribbean... I was there for other reasons." He leant over and whispered in her ear, "I was with Six at the time, the cricket was just a nice distraction for the day." He pulled back, "stupidly though, I made the same mistake I would have made earlier today if it hadn't been for you."

Ruth looked at him puzzled, "what was that?"

"Sun burn," he said ruefully, "there were three of us that went and all three of us resembled lobsters the next day. The locals thought it was hilarious, the three British boys eating strawberry ice-cream and looking like strawberries ourselves. Fortunately we had a couple of days rest and the work we were there to do wasn't in Jamaica, otherwise remaining hidden in plain sight might have been a touch difficult!"

Ruth laughed, "is that the only time you've seen cricket outside of England?"

Harry nodded, "I'd love to do one of the big tours one day, go and watch the Ashes in Australia or follow the test series around in South Africa or New Zealand or Sri Lanka or...". He paused, "I expect I'd need a different travelling companion for that trip though, than the one I had in mind for the Grand Tour of Europe," he stated rather than asked, not expecting a response.

Ruth looked at her feet before answering softly, "I don't know, you might find that that person had recently picked up an appreciation of the game that they'd never had previously." She looked over at Harry and met his eye with a small, slightly self conscious smile. His only response was to mirror her expression and to once again reach over and squeeze her hand gently.

"GET IN!" Zaf and Adam roared in unison as the sixth Australian wicket fell. The crowd erupted as the dejected batsman made his way slowly off the field to the sound of cheering all around the Ground.

"That's more like it," Adam raised his voice in jubilation over the sound of the noise, "only four more to go!"

"I missed it!" A small voice between them piped up, "what happened?"

"Clean bowled," Zaf answered with a big grin, as the three of them sat down along with the rest of the crowd in unison. "He took his middle stump straight out of the ground," he tapped Wes's shoulder and pointed towards the big screen which usually displayed the scorecard, but which also replayed all the wickets and panned around the ground during the quieter moments. "Watch that screen, they'll replay it in a moment and you'll be able to see it in all its glory!"

The three of them gazed towards the screen as the replay was shown several times from different angles, a small cheer going up each time the wicket fell. Zaf and Adam's attention was drawn to the incoming and outgoing batsman crossing in the field as a smattering of applause rang around, while Wes absently clapped his hands as he continued to watch the big screen distractedly."Do you think we'll get them all out tonight Dad? he asked optimistically?"

Adam glanced down at this son, put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him to his side. "I hope so Wes."

Wes suddenly pointed at the screen again, "isn't that the man you work with?"

"Harry?" Adam looked up but couldn't see anyone, plus it was showing a completely different area of the ground from where he thought Harry was sat.

"No, the other one," Wes looked at his father, "the one that came to our house that night and got upset and shouted at Uncle Harry. Zaf was there too... and Ruth."

"Malcolm?" Adam queried, "and how do you know about that? You were supposed to be upstairs asleep?"

Wes looked up at his father innocently, "ummmm."

"Anyway it can't be Malcolm," Adam continued, "he's away for the weekend. He was supposed to be coming here today with Harry but had to cancel. You must be mistaken Wes."

"But it really looked like him." Wes insisted.

"Malcolm has one of those faces that looks like lots of people and the camera moves very quickly." Zaf jumped in quickly, "I once thought I saw Prince Charles at the football, but it just turned out to be a random bloke whose ears just happened to stick out a little bit."

"Well this looked like him," Wes grabbed his dad's arm. "Look," he said pointing, "they're playing it again. Won't he be excited if you tell him tomorrow that you saw him on the TV at the cricket."

Just to humour Wes, Adam turned to the screen again, "I'm sure you're mistaken Wes."

"There," Wes pointed excitedly as the camera panned round to show the batsman trudging despondently off the field.

"I really don't thi..." Adam suddenly sat back in his chair, "Bloody hell, I think you're right."

"See," Wes beamed proudly, "I told you it was him". He then looked at his father sternly, "but you shouldn't swear, it's naughty. Mum always said so."

"Sorry Wes," Adam looked slightly abashed at being admonished by his son, before turning towards Zaf. "What's Malcolm doing here? I thought he was up in Lincolnshire, Do you know anything about this."

"Me no, didn't have a clue." Zaf spoke quickly, he couldn't believe Malcolm had been spotted, what were the chances...

"You can ask him tomorrow when you tell him you saw him on the screen. "Do you think he'll have been on the proper telly as well?" Wes asked. Like most children, he couldn't think of anything more exciting that seeing himself on television.

"I don't think you should mention it to him?" Zaf interjected quickly.

"Why not? It's hardly a crime being spotted at the cricket."

"I just don't think he'd want to know he'd been seen," Zaf replied quickly, "that's all."

Adam looked over at him, "I don't know what you're getting at here Zaf. He was meant to be coming here with Harry, something else came up, he gave the ticket away and then his plans were cancelled and he got another ticket. It's hardly something to worry about."

"Who's worrying?"

"You seem to be and I don't know why." Adam narrowed his eyes at him, "what's going on Zaf, what aren't you telling me?"

Zaf shrugged his shoulders expansively, "Nothing. But what if his trip was never cancelled, what if it was never going to take place in the first place."

"Then why would he cancel in the first place?" Adam asked bemused.

Zaf raised his eyebrows at him, "and you do what for a job?"

"He works in computers," Wes piped up having listened to the conversation. "Do you think he gave the ticket to Ruth so she could go with Uncle Harry because she's his girlfriend?"

"Why do you think Ruth is Uncle Harry's girlfriend?" Adam asked curiously, he didn't think Wes had ever seen them together and he certainly hadn't spoken to him about it at any stage.

"Zaf said so earlier."

Zaf groaned as Adam looked over at him, "I didn't exactly say that Wes."

"So what exactly did you say Zaf?" Adam rubbed his chin, " and what part of leave them alone didn't you understand?"

"He asked me to ask Uncle Harry if Ruth was his girlfriend." Wes said cheerily with a smile, missing the overtones between the two men. His face fell suddenly and he said sheepishly, "whoops. I was meant to keep it a secret though. Sorry!"

"You asked my son to get information for you? Adam asked icily, "and then asked him to keep secrets for you?"

"It was only a laugh," Zaf smiled, "come on, I know you're dying to know about Harry and Ruth as well."

Adam ignored Zaf's comments and continued. "And how did you know Malcolm never had plans to go away in the first place."

"Ah well..."

"Ah well what?"

Zaf shrugged his shoulders, "I bumped into him randomly at lunchtime when I was getting some food. He swore me to secrecy."

"Much like you did with my son." Adam asked again with raised eyebrows and a cool tone.

"Look he'll kill me if he finds out I've told you all this."

Adam smiled sweetly at him, "and I'll kill you if I ever find out that Harry and Ruth have caught any wind of this... or your book... or anything else really. If you have any other plans to spy on them, I'd cancel them now."

"Oh come on, it's just a laugh." Zaf pleaded, "it's just something to lighten up the office."

"I hardly think Harry would find it a laugh if he found out."

"I think he'd be quite pleased actually." At Adam's questioning look he continued, "Malcolm doing what he did, has given him the chance to spend the day with Ruth. I think he'd be quite grateful."

"He might be with Malcolm, but I don't think he'd be best pleased to hear about either the book or you trying to use my son as an asset! Do you?"

Zaf gulped, "Well he won't find out."

Adam smiled darkly at him. "Oh I think he might very easily find out. If I hear one little whisper about them on the Grid, then you better get ready to start packing your bags for whichever destination Harry thinks most suitable."

"But..."

"Do I make myself clear."

"Message received loud and clear." He gave a mock salute, "Sir."

Adam ignored the sarcasm, "and as for what you asked Wes to do for you, then I'll be looking for you to..."

"Yessss," screamed Wes excitedly, as the crowd jumped noisily to their feet as one. "That's two wickets in two balls Dad!" He and the crowd around him drowned out the rest of Adam's sentence much to Zaf's relief and he took the chance in the general melee to make a quick exit and an escape to the drinks stand. He had a feeling he'd be buying Adam more than a few beers to get him back onside after today.

"So what does this mean," Ruth shouted in Harry's ear. After a rather quiet day with intermittent cheering when a wicket fell, the crowd had suddenly become very vocal and loud with thunderous cheering and clapping running round the stadium.

Leaning in towards Ruth to make himself heard, he explained, it's a hat trick ball, getting three wickets in three successive balls is very rare... plus if we get him out now, then we've only got two more left to get to win and they're still a hundred runs behind."

Ruth grinned at him, she'd enjoyed the day more than she ever thought she would, and to her surprise, had actually got caught up in the events on the field, finding them a distraction when she needed them from the man sat next to her. "Well lets hope he gets it then." She joined in the clapping as the English bowler went back to his mark and started his run up with the batsman completely surrounded by fielders.

The sound was deafening as he charged in and then suddenly the shout went round the Ground as thousands of people yelled in unison, "CATCH!" The batsman had gone to hit the ball out of the ground and had instead hit it straight up in the air, after seconds which felt much longer to the people watching, the ball was safely caught and both the bowler and the fielder were mobbed by their team mates.

"He did it!" Ruth shouted excitedly, jumping up and applauding loudly completely caught up in the moment. She turned to Harry and before she knew what was happening, or who made the first move, they were involved in a bear hug; though they certainly weren't alone in that, with most of the crowd hugging each other and slapping each other of the back in joy as well.

"Sorry," Harry pulled back slightly after several moments, with his arms still loosely around her. "I got carried away in all the excitement."

"Don't be. Sorry that is" They were still surrounded by people standing and cheering and so were hidden away from most people, "I can't think of any way nicer to celebrate," Ruth said softly.

"I quite agree," Harry murmured and before he could talk himself out of it. he lowered his head to hers and caught her lips in a short soft kiss.

"Well, apart from that." Ruth said seconds later, with a gentle smile.

TBC