Testimonial — John Costello

Testimonial is a novella set in the 1960's about John Mercer, a professional England Test Match cricketer being awarded a Testimonial year for his services to cricket in this his final season before retiring. One of the matches staged by John for the occasion is against Stansmere, a village Cricket Club situated twenty miles outside of London in very picturesque surroundings that he has been associated with for many years. John's team consists of professional cricketers of the highest calibre who regularly play alongside him in his County side. The game, which this small Club eagerly look forward to playing, is to be televised, with coverage by the BBC and commentaries of the proceedings by well-known personalities in this field. A committee meeting is held to discuss arrangements for this match, which, coincidently, occurs the same year as the village Club's Centenary with the playing of cricket on their ground up on the Common. A brief history of the Club during these hundred years is made known to the reader. A wedding reception of two young members of the Club is also taking place the day before the Testimonial inside the pavilion to add to these celebrations. Early of the morning of the cricket match, the president of the Club, a retired brigadier army officer, out walking his dog on the Common, discovers a body of a dead woman floating in the lake behind the pavilion. He informs the police who quickly appear on the scene to investigate the matter. It appears this woman is the late wife of the groundsman at the Cricket Club, the pair apparently having rowed the previous evening in their flat which is situated above the pavilion on the ground. With John Mercer's cricket team due to arrive to play in his Testimonial match later in the day, everyone at the Club is anxious to keep this news from them in case it might interfere with the game. There is also quite a large crowd expected on the Common to be watching the cricket, and with the television coverage of it, there is danger of the saga becoming known nationwide. However, the police manage to complete their investigations regarding the dead woman and have left the Common prior to the start of the cricket, much to the relief of all concerned at the Club. Unfortunately, they have taken with them the deceased's husband for further questioning in the matter. The cricket match is allowed to be played without any problems to speak of, and is enjoyed by all present. Although there are many left wondering if the groundsman is under suspicion by the police of perhaps having murdered his wife. Only time will tell as the story unfolds.