Taking the Chequered Flag (11 page)

Just when Toby thinks his time-travel adventures are over, he has to make another dangerous journey. He must travel to The Oval—the famous English cricket ground—to save his friend Ally, who has been ill since she broke the laws of time travel on her last trip with him.

Toby will have to face the embittered Cricket Lord, Hugo Malchev, and the ruthless Phillip Smale, who has his own agenda as far as time travel is concerned, and doesn’t want anyone getting in the way.

And if that isn’t enough, Toby is training at the cricket camp at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, hoping to be selected for Australia against England in the junior Ashes. If he doesn’t get stuck in the past during his travels. Or worse…

Toby Jones is not your average cricket fan. As well as being an ace player, he has the amazing ability to travel through time, back to the great matches of the past.

Toby is playing for Australia in a junior Ashes match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’s the most important game of his life so far. But things take a dramatic turn when one of a band of sinister soul-snatchers—known as Grubbers—makes a ghostly appearance in the outfield and takes over the body of one of the England players. To make matters worse, Toby discovers that his friend Georgie has gone missing.

Toby must return to the Timeless Cricket Match and confront the powerful and evil Father Time. Only by doing so can he save all the former and future Test cricketers doomed to be trapped in the past forever…and the game of cricket itself.

A thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Toby Jones series.

The authors would like to sincerely thank the superb editing staff at HarperCollins; in particular, Liz Kemp and Lisa Berryman in Melbourne and Patrick Mangan in Sydney. They each do so much in their warm, friendly and professional manner to help enliven and enrich our books. Thanks also to Sandy from the Geelong Motocross Club for her assistance. Thanks to expert rider Charlie Ross for checking over the book and sharing his knowledge. Thanks to Chad Reed and his manager Matt Cousins for their interest and contributions to the book. Pam would like to thank Michael for getting on his bike to get the job done. Michael would like to thank Pam for finding his bike in the first place!

M
ICHAEL
P
ANCKRIDGE
is the author of the bestselling Toby Jones cricketing adventure series. He lives in Geelong, Victoria. His main interests include a wide variety of sports, music, reading and keeping fit. He has worked as a teacher for just over twenty years and currently teaches part-time at Geelong College.

Visit Michael’s website at www.michaelpanckridge.com.au

P
AM
H
ARVEY
lives in Bendigo with her husband, two children, two dogs, two goldfish, two ducks, fifteen chooks and a ghost horse. Pam works as a physiotherapist, a TAFE teacher and other bits and pieces. She’s enthusiastic about a lot of things—including books, chocolate and getting up in the morning—and wears a bracelet made out of spoons. Pam has been writing since 1993.

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Toby Jones and the Magic Cricket Almanack (with Brett Lee)

Toby Jones and the Secret of the Missing Scorecard (with Brett Lee)

Toby Jones and the Mystery of the Time-Travel Tour (with Brett Lee)

Toby Jones and the Timeless Cricket Match (with Brett Lee)

Toby Jones and the Clash with Father Time (with Brett Lee)

Shielding the Truth (League of Legends, Book 1) (with Laurie Daley)

Live Action (League of Legends, Book 2) (with Laurie Daley)

BY MICHAEL PANCKRIDGE AND PAM HARVEY

Faster than Lightning
In the Deep End
Ghost of a Chance