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What an unusual grid. No doubt Brexit will be to blame! - just kidding.

I haven't seen it but we can blame Brexit or Covid for anything!

A couple of parsing queries.

12 across) Writer of the Third Man might be doing it in play (8)

I have FIELDING as in cricket but am stumped!! by the "writer" allusion.


15 down) Spooner's little barrel that's used for serving drinks (7)

T*A*A*E* Possibly TEAWARE, but how would that parse?

12a - Is it Henry Fielding, novelist and dramatist?

15d - "Tear" and "Barrel" can both mean "to travel or move very quickly", so Wee Tear.

PS - I'm assuming that a Spoonerism can be a homophone without specifically mentioning it in the clue?

Cheers, Brendan. Didn't see barrel = to tear. I think the Spoonersim is used fairly. I thought of old Henry, but nothing connects him to Graham Greene's title - hmmm

Thanks Bobby,

The "third man" is the name of a fielding position in cricket.

A third man is a fielder and is therefore fielding on a cricket pitch.

Thanks, I saw the cricket connection. It's the writer that's puzzling me.