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Place for Fielding novel's opening — love dark twists (3-2)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mid-on

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'place for fielding' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?

'novel's opening love dark twists' is the wordplay.
'opening' suggests taking the first letters.
'love' becomes 'o' (love means zero in tennis).
'dark' becomes 'dim' (similar in meaning).
'twists' says the letters should be written in reverse (I've seen 'twisted ' mean this).
The first letter of 'novels' is 'n'.
'n'+'o'+'dim'='nodim'
'nodim' in reverse letter order is 'MID-ON'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for mid-on that I've seen before include "Leg side fieldsman" , "Cricket fielder" , "Fielding position" , "Cricketing position" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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