Well, EU Referendum Day, and the Indy goes for a themed puzzle from Hob – based on…..cricket!
However, it is the 100th anniversary of the birth of one the most iconic English cricketers of the 20th century, who makes an appearance in the nina. Hob has managed (it has to be said with a certain amount of twisting and turning) to refer to cricket in every clue and in quite a few of the entries – including the number of runs our hero scored in the highest individual innings for England in a Test Match (16ac/7/14/15).
We’ve never been big fans of cricket despite Joyce playing cricket for her school before being dropped after a disastrous innings, which then prompted her to offer to be a scorer. However, Bert’s dad was a keen supporter of Gloucestershire in the 50s and 60s, and as a young boy in the 50s, Bert remembers the classic Test Matches watched with his dad on TV – Sir Len Hutton’s name conjures up memories of the other England players of the era – such as Jim Laker, Tony Lock, Peter May and Tom Graveney.
And, as well as all the cricketing references, Hob’s even managed to get three clues in at 9ac, 4d and 17d which raised a smile!
A very welcome break from agonising over Brexit.
| Across | ||
| 7 | See 16 | |
| 8 | Relative getting amongst the runs (a lot) in county town (7) | |
| TAUNTON | AUNT (relative) in TON (a lot of runs) | |
| 9 | Walk-on part in Test is observed uninterrupted (4) | |
| BALL | This had us fooled for some time even when we had the crossing letters, but we concluded that there must be a cricket connection and then realised that BALL could be said to be the part of the foot that you walk on (‘walk-on part’) and that if you take the space out of ‘Test is’ (‘observed uninterrupted’) you get ‘testis’ – say no more!!! | |
| 10 | Batsman having got amongst the bowlers this amount? (3,3,3) | |
| ODD MAN OUT | A rather crafty cryptic definition – a batsman amongst bowlers could be described as an ODD MAN OUT, and with ‘ODD’ as an anagrind, MAN OUT is an anagram of ‘amount’ | |
| 12 | Saw old man keeping note of the score (5) | |
| DATED | DAD (old man) round or ‘keeping’ TE (note – ‘of the score’ referring to a musical score) | |
| 13 | Good shots through cover from those cutting half-heartedly (7) | |
| SNIPERS | SNIP |
|
| 15 | See 14 Down | |
| 16/7 | A number of centuries from County Cricket Club openers (5,7) | |
| THREE HUNDRED | The first letters or ‘openers’ of County Cricket Club are CCC – THREE HUNDRED in Roman numerasls | |
| 17 | Sly fellow with neat playing, essentially (4) | |
| FOXY | F (fellow) OX (neat) + Y (middle or ‘essential’ letter of ‘playing’) | |
| 18 | It’s no good wearing a South African jumper in this country (7) | |
| ENGLAND | NG (no good) in or ‘wearing’ ELAND (South African antelope or ‘jumper’) | |
| 20 | Attractive girl makes an easy catch (5) | |
| DOLLY | Double definition | |
| 21 | Surprisingly catch it, stopping a run or 4? (9) | |
| CATHARTIC | An anagram of CATCH IT (anagrind is ‘surprisingly’) round or ‘stopping’ A R (run) – a laxative (4d) can be considered cathartic | |
| 22 | A group of players featuring in Oval’s offering too (4) | |
| ALSO | Two sets of wordplay for the price of one! A + LSO (London Symphony Orchestra – ‘group of players’) and hidden of ‘featuring in OvAL’S Offering’ | |
| 24 | Attack a spinner beginning to get turn in middle of season (7) | |
| ASSAULT | A + S (first letter or ‘beginning’ of ‘spinner’) + U (turn) in SALT (season) | |
| 25 | Losing wife (or wicket!) spoils one’s life (7) | |
| INNINGS | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | Those setting up before Oval boundaries dispatched in the capital (4) | |
| SUVA | US (‘those setting’ – crossword compilers in the plural) reversed or ‘up’ + |
|
| 2 | Admirer of one-day international on the up? Dead right (8) | |
| IDOLATER | ODI (One-day international) reversed or ‘on the up’ + LATE (dead) R (right). We’ve had traffic signs in our home town Nottingham this week with ODI on them which was a new one on us. | |
| 3 | E.g. single run scored with square cut, possibly (6) | |
| RECORD | An anagram of R (run) |
|
| 4 | One making you go to see English XI at Oval, when not initially bothered (8) | |
| LAXATIVE | An anagram of E (English) XI AT |
|
| 5 | People heading off to the middle to play again (6) | |
| ENCORE | ||
| 6 | Present time in Yorkshire, duck (4) | |
| NOWT | NOW (present) T (time) | |
| 11 | Tired, having run 3 as opener? Shame! (9) | |
| DISCREDIT | An anagram of TIRED (anagrind is ‘having run’) with DISC (record – 3d) in front or ‘as opener’ | |
| 12 | Hit strongly in front of wicket around end of second over (5) | |
| DROVE | An anagram of D (last letter or ‘end’ of ‘second’) OVER – anagrind is ‘around’ | |
| 14/15 | Square cut regularly ends in boundaries (5-4) | |
| SIXTY-FOUR | T and Y (last letters or ‘ends’ of ‘cut’ and ‘regularly’) in SIX and FOUR (boundaries in cricket) | |
| 16 | Running flat out, and initially excessively (2,1,5) | |
| TO A FAULT | An anagram of FLAT OUT A (first or ‘initial’ letter of ‘and’) – anagrind is ‘running’ | |
| 17 | Was last man dismissed for sex act? (8) | |
| FELLATIO | The last man dismissed in a cricket innings is the tenth wicket, so he or she could be said to have FELL AT 10 | |
| 19 | Playing at Oval for a bit of radio commentary cake (6) | |
| GATEAU | We think this might be: A homonym (‘radio commentary’) hidden in (‘a bit of’) playinG AT Oval | |
| 20 | Some made centuries, honest! (6) | |
| DECENT | Hidden in or ‘some’ of ‘maDE CENTuries’ | |
| 21 | Readies cricketers as summer holiday starts (4) | |
| CASH | First letters or ‘starts’ of Cricketers As Summer Holiday | |
| 23 | Ultimately running in wrong for three balls? (4) | |
| SIGN | We’re not 100% convinced by this one – unless we’ve got it completely round our necks we think it is: G (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of ‘running’) in SIN (wrong) – the ‘three balls’ being a pawn-broker’s sign. | |
Sorry, can’t comment because I can’t print the puzzle. The date is now correct, but the print icon has disappeared. If you choose Windows print you get all the ads and can’t see the puzzle properly. Any ideas out there? TIA
Thanks to Gaufrid and B&J for an alternative route to the Joy of Hob.
Now will someone fix that damn site!
I can’t get the browser based version to work at all today.
I have been able to access the puzzle, but I rather wished I hadn’t, and regulars will know that I love my cricket. Well done to B&J for getting all this out (especially since you admit to not being captivated by the game), because I gave up half way through. A hugely unfriendly grid, some really strained surfaces, and you did have to know a bit about cricket to get some of the solutions. So sorry, Hob, I didn’t much like this one. Thanks for setting it anyway, and thanks to B&J for the blog.
I expect we’ll have a fellow setter coming on later saying what an achievement it was to include so much thematic material. Er, for a daily cryptic, that’s not what it’s about: it’s about losing gracefully. At least it wasn’t themed on golf, in which case I would really be in a grump.
[And Bert, you had a TV in the 1950s? Look shurry.]
Sidey @3
It hasn’t worked for me for a couple of days now, I put it down to my main browser being loaded up with Ad blockers. Switching to a basic version of Chrome did the trick but blimey those ads are annoying, slowing the screen down frequently.
Thanks to Hob and B&J, my solve was more luck than judgement but got there in the end with BALL unparsed
Given the amount of work that’s gone into this it’s surely no coincidence that Foxy and Dolly are the nicknames of two former England cricketers Graeme Fowler and Basil D’Oliveira. Or am I over-analysing?
Incredible puzzle – great cluing – real slow burner for me – but got there in the end – despite not having the slightest interest in cricket – not now anyway – didn’t mind it in the old days – Colonel Blimps dosing in the sun under their newspapers – polite ripple of applause from the crowd – like a flock of pigeons taking off, as Arlott would have said – barest acknowledgement from the player – slight tip of the bat – touch of the cap. Nice atmosphere. Understated.
Not now. Crowd yelling and cheering – players kissing, cuddling, punching the air – wearing crash helmets and pyjamas covered in advertising – like racing car drivers.
Er – where was I – oh yes – the puzzle – fantastic – some nifty wordplays and some clever definitions. 19d I thought was fair – I bet some won’t agree – but especially as it was so biffable from the def – at least with a crosser or two in – clever combination of clue types.
Thanks all round.
K’s D@3 – No look shurry for Bert unfortunately. The TV belonged to a friend of his Dad.
You could be right, hounddog – and of course TAUNTON is not unknown in cricketing circles. And I guess that 3dn RECORD is referring to the great man’s 364 which is referenced in the puzzle.
sidey @3 (and any others)
It seems to be a device and/or browser problem and I suggest everyone who is having problems should tell the Indy so by e-maling games@independent.co.uk
As to the puzzle itself – a great idea but OTT.
I use Adblock Plus (free) and that gets rid of the annoying ads without affecting the puzzle once it FINALLY loads (at least I can print it which is all I want). I do get an indignant message telling me to turn the ad blocker off “for the full experience.” Yeah right.
I really enjoyed this puzzle, but then I love cricket. I was stumped (ha ha) by 9 across and I don’t think I’d have ever got it.
Thanks Hob. Owzat!
Thank goodness for the nina (who was also the subject of the main article in Wikipedia today) and the theme which helped me with quite a few, though ultimately missed out on one “naughty” clue (9a) and couldn’t parse the other (17d). I’m a great cricket fan, so I liked the theme even if some of the cricketing references in the clues were a bit of a stretch. The use of ‘Oval’ in four clues of course refers to the ground where Len Hutton played his epic innings.
Thank you B&J and to Hob for a very inventive and entertaining puzzle.
I find different browsers work for different things – even if it’s just down to the level of getting the printing to come out as you want it without any fiddling about.
For the Indy (also the FT) I use Chrome.
allan_c @ 10
Oh I do report things, coincidentally I received an email from them this morning:
Hello Sid,
Thanks for the feedback and sorry for the late reply.
Are you still having this issue?
My original report was submitted 02 November 2015 09:31 !
Oh yes, and there are lovely people around who read my problem and went to the trouble of emailing me a copy of the puzzle, fair cheering that.