| TREGO | Peter ..... , former Somerset cricketer who retired in 2021 after a brief spell with Nottinghamshire (5) |
| TAIBI | Massimo ___, Italian goalkeeper who had a brief spell with Manchester United in 1999 (5) |
| EDDIEBETTS | Indigenous forward who retired in 2021 after 350 games for the Crows and Blues (5,5) |
| HILDRETH | James ........ , Somerset cricketer who in 2009 recorded the earliest triple-century in an English season (8) |
| LEGWORK | Cricket side with Nottinghamshire town getting no concession for toil (7) |
| SUNIL | Gavaskar, former Somerset and India batsman (5) |
| OVERSTATE | Aggrandise Sri Lanka, say, after a brief spell of cricket |
| GUPTILL | Identify the surname of this cricketer who retired in January 2025 and holds the highest score in a World Cup. (7) |
| FRAMPTON | Carl, Northern Irish boxer and two-weight divisional world champion who retired in 2021 (8) |
| KUMAR | Praveen, India Test cricketer who retired in October 2018 (5) |
| SANA | Identify the first name of this Indian woman cricketer who retired in July 2025. (4) |
| LUDIK | Louis -, South Africa-born Ulster Rugby and Sharks full-back who retired in 2021 (5) |
| SNATCH | A swift act or thing, such as a hasty grab or catch; a kidnapping or theft; a quick bite to eat; a brief spell of exertion, sleep, time etc; a fragment of a song or a talk; or, a quibble (6) |
| SPECTOR | Phil ___, songwriter and record producer who died in prison in 2021 after being convicted of murder (7) |
| SCOTTPARKER | Former England midfielder appointed head coach of AFC Bournemouth in 2021 after leaving Fulham |
| PRIOR | Ian - - - , Western Force scrum-half who had a brief spell at Harlequins (5) |
| MORRIS | All-rounder who joined the Royals in 2021, after being the most expensive player ever at the IPL auction |
| EMMA | Second-most-popular baby girls' name in 2021, after Olivia |
| CONCISE | Con's out on the ice but only for a brief spell (7) |
| MARSH | Shaun ..... , former Australia cricketer who retired from first-class cricket in 2023 (5) |
