The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word BYES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
Y
E
S
More clues leading to the result BYES
- Extra’s parting words
- More than one extra bottle- opener, of course
- Bowled OK, conceding runs
- Bishop agreed to provide extras
- They may help cricketers to win by two points
- They are not achieved off one’s own bat
- Bowled very well, despite these?
- Opening bowler certainly will deliver extras
- Bishop certainly gets extras
- Star briefly welcomes unknown extras
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "runs" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case runs = byes.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BYES mean?
BYES noun- The position of a person or team in a tournament or competition who draws no opponent in a particular round so advances to the next round unopposed, or is awarded points for a win in a league table; also the phantom opponent of such a person or team.
- An extra scored when the batsmen take runs after the ball has passed the striker without hitting either the bat or the batsman.
- A dwelling.
- A thing not directly aimed at; something which is a secondary object of regard; an object by the way, etc.
- A pass.