The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word BATTER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
A
T
T
E
R
More clues leading to the result BATTER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lay into/cricketer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lay into/cricketer = batter.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 BATTER mean?
BATTER verb- To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.
- To coat with batter (the food ingredient).
- To defeat soundly; to thrash.
- (usually in the passive) To intoxicate.
- To flatten (metal) by hammering, so as to compress it inwardly and spread it outwardly.
- A beaten mixture of flour and liquid (usually egg and milk), used for baking (e.g. pancakes, cake, or Yorkshire pudding) or to coat food (e.g. fish) prior to frying
- A binge, a heavy drinking session.
- A paste of clay or loam.
- A bruise on the face of a plate or of type in the form.
- An incline on the outer face of a built wall.
- To slope (of walls, buildings etc.).
- The player attempting to hit the ball with a bat.
- The player attempting to hit the ball with a bat; a batsman.