The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word OVAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
V
A
L
More clues leading to the result OVAL
- Perhaps miss chasing ball in sports ground
- No value keeping in shape
- Figure in poll a voter rejected
- Eggs left in the ground
- Nothing very large about article shaped like Easter gift?
- Old ladies switched venue for sporting event
- Shape of both clutch and headlight
- Cricket ground, nonviable, regularly deserted
- Like 11 once were, where it’s 11 v 11
- Periodically non-viable, like some cricket grounds
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Like 11 once were/where it’s 11 v 11" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like 11 once were/where it’s 11 v 11 = oval.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 OVAL mean?
OVAL noun- An elongated round shape resembling an egg or ellipse.
- A thing having such a shape, such as an arena.
- In a projective plane, a set of points such that no three are collinear and there is a unique tangent line at each point.
- Having the shape of an oval.
- Of or pertaining to an ovum.