Hopped in pain, taking run after bit of stumble (6)
I believe the answer is:
sprang
'hopped' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with motion as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'in pain taking run after bit of stumble' is the wordplay.
'in pain' becomes 'pang' (I've seen this before).
'taking' is an insertion indicator.
'run' becomes 'r' (cricket abbreviation).
'after' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'bit of' suggests taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'stumble' is 's'.
'pang' placed around 'r' is 'prang'.
'prang' after 's' is 'SPRANG'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sprang that I've seen before include "Bounded forward" , "Jumped or leaped in single movement (6(" , "Suddenly leapt (up)" , "got out of jail" , "Leapt foward" .)