Rebel cricketers held up flat ball (6)
I believe the answer is:
circle
'flat ball' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'rebel cricketers held up' is the wordplay.
'held' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'up' is a reversal indicator (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'elcric' is hidden in the letters of 'rebel cricketers'.
'elcric' back-to-front is 'CIRCLE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for circle that I've seen before include "Theatre seating tier" , "Orbit" , "Clique; loop" , "Seats above theatre stalls" , "Cycle - enclosure" .)