tailender
Brings up rear
A tailender is someone or something at the back of a line or sequence.
In cricket, tailenders are the batsmen who bat last—typically bowlers with limited batting skill: The tailenders collapsed quickly, adding only twelve runs.
More broadly, a tailender is anything that comes at the end or finishes near last in a competition.
Cricket's offensive player
- inningsTeam batting periods
- wicketSmall subsidiary entrance
- nightwatchmanOvernight security guard
- slogLaborious persistent effort
bowler · crease · duck · boundary · overs · stumps · partnership · pitch
Final desperate attempt
- do-or-dieDesperately crucial situation
- eleventh-hourAt the latest possible moment
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- high-stakesInvolving significant consequences
decisive · crucial · pressure · heroics · rearguard · defiant · rescue · salvage
Unlikely but possible winner
- outsiderOne excluded from group
- underratedValued below true worth
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- unfanciedNot expected to win
unheralded · sleeper · improbable · unassuming · surprising · unexpected · novice · rookie
batsman
Cricket's offensive player
- inningsTeam batting periods
- wicketSmall subsidiary entrance
- nightwatchmanOvernight security guard
slog · bowler · crease · duck · boundary · overs · stumps · partnership · pitch · spinner
last-ditch
Final desperate attempt
- do-or-dieDesperately crucial situation
- eleventh-hourAt the latest possible moment
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
high-stakes · decisive · crucial · pressure · heroics · rearguard · defiant · rescue · salvage · gritty
dark-horse
Unlikely but possible winner
- outsiderOne excluded from group
- underratedValued below true worth
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
unfancied · unheralded · sleeper · improbable · unassuming · surprising · unexpected · novice · rookie · doubtful
- cricketbatsman, bowler, wicket, bat, ball
- sports loserslast place, wooden spoon, cellar dweller, dead last, losing streak
- batterscake batter, pancake batter, waffle batter, brownie batter, crepe batter
- losersloser, failure, runner-up, flop, beaten
- tailenderslower order, last man, number eleven, number ten, number nine
tailenderfrontrunner
Leading candidate or competitor
leader · front-runner · head · first · pacesetter
tailenderchampion
Top competitor, or advocate
winner · top performer · front-runner · league leader · leader