The Week 1457

[TioMateo]

This is my second, and final, attempt to find a satisfactory solution to  1 Down in The Week's most recent Crossword.  

Sledging Stokes and Buttler worked catching Australia? Only one time (8)  B?L?S?E?   I suggested BALUSTER, simply because it's the only word I can find for those letters.   Captain2 made a noble attempt at it saying :-  "Well, I can see it's an anagram of

        BUTTLER +A(ustralia)-T(ime) +S(tokes)

Can't see a definition though."

 

Not only does there seem to be no definition,  how does "Sledging Stokes" give S?

Is it just a rogue clue, or are we both missing something?

If no-one replies, I promise not to raise it again. 

[TheFrogman]

The wordplay gives BALUSTER, in the way identified by Captain2 (S being the abbreviation for the cgs unit 'stokes').

The definition gives BLUSTER ('sledging' in the sense of boisterous talk directed at an opposing batsman).

[TioMateo]

Thank you so much, Frogman.  My knowlege of cgs units in general and kinematic viscosity in particular is zero, so I am very grateful for your enlightenment.

It would seem the clue is in even more trouble than you identified, as Google gives the abbreviation for the cgs unit of Stokes to be St not simply S.

You certainly deserve the designation of Best Answer.

[Captain2]

Sorry, still puzzled here.

The wordplay gives 'Baluster', I'm fine with, but

the definition gives 'bluster' ok in so far as it goes,

But the answer is 'Baluster'???

[TheFrogman]

It's just a faulty clue.

My guess would be that the setter started off with a wordplay for BALUSTER that began with 'Sledging' for BLUSTER and included 'Australia' for A, then reworked the wordplay, but accidentally left the 'Sledging' as the definition.

[Captain2]

Thank you, thank you, TheFrogman. I can rest easy in my bed tonight! 😂

[Harmonica69]

According to Chambers, S is the abbreviation of the Stokes, the unit of viscosity. Mind you, OED states that it is 'ST'.

A baluster is used to support a ledge...

[Harmonica69]

Look up 'stokes'. It is a CGS unit of viscosity...abbreviation is S, according to Chambers.