Cast in play area (5)
I believe the answer is:
pitch
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'cast' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)
'play area' is the second definition.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for pitch that I've seen before include "perfect for some players" , "Toss onto the playing field" , "Distillation of tars" , "Throw - bitumen" , "Level of sound" .)