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Cricket perhaps, has time and energy to make reproductive contribution (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gamete

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'make reproductive contribution' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how one could define the other.

'cricket perhaps has time and energy' is the wordplay.
'cricket perhaps' becomes 'game' (cricket is a kind of game).
'has' says to put letters next to each other.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'energy' becomes 'e' (physics symbol as in E=mca).
'game'+'t'+'e'='GAMETE'

'to' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for gamete that I've seen before include "Egg-cell" , "An egg or sperm cell" , "Germ cell in reproduction" , "Reproductive cell" , "something seedy?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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