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I go into bat at the end of the line (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bait

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'end of the line' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'i go into bat at the' is the wordplay.
'go into' means one lot of letters goes inside another (some letters go into others).
'bat at' becomes 'ba' (this could be a standard abbreviation I've not previously seen).
'the' becomes 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects).
'ba'+'t'='bat'
'i' going inside 'bat' is 'BAIT'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bait that I've seen before include "N in radio comms" , "Boilie, for example" , "Food to entice fish; taunt" , "Food on a hook to attract fish" , "Fishing lure" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Independent and The Globe and Mail.
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