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Maybe bowler's in this hotel, visiting, with cricket equipment (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hatbox

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'maybe bowler's in this hotel visiting with cricket equipment' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?

'hotel visiting with cricket equipment' is the wordplay.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'visiting' becomes 'at'.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'cricket equipment' becomes 'box' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'h'+'at'+'box'='HATBOX'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hatbox that I've seen before include "Headgear container" , "Case for storing headgear" , "Container for headwear" , "Ten-gallon container maybe" , "Case for toppers" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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