Crossword Genius

Mournful English cricket side, by one account (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

elegiac

'mournful' is the definition.
(synonym)

'english cricket side by one account' is the wordplay.
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'cricket side' becomes 'leg' (I've seen this before).
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'one' becomes 'i' (Roman numeral).
'account' becomes 'ac'.
'e'+'leg'+'i'+'ac'='ELEGIAC'

(Other definitions for elegiac that I've seen before include "Expressing poetic sorrow for something past" , "Wistful, mournful" , "Mournful, lamenting" , "of valedictory works" , "Like classical couplets" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.