Pain in the neck caught atop haystack? (5)

I believe the answer is:

crick

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

'pain in the neck' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'caught atop haystack?' is the wordplay.
'caught atop' becomes 'c' (cricket abbreviation. I am not sure about the 'atop' bit.).
'haystack?' becomes 'rick' ('rick' can be a synonym of 'haystack').
'c'+'rick'='CRICK'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for crick that I've seen before include "Muscle spasm in the neck" , "Wrench (neck or back)" , "Sort of cramp" , "Neck injury" , "Pain in the neck" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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.