Prickly types caught first part of play (5)
I believe the answer is:
cacti
'prickly types' is the definition.
(prickly plants)
'caught first part of play' is the wordplay.
'caught' becomes 'c' (cricket abbreviation).
'first part of play' becomes 'Act I' (Act 1 in a play).
'c'+'acti'='CACTI'
(Other definitions for cacti that I've seen before include "tuna, for example" , "Spiny succulents" , "Prickly plants" , "They store water" , "Spiny succulent plants" .)