By close of play意思

"By close of play" is an expression that is often used in the context of sports, particularly in cricket and sometimes in other sports like tennis or golf. The phrase "close of play" refers to the end of a day's play in a match.

In cricket, for example, a match is played over several days, and each day's play ends at a predetermined time or when a certain number of overs have been bowled, whichever comes first. The phrase "by close of play" is used to indicate something that should happen or be achieved before the end of the day's play.

For instance, a commentator might say, "The team needs to score at least 100 runs by close of play today to stay in the game." This means that the team needs to reach a certain target score before the end of the day's play.

In other contexts, "by close of play" might simply mean "by the end of the day" or "before the end of the business day," depending on the context in which it is used.