CRYP TIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

7 Were nine players coming back to present cutting-edge piece? (5,3) 9 See any number going to cathedral location wanting company? (6) 10 St Francis’s friend first to taste wine (6) 11 Ghosts in quiet county enthralling old maiden (8) 12 Sort of manoeuvre requiring time — Ruth struggling with tin-opener (5-5,4) 15 Wine that’s nastier putting some characters off (4) 17 Stony woman from province given birthday honour? (5) 19 Holiday providing ‘adult entertainment’ — keep son away! (4) 20 Like close pals unintelligent in respect of wrongdoing? (5,2,7) 23 Peacock to make spasmodic sounds blocking entrance to rockery (8) 25 Move slowly in fringes of wood within valley (6) 27 Tree trunk in which is found dry container (6) 28 Phoney‘diamond’ produced by plant (8)

DOWN

1 Business arrangement is perfect, but one loses out (4) 2 Gruff ace grabbed

by hack maybe (6) 3 Hands going up for mutually acceptable 1-Down (4) 4 Flexible article wedged into

short block at base (6) 5 Rustic not losing heart,

but tricky to teach (8) 6 Attlee elected, source of embarrassment for his rival’s wife (10) 8 Attack puts one out (3,4) 13 This person in Euston, say, follows the chap shilly-shallying (10) 14 Jeremy’s items in golf bag? (5) 16 Home I abandon, the ultimate

in cruelty and wickedness (8) 18 Cain — he’d turned

into a beast (7) 21 Young animal in trap set

up under equipment (6) 22 Royal personage? Journalist

must take care (6) 24 Stay to offer support (4) 26 Chance bottle won’t open (4)