CRYPTIC

ACROSS

1 Start to understand wizard (3,8) 7 Fight and shout about ending in uproar (5) 8 Brief article is thrown back into river (9) 10 General change brought about that flows with the wind (3,4) 11 Saying first of prayers, itinerant heading for basilica (7) 12 Reportedly use woodland (5) 13 Dame lacking guts, though bet she’s introduced to society (9) 16 Business people need smart manoeuvres (9) 18 Picture instant struggle (5) 19 The setter’s weight is appropriate! (7) 22 Hormone is in lung, endlessly circulating (7) 23 Iran’s man trembling with love for republic (3,6) 24 Drunkard reversing after gold cars (5) 25 Agree it’s CI2I on the telephone? (3,3,2,3)

DOWN

1 Country fair gatecrashed by United team after training (9) 2 Bound to net everything, scored! (7) 3 European city, where blackguard joins female (9) 4 Winner hard to be found in group (5) 5 Briefly exposing knees? Not quite (2,5) 6 Caged by ogre, beautiful bird (5) 7 We Brits also worked in domestic service (5,6) 9 Roughly nine accessing computers to see game (5,6) 14 Marsupial in company with one bird (9) 15 English character cut after month in story (9) 17 School fees unlimited, old money invested (7) 18 I’m up pole in error (7) 20 Criticise author Eliot, rubbish! (5) 21 Last of spread, light as butter perhaps? (5)