CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Find master painter at the head of a force (5,9) 9 Organise a race to start at a stretch of open country (7) 10 A believer in god; or could be an unbeliever (7) 11 Criminals have to leave north of the Border (4) 12 Frustrates blunt instruments in hand-tohand combat (5) 13 Discovered nothing left in the kitty (4) 16 Mentions getting little energy from old midshipmen (7) 17 Trees uprooted over time get in the way (6) 19 Can take little time to have a first period for a siesta (6) 22 Left-wingers had to fight to get their just deserts (7) 25 Have the last word in a close game normally (4) 26 Good man had to take an examination (6) 27 Becoming capable of doing a job, so is in the running (2,2) 30 Ship, at short notice, to Europe a military 11 across (7) 31 Break up, for example, half way through a course (3-4) 32 A timely intervention in the ring for one at

risk of defeat (5,2,3,4)

DOWN

1 They demand a price for using devices to store energy (8) 2 Popular collection may be within reach (2,5) 3 Impose a penalty on fellow in the end, but it’s all right (4) 4 Will soon rue outcome that’s quite oppressive (7) 5 Have a go at the French racing establishments (7) 6 Long to be within reach, eventually (4) 7 The French have one guaranteed time off period (7) 8 Read about a 5 down for breeding, by the end (5) 14 Very little change for one little girl (5) 15 Develops good relations, only with some leading characters (5) 18 A small girl left behind as a matter of course ... (2,6) 20 ... while one man took his girl to a place across the Pond (7) 21 Ascertain that the Rifle Brigade, initially, had its own motto (7) 22 US institute followed 8 down, so had to let students back in (7) 23 Salesman allowed, at the end, to become well-stocked (7) 24 Put old dress round old film star (5) 28 Is quite domesticated, thanks to yours truly (4) 29 Lied about being unoccupied (4)