CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 16,638

ACROSS

6 Cattle sector is developing study of fields? (14) 9 Proust’s strange intoxicated state (6) 10 Shout about a mere distressed cheese plant (8) 11 Brother gets nasty colic, eating this? (8) 13 Engineer tried installing old cutter (6) 15 Regularly called at new church that’s firmly shut (6) 17 Run downhill round small twists? (6) 19 Witty remark, one for each copper (6) 20 Longing to keep mum about misleading move in game (8) 22 Dirk knocks over drunk in fight (8) 24 Top-class lighting unit found in river (2,4) 26 This could make blind sump freer (8,6)

DOWN

1 Dragons’ Den offer — a variety of Peruvian cattle (7,7) 2 It may be used in sacking male representative (4) 3 I’m leaving tiresome clapped-out hi-fi system (6) 4 Exquisite complicated tale about this place (8) 5 Staunch supporter of plant ... (4) 7 ... one concealed beneath Tolkien creature (6) 8 Toxic gas initially in borders of Colorado (6,8) 12 Easy to grasp article a reporter passes round (5) 14 Embed Yankee in one of his cities first (5) 16 Time-consuming messenger’s a palace official (8) 18 Hateful debtor’s notes follow overdraft (6) 21 Present-day English sailors support their employer? (6) 23 Removing jacket, climbs branch (4) 25 Shelter top of kale and different vegetable (4)