I found this very tough indeed.   Usually where there is a theme with interlinked answers, it’s slower but I thought this might be different when I found 16 across etc after just 12 mins.    But not so.   Some very devious, clever, misdirection and very satisfying to finish.

Solving time: 58 mins

* = anagram  < =reversed

ACROSS

9 ARCHENEMY    Dick CHENE(y) in ARMY!

12 C (Jonathan) ROSS E D = 500 (many).    Also thematic - referred to in 16

13 DEISM  Hidden - definition ‘reasonable belief’ made me a bit doubtful for a while, however.

14 R (ET) AILERS   Duo after lead in Peter = pETer

19 SUMMITEER      Favourite clue, with misleading context of a chess board.   A meeting of the top 8 countries (not including China, though) and a mountain.

21 SAL(m)ON     3 = MEDIUM (abbrev m)      ‘concealed’ used as subtractive indicator.

24 DO RIS ST(OK)ES     A medium   Do ok in (sisters)*

25 SEDGE WREN    Jenny is a wren  (green weds)*.    New phrase for me that I worked out from the anagram when I’d enough crossing letters.

DOWN

1 CAN DI DATES     Surface a bit surreal.

2 S CAR RING    Very subtle misdirection.    Definition is ‘marks left’

3 MEDIUM     Was not fully convinced of this till solving 24 across.  “Say television channel” It is a TV channel but ’say’ puzzled me.    “TV channel, say” would be a straight definition.    Not sure about medium = say

4 Alvin B ERG   Wrote the opera ‘Lulu’   B = letter after a!

5 EYE-CATCHER   Holden Caulfield, main character in JD Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye’.

6 GE (RONIM)O     Minor<  in Geo (a creek or gully)

7 LASSI E    (sails)*   Clever use of seagoing context, for the much-filmed dog  “Bark’s courageous owner”

14 R (OOT) EDNESS    Too<     Clever misdirection - was looking for in = both ends of inflammation for quite a while.

15 S (ER ENAD) ING   (Dane re)< in sing = grass = inform.    Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a Dane.

17 T (HICK) EST   Fun clue.

18 HE (LIPO) R T

20 MA (I G) RE

Just a quick post to get the ball rolling as I’m in a training course all day. Not sure why we have the treat of a Paul on a Monday - is Rufus on holiday? Anyway, some gems here - 15 down made me laugh out loud.

 ACROSS:

1. SECOND TON ONE. 101-200 refers to the runs contributing to a second century.

8. PRIMULA. I got this without understanding the wordplay. Now I see it’s RIM occupying PULA (PAUL with minor adjustment).

9. PASS(I)ON. Tricky syntax  - it’s one (that) ‘hand down’ skirts.

11. COPY CAT.

13. AU RA L. ‘Prospect for this’ = gold (AU)

16. DYNA MISTS. (ANY D).

19, 2. PRIVY COUNCIL. Boom boom.

26. SEVENTY-EIGHT. I don’t remember the crash of ‘29, but I do remember those funny little records.

DOWN:

3. NEAP TIDES. (DESPITE AN*).

5. NOS T RIL(l). SON<.

6. NOIS(OM)E. I’m assuming it’s this, aas the wordplay works, but the definition would then be ’stinks’. What’s that all about?

7. S(PICK)AND SPAN. Spruce as an adjective, grains= sand.

10. NURSERY RHYME. Because cursory rhymes with nursery. I think I’ve seen a similar clue using bursary.

15. C ASTIGATE. I love the idea of the wine scandal ‘Astigate’ - complete with a ‘deep throat oenologist?

18, 12. MASS AGE PAR LOUR. PAR = ’standard in golf’, not just the standard ’standard’.

19. PUDDING. As in gooseberry fool.

22. (p)OVERT(y).