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It's a whimsical clue referring to a battle - my favourite clue, in fact.

myla @16
I've parsed 16d now. The element is a noble gas, inside a word for earlier, missing its first and last letters. Definition "intimate"

Adding to CrisE, re16d, I believe the two letters removed relate to grammatical theory and hence case (removed)

Hi,

Re 16D, I parsed ‘case dismissed’ as just removing the first and last letters of ‘earlier’?

Which chrise has already said! Ignore me.

Hi Brendan

I had no trouble solving 20 across, but cannot see any cricketing reference. I've done about half but cannot see an answer for 25, 23ac. I'm thinking of some sort of warfare firing. Am I on the right track? I've no crossers to help here yet.

I haven't cracked 26ac either.

I didn't start doing this puzzle until 3.30pm GMT today and find you'd finished by the early hours. Where are you based?

Hi roof
25,23 is a fairground act, rarely seen these days. 26 is a typical Paul clue - the definition is "hump", but not in an obvious way!

Hi Roof,

In regards 25 23, it is a type of firing but, as Chris says, more akin to fairgrounds of the past.

The cricketing reference is 24,10.

26a the definition is "hump" but more in the 'biblical' sense:-)

I live in London but am very much a night owl so normally do the puzzles when they become available online at 12:01. I was late starting today because I went to see the stage production of Upstart Crow at the Gielgud and didn't get back until late.

Thanks Brendan and Chrise. I've now got 25, 23ac, but can't parse it from the clue.

I also have the cricketing answer to 24,10, but the wrong way round, i.e 10ac,24d. If it doesn't go that way round then 1d and 2d are wrong.

I live in Exeter, so doubt I'll get to see Upstart Crow. I'm very jealous.

Still the hump to get.

The 2 word answer to 24,10 has the first word in 24d and the second in 10a.

25,23 is parsed - 3 letter word for 'awful stink' + 'an' + 5 letter word for 'ecclesiastic' around the behind of 'intern' + 4 letter word for 'party'.

1d the definition is 'conservative' as in someone stuck in their ways. I think the parsing is given by Gweilo in post 12.

2d is a single word spread over 2 clues and is the name of a specific 'engagement' as in the military sense. It's parsed by saying (in two words) where one might be cooking 6,3.

It's a shame Upstart Crow isn't going on tour, it really is very funny:-)