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Hi Lumen,

21/22 - First one is a 5 letter word for "senior" minus its middle letter the I(nternational) - definition is "language" (begins with M)

Second one is a 6 letter word for "serious state" minus its first letter - definition is a "player" (in a game) - (begins with O)

Sorry that should be - 5 letter word for "senior" minus its middle letter + I(nternational)

Thanks Brendan, got those after a bit of pondering and realising you must mean 'then I' not 'the I'!

Brilliant. Thanks Ginge. I can sleep soundly now :)

Finally got this!
Apart from middle letter of 44a…my letters work for a famous French banker or flower, but not much else.

I think it's Catcher, net. If you take the middle letter out, you have a four letter 'caught', and the middle letter is 'himself'.

What's the definition then, malone? Thanks for trying but I don't follow.

Catcher, something that catches - which is what the answer is?

Re 44, I now see the answer Chambers, I can't believe I've not seen that before, or in crosswords. I didn't think it was a word, aside from with a capital at beginning.
But still don't see why the outside four letters are also a catcher?
As everyone knows, (!) those are a Samoan monetary unit.
I did find a 70s baseball player who's surname fits...but probably I should just call it a day on this one.

I parsed the first part of 43 as a homophone (caught) of sane (which is one of himself in Chambers), the answer being a fishing net hence catcher. May be wrong of course...