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If it helps, I think I've solved all but one of the across solutions but struggled a lot more on the downs - I have 6 confident answers and another couple that I'm not too sure of. It makes me wonder if I am missing a theme or trick specific to the down clues that would explain why I can't fit the answers I've got into the grid. My answer to 17D does fit with all the across answers though which is confusing! Has anyone tried it yet?

I’ve had a look at this. Have solutions for all but one of the acrosses and all but one of the downs. A couple are questionable. Missing 21a, 3d. Happy to post them if you want.

As for the theme and entry method, no idea. Wonder if 8d is significant. “Serious-minded chap lost team captain” (6). Wordplay seems to give SOBER(SIDE)S, but captain is an oddly partial definition of the great Sir Garfield.

I have 21a now, 3d left

Ok, dormouses, I have a full set of answers, just one with a slight question mark (19a), but I’m also at a loss how to enter. They can’t just be jumbles, and partial reversals and cycling don’t work. I’ll keep pondering

I've tracked down three threads for this puzzle on AB - one of them is very detailed/generous and will spoil things if you're trying to solve it for real.
However, there was a preamble attached to the original puzzle, so it is only fair that you have a rough translation of that -

Solve the clues normally, look for a set of consecutive letters for a tree. There are 25 theme words, 3 are used twice.

The puzzle's title was REAFFORESTATION, I believe.

That’s very kind, drxx. Thank you

i would never have got that in a million years - to me, that's deep deep cricket knowledge!

That is amazing! thank you so much, your efforts are very much appreciated. I will have a go at it tonight

I'm struggling with my final tree, which doesn't seem to fit my answer at 11a - can someone please give me a hint for the clue answer there?
I should also clarify that there's a thematic tree for every answer - 28 in all, with 3 of the trees repeated..

I saw it as a well known punk rocker with A R inside.