Financial Times No. 12,852 Set by FLIMSY, August 21, 2008

I have to say I found this a boring puzzle with some clues so obvious that I yawned.  6d made me think for
a while, and 13a held me up until I remembered that setters do love cricket!
ACROSS

1.    OLDEST – ( *led-to- s)
4.    CONFUSED -(dd)
9.    PISTOL -(hidden in  chaP-IS-TOLd)
10.  INJURIES  -(in -juries)
11.  SHRUBS  – (*s-bush -r)
12.  SNIFFING -(s-niff-ing – ‘to sing’ as in ‘inform’)
13.  LEG – ( dd – ‘leg’  of a race, and cricket position)
14.  TICKLE  – (*lick- toe without ‘o’)
17.  LANTERN – (*l tanner)
21.  MEDIUM – ( dd)
25.  TOE -( t- one without ‘n’)
26.  CHAMPION – ( c-h-ampion – campion, white or red, wild flower of hedgerows .)
27.  SKETCH – (s-ketch)
28.  ORIGINAL -(dd)
29.  PAINTS – (pa-i-nts)
30.  SKELETON – (skeleton – universal key and ‘skeleton in the cupboard’, phrase denoting
                                  a family’s shameful secret)
31.  DEPTHS  – ( pt in *shed)

DOWN

1.    OPPOSITE – (*soot pipe)
2.    DISTRICT  – ( di-strict – belt as in ‘commuter belt, green belt etc.)
3.    SNOWBALL – (dd.  term for various puddings, mainly made of meringue, but sometimes more
                                   like egg custard.)
5.    OWNING -(hidden in thr-OWN-IN-G-aol)
6.    FLUFFY – (fluff-y-  two slang terms for the desirable female – crumpet, or a piece of fluff)

7.    SPIRIT – (dd)
8.    DESIGN – (*dines-g)
12.  SECTION – (dd. – to section someone is to put him or her into a mental hospital)
15.  EAR -(  hidden in h-EAR-d)
16.  ARM – what can I say?
18.  NECKLACE – ( ditto)
19.  DISTINCT  – (di-*sint-ct)
20.  EMPHASIS – ( *shame about p – i-s)
22.  ACROSS – (a-cross)
23.  MARINE – (* in armed without ‘d’)
24.  UPSIDE -( up-side)
25.  TOMATO – (tom- at(E)-o  – as someone said recently, a fruit not a veg. but do not serve with custard!)