No 2828, Sunday 15 Feb 2015

ACROSS
1   Pitch for all the players (4) CAST [DD]
3   Her husband's often away - word is, wag's worried (5,5) GRASS WIDOW*
9   Album by 1 Across - an announcement at 19, perhaps (3,6) ALL CHANGE [DD]
11 Bar of gold I obtained around noon (5) INGOT {I}{N}{GOT}
12 Went to rear of orchestra pit and played second fiddle? (4,1,4,4) TOOK A BACK SEAT [DD]
14 Iberis spread across lake? That's ludicrous (7) RISIBLE {RISIB{L}E*}
16 A fool, cleaner to tell tales (7) CHARLIE {CHAR}{LIE}
17 The M25, say - what's said about small section? (7) ORBITAL {OR{BIT}AL}

18 Water lilies - many round practice (7) LOTUSES {LOT{USE}S}
19 Awfully ostentatious name for a rail terminus (6,7) EUSTON STATION {EUSTON STATIO}*{N}
23 Soldier breaking free completely (5) RIGID {RI{GI}D}
24 Groom's partner, in good health in gaol (9) BRIDEWELL {BRIDE}{WELL}
25 Teams go off demonstrating a way of riding (10) SIDESADDLE {SIDES}{ADDLE}
26 Drama in parking place (4) PLAY {P}{LAY}

DOWN
1   There's much talk from me about mad character on TV (10) CHATTERBOX {C}{HATTER}{BOX}
2   Volley in Oval's out of place? (5) SALVO*
4   Disc on new label - sound familiar? (4,1,4) RING A BELL {RING} {A BELL}*
5   Small point, say (5) SPEAK {S}{PEAK}
6   Sporting arena with the ultimate in football on display inside? (5,4,4) WHITE HART LANE {ARENA+WITH+THE} around footbalL It's an &lit as well. Had to cheat for this one
7   Understands about Italian boxer and medicinal drug (9) DIGITALIS {DIG{IT}{ALI}S}
8   Possessing ingenuity, lead in Hamlet (4) WITH {WIT}{Hamlet}
10 Listen to all the LP, as good judges do (4,4,5) HEAR BOTH SIDES [DD]
13 Loner plays foolishly, in my opinion (10) PERSONALLY*
15 Drunken bum's greed overwhelmed (9) SUBMERGED*
16 Heavenly, Castile, rebuilt to enthral the Spanish (9) CELESTIAL {C{EL}ESTIAL*}
20 With a spherical shape, bored out (5) ORBED*
21 Perfect suggestion over learner driver (5) IDEAL {IDEA}{Le...r}
22 Girl is touring Rhode Island (4) IRIS {I{RI}S}