This crossword No. 21900 clues and answers were published on Wed 17 May 2000 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 21900 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
1-across – Purchase paper, say, for ancient craft : BIREME
4-across – Racing authorities set off to hospital : STEWARDS
9-across – See 20 : FIELD
10-across – I am the cat among dairy produce, going to overlap? : IMBRICATE
11-across – Love girl madly, taking space traveller to the opera : RIGOLETTO
12-across – Student in the army made music : HOLST
13-across – Asylum seeker possibly omitting sari : MIGRATIONIST
17-across – Who else that’s prepared to take centre stage? : STEALTHESHOW
20-across – Not the building site for Labour’s Pauline and Frank : GREEN
21-across – It’s a volte-face to consider a boxing match entertainment : ABOUTTURN
23-across – Figure that sounds like a ruin and a mess : RECTANGLE
24-across – It’s possible I shall leave, taking a year off, before the end of the grub : IMAGO
25-across – Belt for senior officer? Possibly true : CINCTURE
26-across – He should be used to a bark : SEADOG
All Down Clues and Answers:
1-down – See 10 down : BEFOREME
2-down – Give back the job of pollarding the fruit tree? : REENGAGE
3-down – Gong and what it signifies – eating a bite of dinner : M1D1L
5-down – ? : TOBEORNOTTOBE
6-down – See 10 down : WHICHISEE
7-down – Sapper’s friend? Are you sure? : REALLY
8-down – Don’t talk about temperature – take cover : SHEATH
10-down – † : ISTHISADAGGER
14-down – Company employed at 10 by non-English poet : ATTENDANT
15-down – M’s address to George : THOUSAND
16-down – Gloria, famous last words of? : SWANSONG
18-down – Where to cook some rice with mushroom? : AGARIC
19-down – Belong to the Tory party? Its 9 did : BEACON
22-down – Moment of matrices : TRICE
This crossword has in total 28 where 14 are across and 14 are down.