Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions. The solutions have then to be fitted into the grid, jigsaw-fashion.

A    Striving for scope backing number one (8)

A    Tense lover short of money (6)

B     Child’s first book and game (10)

C     Mark in vehicle beside French joiner (5)

C     Made money around outhouse (6)

C     Work together and endlessly train before start of tournament (5)

C     He always gets the sack (7)

C     Long knives trimmed members (7)

D    Could be an oxide, almost, or toxic liquid (6)

D    Had Cressida in charge mixing sugars (13)

D    Medic with work in decline (4)

E     Very odd, as always, that is (5)

F     Polecat swaps tail for Hepburn’s husband (6)

G    Nazi working outside emergency room (7)

G    Instruments from half the tour officials and mariners (7)

H    The sort that love? (7)

I      Intestines from Troy, reportedly (5)

I      From list select new maniple (7)

I      Reason why I inspect my IOU, maybe! (13)

I      Chips in true prints repaired (10)

J      One spirit or another, we hear (4)

K     Snakes bringing currency to islands (6)

L     Lalo and Nin chewed the fat (7)

M    I left girl with a Welsh one from Pacific Islands (10)

M    Friar’s grain (5)

M    Linguistic units change shape and seem different (9)

N     No nurse organised cells (7)

N     Groups’ fishing difficulties? (6)

O    Dispensers’ science (6)

P     Pockets a large sum (4)

Q    Mechanical fruit (6)

R     Further reviews of leases covering Jenny and me (13)

R     The sound of the Three Choirs Festival? (6, hyphened)

S      Directions to town in France. No — Spain! (7)

S      Status of Mick Jagger, say, at Callanish? (13, two words)

S      Kept going, but suffered (9)

T     Conform beside girl in Spain (10, three words)

U    Sub-note about neckwear (5, hyphened)

U    Water spirits finally seen in pants? (7)

V     Cut up half a dozen civets into pieces (8)

W    Lost confidence in security once about one lieutenant (6)

X     Turnover in plastic gulls? (4)

Y     Complain about month by sea in Calais (6)

Z     Unknown in the tattered top (6)

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 4 September. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers dictionary instead of cash — ring the word ‘dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2323, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.