Across:
8 Saucy type (TAHINI) upsets (= reversal indicator) bowler (hat = TAH-) in (-IN-) taking second wicket (second “wicket” = -I) (TAHINI),
9 Team (SQUAD) driven by a driver (CAR) (SQUAD CAR) carrying some of The Boys in Blue (SQUAD CAR),
10 Part of splendid lecture (part of “splendid lecture” = IDLE) doesn’t work (IDLE),
11 Is this about (RE-) one of those selling drink (-PUBLICAN) (REPUBLICAN) to one of those calling closing time at The Palace perhaps? (REPUBLICAN),
12 At the end of the year (December = DEC-), worker (-ANT) (DECANT) gets transfer (DECANT),
14 Cyberspace raid perhaps (e-mission = EMISSION) is leaked? (EMISSION is leaked),
15 On reflection (COME TO THINK OF IT), snap out of it (COME TO) and imagine (THINK) Oscar (O-) getting into good shape (fit = - F IT) (COME TO THINK OF IT),
18 Seneca (Seneca = C-EANSE-) carelessly (= anagram indicator) admits line (-L-) is from the end (“is” from the end = -S) (CLEANSES) of purges (CLEANSES),
20 Frenchman (Monsieur = M-) on course (-ASCOT) (MASCOT) has a reputation for being lucky with the followers (MASCOT),
22 What Adam has (GARDEN) stretched out (FLAT) (GARDEN FLAT) in a ground floor apartment (GARDEN FLAT),
24 Every so often disregarding everyone (“every so often” disregarding “everyone” = soft = SOFT) is not hard (SOFT),
25 First (A-) short record (-N-OTE) about rebellious (= reversal indicator) college (Dublin Institute of Technology = DIT = -TID-) (ANTIDOTE) produced by The Cure (ANTIDOTE),
26 Guinness head (‘Guinness’ head = G-) on a number of beers from the bar (-ROUND) (GROUND) – the earthy type (GROUND).
Down:
1 Sheds some light on (CANDLE) staff (CAN-E) ringing Donegal (-DL-) (CANDLE),
2 Some characters involved in Egyptian (characters ‘involved in Egyptian” = DINE) feast (DINE),
3 Making a comeback (= reversal indicator), hairy swimmer (otter = -RETTO) heads for Blasket Islands lagoon (heads for ‘Blasket Islands lagoon’ = bil = LIB-) (LIBRETTO) for musical script for Riders to the Sea, for example (LIBRETTO),
4 Some develop a sauce (some ‘develop a sauce’ = pasa) served up (= reversal indicator) (pasa = ASAP) at breakneck speed (ASAP),
5 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) relative (MUM-) will buy (“buy” = “bai” = -BAI) (MUMBAI) in Indian city (MUMBAI),
6 Charges (ADMISSIONS) young man (lad) losing the head (l) (‘lad’ without ‘l’ = AD-) on bombing raids (-MISSIONS) (ADMISSIONS),
7 Revolutionary (Mao Zedong = Mao = MA-O-) swallows the last part of 9 across (“squad car” = -CAR-) served up (= reversal indicator) in (in = -NI) (MACARONI) pasta (MACARONI),
13 AXA Ireland (AXA Ireland = ALEXANDRIA) out of place (= anagram indicator) in Egypt (ALEXANDRIA),
14 The (the = ETH-) play (= anagram indicator) is old (-O-) school (-S) (ETHOS) with cultural values (ETHOS),
16 Clay (soil) loses head (s) (‘soil’ without ‘s’ = OIL) suffering (PAIN-) from last fight (last ‘fight’ = -T) (OIL PAINT) and ends up on the canvas (OIL PAINT),
17 Means of identifying different types (NAME TAGS) of horses (nags = NA- -GS) including tips for Musselburgh, Epsom, Taunton, Ascot (tips for ‘Musselburgh, Epsom, Taunton, Ascot’ = -ME TA-) (NAME TAGS),
19 Paper (SUN) in touch with creator (GOD) (SUN GOD) of The ’RA? (Ra = SUN GOD),
21 Hurt someone’s feelings (OFFEND) with rotten (OFF-) conclusion (-END) (OFFEND),
23 Prepared a whopper (LIED) for deli (deli = LIED) salad (= anagram indicator),
24 Who’s (whos = SHOW) out (= anagram indicator) to demonstrate the truth of something? (SHOW).