1. 2.  3. g 4. g 5. g 6. g g 7.
g   g 8.          
g   g   g   g   g   g g  
9.         g 10.  11.  
g   g g g   g   g   g   g
12.   13.    g 14.      
g   g   g g g g g   g   g
15.     16. g 17.      
g   g   g   g   g g g   g
18.     g 19.    20.    
  g g   g   g   g   g   g
21.           g   g
  g g   g   g   g 22.    

ACROSS

1. Brief, severe, and returned days before. (4)

8. RC man set on arrangement of host's host. (10)

9. Shoe protector wrecked shoe, like calcite etc. (8)

10. Hit copper very hard. (4)

12. SA cricketer in favour of weed. (6)

14. Spotting is pale, unwell. (6)

15. Step is arranged for sliding down. (6)

17. Comes before word of umpire in host's host. (6)

18. Just one Roman, or even less? (4)

19. Backing vehicle conceals shafts. (8)

21. Severe toll, as it is either near Christmas or far from Christmas. (10)

22. Nearly returned without sides of lamb! (4)

DOWN

2. Mixed pint - severe evening! (10)

3. Top songbird with German hit. (4)

4. Nation returns a diary - "Not Applicable." (6)

5. Clear piste evenly to provide a long spar. (6)

6. Buyer of many a disciple, outwardly. (8)

7. Drudge in user functions. (4)

11. Ran about a cricket team, about which fell a gas plant. (10)

13. Songbird arranged to time us. (8)

16. State of Europe, sir: be a homophone or anagram. (6)

17. Muscle can of jam ingredient. (6)

18. Born on a ship by a headland? (4)

20. Toward the middle of the main lyrebird track. (4)