Crossword Genius

Feeling thrilled to host new match (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sentient

'feeling' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'thrilled to host new match' is the wordplay.
'thrilled' becomes 'sent' (send can mean to thrill or excite).
'to host' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are hosted or welcomed).
'new' becomes 'n' (common abbreviation eg NT for New Testament).
'match' becomes 'tie' (tie can mean a sporting fixture).
'n'+'tie'='ntie'
'sent' going around 'ntie' is 'SENTIENT'.

(Other definitions for sentient that I've seen before include "Conscious - aware" , "Capable of feeling and perceiving things" , "Able to perceive or feel things" , "Capable of feeling things as in tenets" , "Endowed with feeling and consciousness" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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