CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Muffling sound of modern music-making (8) 5 Chess move in contest finally eliminated piece (6) 9 Doris with Nan dancing in the club (4,4) 10 Meaner Conservative, one suffering defeat (6) 12 Bird left home to get fish? (6) 13 Gained release, almost looking embarrassed (8) 15 Celebrations for groups at Westminster (7) 16 Worry making feeble folk roll over (4) 20 Old fellow in Middle East location (4) 21 Enthusiasts’ publication that is excellent, circulating around a country down under (7) 25 Music once played, engaging performance (8) 26 Seem to be a listener, keeping very quiet (6) 28 Hundred yobs in strikes (6) 29 Cunning, keeping one period of abstinence without talking (8) 30 Surviving no longer with blemish, having lost heart (6) 31 Happen to regret meeting with space traveller (4,4)

DOWN 1 Desire cut short, see, as befits a sage (6) 2 Shelter beginning to be needed with day fading (6) 3 Very early in toilet, turning up after five, say (8) 4 End of bout in ring possible, upsetting corner (4) 6 Fully committed, like a cricket team soon to be fielding? (3-3) 7 Meaner goddess engenders a measure of interest (4,4) 8 Perform again in urban community that’s destroyed (4,4) 11 Fast movement of crazy horse, sadly unseating Ray (7) 14 Tries very hard to produce tunes (7) 17 Coastal road firm gets Rex ideal position (8) 18 Reveal as phoney what fielder may claim, wanting verdict against batsman (5,3) 19 A particular queen, possibly in type of swimsuit? (3-5) 22 Name of man recently elected (6) 23 Shakespearean fool has little right to be sore (6) 24 Pattern exceptionally large framing edge of doorway (6) 27 Beginner starts to think it’s really obvious (4)