CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 16,163

ACROSS

1 Crack drain outside hotel, making a dramatic discovery (12) 8 Greeting Zulu in capital’s underground system (7) 9 Dashed to collect article that’s overdue (7) 11 Old penny and what’s on it — a snake (10) 12 Test five by way of screening (4) 14 Current MEP got annoyed after I sent in complaint (8) 16 Measure achievement by learner in pool (6) 17 Start to harvest area with fruit (3) 19 Dry Irish coin that’s milled (6) 21 Engineer keen to import pink fuel (8) 24 Christmas book, centre missing (4) 25 It could be fatal for beautiful lady in Rome (10) 27 Substance used in lab tests on mole (7) 28 Ham and eggs queen’s taken in court (7) 29 Manor, despite collapsing, holds a commanding position (12)

DOWN

1 1990s music? Brother and father collect it (7) 2 It’s selfish to leave some money in Morecambe (10) 3 King with two English horses badly needs such boots? (4-4) 4 Push cab in trouble, losing small part of it (6) 5 Greasy item on plate beginning to go off (4) 6 It barely covers violin part (1-6) 7 Doctor typically spoils nice portrait (12) 10 Attend play — he’s rewritten final sentence (5,7) 13 Runner-up to support footballer (6-4) 15 It bears a variety of apples and other fruit (3) 18 Water supply warrant officer and sailors used a lot (4-4) 20 Start song, not under cover (4-3) 22 DNA seen breaking up, forming groups of nine (7) 23 Last part of tract etc sadly dropping in spirit (6) 26 Crude half of dwelling erected (4)