CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Crowd control as exercised by wet battery? (5-6)

6. Sound disgusted enough to be cut by half (3)

8. Was unaware of being 50 in September (5)

10. Study sore person striving (9)

11. Satellite, half of which may be fingered (4)

12. Sound approval of Christmas fare? (5)

13. Mediaeval book of animals by T Aires, perhaps (8)

16. Classification of grit with short numbers (7)

17. Islets in Billericay South (4)

18. A god of the Greeks, he upset de Lesseps’ greatest achievement (4)

19. Artist’s studio got beat all wrong (7)

21. It’s awkward to be drawn out like that (8)

23. Vatican court copper will publicise in reverse (5)

26. Engine will go to tree at end of coppice (4)

27. Half the year out of work, actor may be behaving like a cop (9)

28. Put law into force or into alien activity (5)

29. In Scotland tut openly, catch hypocritical leaders (3)

30. Opus 101, Kb, Haydn — first responsible for feeding the hungry (4-7) DOWN

1. Sage starts to break into witty oneliners (10)

2. If not Old King Cole, Charles II! (3,5,7)

3. Answers the needs of distillers (7)

4. Fatal loop one’s upset by there’s nothing in it! (5)

5. Not having been born, but sound as a bell! (7)

6. How one whispers beneath Ron’s rude interpretation (5,4,6)

7. Burke’s partner could move fast (4)

9. Pope didn’t have a quiet second, being a writer (3)

13. Bishop with the wrong attire but for him, purple is right (7)

14. Pay for mines being turned over to cottage room in Scotland (7)

15. To make one spiritless, share it and end in disorder (10)

19. Desultorily reads three directions introduced by brothers (7)

20. Being very old — 101 — concerning the outside (7)

22. Time before election of the NUR? (3-2)

24. You never scorn tail-enders to hold the Ashes! (3)

25. Light ring hovers around lunar orbit initially (4)