CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Strong drinks accompanying writer’s card game (3,5) 5 Plug opening appearance (6) 9 Tense worker skirts trouble in Asian country (8) 10 Try to secure current journal about male escort (6) 12 Test former partner in the morning (4) 13 Some music by composer, say, gives support to cyclist (10) 15 With training, ham can imitate a calculator (13) 19 Taking chances, left new units in charge after work (13) 23 Late cleric somehow related to current generation (10) 25 Film nearly broke (4) 28 I’ve ordered woman to withdraw capital (6) 29 Energetic person provided backing regarding dance (8) 30 Pay back judge and German (6) 31 Formidable setter’s setting (8)

DOWN

1 Understand articles in Greek (6) 2 Antelope found in Kenya lately (5) 3 Unprepossessing guy wanders round lake (4) 4 Authorise crew to meet (7) 6 Remove crystals, using gadget Victor’s thrown out (2-3) 7 Old guy, one in jail, upset one who’s totally self-absorbed (9) 8 Handouts distributed, a large number (8) 11 At first I didn’t entertain any thought (4) 14 Special seaman produces Polaris, for example (4) 15 Both sexes drink fizzy pale ale — it’s revered in Vancouver (5,4) 16 Crew’s servant (3) 17 Greek character turns up in conservatoire (4) 18 Second space vehicle stored energy as well (8) 20 1 in Paris and 9 in Rome operating system (4) 21 Soldiers interrupt mosque leader’s poetic movement (7) 22 Disconnect a French listener bored by piano (6) 24 Nine musicians turned up in part of joint (5) 26 Brown stuff’s what’s needed to start vehicle, I’d say (5) 27 Woman’s love for great man (4)