CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Was connected to a diplomat, to a degree (8) 5 Struggle to produce essay. But it could be a tour de force (6) 9 Use force to urge one onto a set of tracks (8) 10 Produce counterfeit item, at last, but leave it behind (6) 12 Mean to phone about some amazing events (9) 13 Would be uptight, and wound up, on a cliff edge (5) 14 Talk over how to bestow an award (6) 17 Did one’s girl have offspring? (5) 20 Regret putting a day of victory back into a stage show (5) 21 Let one become occupied (6) 24 Ram came back to church on the boundary ... (5) 25 ... and an old lady led a ram into grain stores (9) 28 Tactics used by bookmakers to signal at the track (3-3) 29 Roll up, when left out of a stretch of water on leave of absence (8) 30 Fight back in support of more sisters (6) 31 Check on some expensive-sounding animals at the present time (8)

DOWN

1 Sudden steep climb was unexpected (6) 2 Worked hard, and got to one who set the pace (6) 3 Is inquisitive, leaving us out for a piece of bric-a-brac (5) 4 Get rid of part of an opera set (5) 6 Popular alliance on line is in a very dangerous position (5,4) 7 To arrange a musical instrument is easy, initially (8) 8 Ted had three characters arranged and tied up (8) 11 Did he act as protector for two little boys? (6) 15 Too many principles, we’re told, relating to business costs (9) 16 Scratch around to get food for a long time (6) 18 A 11 down might provide advance, right at the end (8) 19 Goes too far, at some stage, and hams it up (8) 22 Work out how to represent any number (6) 23 To be honest, he ran across a Biblical queen (6) 26 May entertain one with a classical source of inspiration (5) 27 Everyone is involved in comprehensive (3-2)