CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 May regain consciousness, up to point, but able to arrive at a critical time (4,2,1,4) 9 Find some of the team at Italian violinmaking family (5) 10 Explains the misunderstanding over a pure drink (6,2) 12 Choose a painter, in short, at a complex (7) 13 Time preliminary race about to finish at some stage (7) 14 Runner coming back with luxury car, went astray (5) 15 Have too many correct marks, at first, for a car engine that moves gently (5,4) 18 Use some ropes, etc, to deal with something that’s highly confidential (3,6) 20 Band finds a place to drink in a barren land (5) 21 Able to live comfortably with popular official dress (7) 24 Can always get to new Premiership team in England (7) 25 Left a broad outlet to act like a dog (8) 26 A snow leopard will carry little weight (5) 27 Back in form, but still not at the to of the tree (6,5)

DOWN

2 Hard to get timed out when something’s excluded (7) 3 Two hands dealt with a musical instrument of a magician (9) 4 It’s quite evident that it’s the wrong time (5) 5 Tackle some new shares being doled out (7) 6 At short notice, turn left on time, like a grown-up (5) 7 Find out details that can guarantee things beyond dought (4,7) 8 At auctions, about to get first prize for a commercial traveller ... (5-3) 11 ... and acted for the second part of 8 down, about to be passed into the long grass (11) 16 Latched onto artist working on a large church building (9) 17 Calling on a little girl to pose, in good order (8) 19 After taking me back to the counter, leave with a ban on trade (7) 20 It’s awkward for an individual to wake up, losing energy ... (7) 22 ... and have to take some energy to pull with great effort (5) 23 I’d been accepted by a little boy, so went with the flow (5)