CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1 River not going just around the corner (11)

9 Where chimney may be designed too, for power (7)

10 At sixes and sevens, as nine crazy! (6)

12 Queen, sweet little thing (7)

13 What's responsible for sinking? Something in boat's broken by it (7)

14 Courage never fails (5)

15 Michael perhaps getting caught by car, change lanes (9)

17 Establish a race isn't fixed (9)

20 Placed bottom, fashionable material (5)

22 Primarily lazy, professional student (7)

24 Transport no longer seen in large volume? (7)

25 Corn like this? Scream in pain! (6)

26 Thus restricting doctor, a ban (7)

27 Very latest sword, say? (7-4)

Down

2 Shock finding first of rats in period of darkness (7)

3 Leader - the best on hand? (3,6)

4 Stick cap on coastal swimmer (5)

5 Cosmetic with which mother covers a defect (7)

6 Old woman and man in Chinese port (7)

7 Development of Lebanese port, not old, turned out well (11)

8 Wolf in error? (6)

11 How distant target was hit? That's for sure! (2,1,4,4)

16 Accents grasped by staff in Asian language (9)

18 Church consumed gold in castle (7)

19 Lock phone left with long-distance caller? (7)

20 Some ballast initially, a good defence against flooding (7)

21 Old garment cheers poet (6)

23 Tree line on middle of bank (5)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION

Across: 1 Running board, 9 Mastiff, 10 Cheetah, 11 Leather, 12 In-built, 13 Inter, 14 Armadillo, 16 Gainsayer, 19 Pesto, 21 Adverse, 23 Abstain, 24 Trivial, 25 Imitate, 26 Seventy-eight

Down: 1 Restart, 2 Neither, 3 Infirmary, 4 Gucci, 5 Overbid, 6 Retrial, 7 Smelling salts, 8 The two Ronnies, 15 Margarine, 17 Invoice, 18 Sardine, 19 Posting, 20 Sealant, 22 Eclat

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