No 12542, Wednesday 06 Feb 2019, Spinner

ACROSS
1   Surpassing doyen’s playing after backing at first (6) BEYOND {Ba...g}{DOYEN}*
4   Incomplete clue hasn’t constructed word for ‘projects’? (8) LAUNCHES {CLUE+HASNt}*
10 Interim turns into final destination, many times! (7) TERMINI*
11 Good man’s ready to get state’s foremost recognition (7) STRIPES {ST}{RIPE}{St..e}
12 Letters from fans were duly acknowledged (8) ANSWERED [T] Semi&lit
13 First-rate group singing in service cut short by church (6) CHOICE {CHOIr}{CE}
15 Starting late? Communicate with one and all! (4) EACH rEACH
17 Asking the waiter for a tower beer is perhaps one difficult task (4,5) TALL ORDER [DD]
20 Pulled out from prison after prison by heads of elected democracy (9) CANCELLED {CAN}{CELL}{El...d}{De...y}
21 Basically, snow enters into American works (4) USES {U{Snow}{En...s}S}
24 Softly chars on the outside with piercing tools (6) SPEARS {S{P}EARS}
25 Cheekily, her clue describes onset of fornication as ‘uplifting’ (8) CHEERFUL {HER+CLUE}* over {Fo...n}
28 Admire one, sleep with one after a bit of lust (7) IDOLIZE {1}{DO{Lust}{1}ZE}
29 Traitor smuggling chopped-up tree in sanctuary (7) RETREAT {R{TREE*}AT}
30 United by nothing, leaders of nation exist individually (3,2,3) ONE BY ONE {O}{Na...n}{Ex..t} {BY} {O}{Na...n}{Ex..t} (Correction - {ONE} {BY} {O}{Na...n}{Ex..t} -  See comments)
31 Asked for fancy drape around youngster’s top (6) PRAYED {PRA{Yo...r}ED*}

DOWN
1   Venture’s made ready, revealed! (8) BETRAYED {BET}{READY}*
2   Nine of them could make a sari, or everything possible, perhaps! (5) YARDS [CD]
3   Arrested and, in short, troubled? (6) NAILED {iN}{AILED} {Correction - {'N}{AILED} - See comments)
5   Too caught up in portal’s operation (4) ALSO [T]
6   No more dropping a player from further up the country? (8) NORTHERN {NO}{RaTHER}{N}
7   Program goes through, she’s in extraordinarily high spirits! (9) HAPPINESS {APP} in {SHES+IN}*
8   My set’s disturbed order? (6) SYSTEM*
9   With a bit of translation, I’ll relay broadcast word for word (9) LITERALLY {Tr...n+ILL+RELAY}*
14 Dancing heels were in another place (9) ELSEWHERE*
16 Keep an eye on opening section of book dropping hint at the end (9) CHAPERONE {CHAPtER ONE}
18 Shortage nearly distresses town (8) SCARCITY {SCARes}{CITY} (Correction - {SCARs}{CITY} - See comments)
19 Setter’s very happy to leave drug alone (8) ISOLATED {I SO eLATED}
22 I smoke uncontrollably, being one from a really cold place! (6) ESKIMO*
23 Superior alcohol wins over one refraining from it (6) BETTER {BE{TT}ER}
26 Bold knight steering clear of resplendent garb (5) FIERY FInERY
27 One in lair is principal (4) DEAN {DE{A}N}

GRID