No 13297, Monday 12 Jul 2021, Lightning

Solution to 20D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Lightning has struck thrice this month :-)

ACROSS

1   Pasta I’m cooking without recipe and cut beef (8) PASTRAMI {PASTA+IM}* over {R}

5   Release both ends of entertainer’s cloak (6) ESCAPE {En...rS}{CAPE}

9   Obstacle in short journey crossed regularly (8) TRAVERSE {TRAVEl}{cRoSsEd}

10 Bitcoin sister held for demand (6) INSIST [T]

12 Relative’s fine absorbing energy (5) NIECE {NI{E}CE}

13 Sailor with leader returning after opening — it’s a crime (9) ABDUCTION {AB}{DUCT}{NO1<=}

14 Forward movement outside ordinary sitting room (6) LOUNGE {L{O}UNGE}

16 Second client designing tool for drawing (7) STENCIL {S}{CLIENT*}

19 Obese one oddly wasting gluten in exhaustion (7) FATIGUE {FAT}{1}{GlUtEn}

21 Criticise a man cutting short hat (6) PANAMA {PAN}{A}{MAn} 

23 This type of radiation may not be a surfer’s delight (9) SHORTWAVE {SHORT WAVE}

25 Leader withheld approval for increase in salary (5) RAISE pRAISE

26 Strike down including a yearbook (6) ANNUAL {ANNU{A}L}

27 Dance tip sort of formal (8) PEDANTIC*

28 The Spanish indeed form a cricket side (6) ELEVEN {EL}{EVEN}

29 Marked by European in hysterical rush (8) STAMPEDE {STAMPED}{E}

DOWN

1   Powerful warning — not right (6) POTENT POrTENT

2   Doctor gets a cop to frame a fall guy (9) SCAPEGOAT {GETS+A+COP}* over {A}

3   Centre eventually sheltering chief magistrate (5) REEVE [T]

4   Setter joining saint (wise man) gets the point (7) MESSAGE {ME}{S}{SAGE}

6   Star with cover — one that protects against deadly rays (9) SUNSCREEN {SUN}{SCREEN}

7   Defence provided by famous boxer breaking in at the start (5) ALIBI {ALI}{Br...g}{In}

8   Trap fish after net gets destroyed (8) ENTANGLE {ANGLE}<=>{NET*}

11 Probability of dethroning Danish society’s leaders (4) ODDS Acrostic

15 Deny one going back inside to discuss terms (9) NEGOTIATE {NEGATE} over {1}{TO}<=

17 Give small peg for panel (9) COMMITTEE {COMMIT}{TEE}

18 Cricket side on platform at place where audience cannot see (8) OFFSTAGE {OFF}{STAGE}

20 Way engineer is moving up is impressive (4) E?A? (Addendum - ELAN (+e)ELAN(-e) - See comments)

21 Excuse before written material (7) PRETEXT {PRE}{TEXT}

22 Free to nearly sleep at signal (6) RESCUE {RESt}{CUE}

24 Small quantity of fine powder lacking phosphorus (5) OUNCE pOUNCE

25 Genuine mark on kingdom (5) REALM {REAL}{M}

Reference List

Recipe = R, Energy = E, Sailor = AB, Ordinary = O, Second = S, The in Spanish = EL, European = E, Right = R, Saint = S, Engineer = E, Mark = M