No 13914, Tuesday 11 Jul 2023, Lightning

Solution to 18D 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Disregards note by German, chooses to go outside (8) NEGLECTS {N}{E{G}LECTS}

5   On the way back, briefly glance at emergency room warden (6) KEEPER {PEEK<=}{ER}

9   One that may cut off boundaries, throw and hit more regularly (5,3) THIRD MAN {AND+HIT+MoRe}*

10 Carve statue primarily with faith overwhelming power (6) SCULPT {St...e}{CUL{P}T}

12 Blanket insurance (5) COVER [DD]

13 Lumber one chopped in Australian city (9) MELBOURNE*

14 Cause a hospital department to suffer? (6) ENTAIL {ENT}{AIL}

16 First class team after a loss (setback) in free fall (7) PLUMMET {PLUM}{TEaM<=}

19 One that cleans small scarf for mourning (7) SWEEPER {S}{WEEPER}

21 Files daughter scattered in meadows (6) FIELDS {FILES+D}*

23 Badges not working at this cricket ground (9) EDGBASTON*

25 Measure protects ordinary use (5) POINT {P{O}INT}

26 Boldly display special stroke (6) SPLASH {SP}{LASH}

27 Oval ski resort area in country (8) SLOVAKIA {OVAL+SKI}*{A}

28 Troy also sheltered princes, perhaps (6) ROYALS [T]

29 A place to enter without appeal gets editor stirred up (8) AGITATED {A}{G{IT}AT}{ED}

DOWN

1   Look, it's good to get back inside (6) NOTICE {N{TO<=}ICE}

2   Complaint about care given (9) GRIEVANCE*

3   Tree of long standing (5) ELDER [DD]

4   Shackle on vehicle melted partly (7) TRAMMEL {TRAM}{MELted}

6   Make certain chlorine, oxygen held within fenced area (9) ENCLOSURE {EN{CL}{O}SURE}

7   Such a bear may be in the north or south (5) POLAR [DD]

8   Goes back with rodents circling crooked tree (8) RETREATS {R{TREE*}ATS}

11 Primarily small lapse in preparation? (4) SLIP Acrostic &lit

15 Shock about short spike in pricing (9) APPRAISAL {APP{RAISe}AL}

17 One who may stop halfway between stumps? (3,6) MID WICKET {MID}{WICKET} 

18 Animals sorted in half by one that evaluates (8) ?S?E?S?R (Addendum - ASSESSOR {ASSES}{SORted} - See comments))

20 Price of unopened container (4) RATE cRATE

21 Excellent support for position (4,3) FINE LEG {FINE}{LEG}

22 Be upright around royal thoroughfare in London (6) STRAND {ST{R}AND}

24 Cheat head Yankee at small channel (5) GULLY {GULL}{Ya...e}

25 Turn to very important person from the south (5) PIVOT {TO}{VIP}<=

Reference List

Note = N, German = G, Power = P, Small = S, Daughter = D, Ordinary = O, Special = SP, Area = A, Appeal = IT, Royal = R