No 13915, Wednesday 12 Jul 2023, KrisKross

Solution to 26D 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   Fail, chasing record in Open (8) DISCLOSE {LOSE}<=>{DISC}

5   Fit plug right (6) ADJUST {AD}{JUST}

9   Increasing lead after team lost wicket (8) CRESCENT {SCENT}<=>{CREw}

10 Common danger at sea (6) GARDEN*

12 Choirmaster: "I'm missing fantastic group of musicians" (9) ORCHESTRA CHOiRmASTER*

13 Mount Rainier's top covered by water (5) HORSE {HO{Ra...r}SE}

14 Part of Asia - modern-day Thailand (4) SIAM [T]

16 Leaders from Kenya, America and Korea made an entertainment system (7) KARAOKE{Ke..a+Am...a+KOREA}*

19 A crook in US city causes a state of confusion (7) ANARCHY {A}{N{ARCH}Y}

21 Shy person hides promotion (4) HYPE [T]

24 Getting on a horse, going around with it (5) AGING {A}{G{IN}G}

25 Spooner says "Dark fish is very quick" (9) LIGHTNING (~ night ling to lightning)

27 Start courting regularly at home (6) ORIGIN {cOuRtInG}{IN}

28 Obstacles overwhelm daughter - also personal setbacks (3-5) LET-DOWNS {LET{D}{OWN}S}

29 Money in royal carriage leaving hotel (6) RANSOM {R}{hANSOM}

30 Parents not tense about accepting very public roles (8) PERSONAS {PARENtS}* over {SO}

DOWN

1   Surgeon about to enter operating theatre, surrounded by staff on rotation (6) DOCTOR {D{O{C}T}OR<=}

2   Picture of small boat (6) SKETCH {S}{KETCH}

3   Endless good fortune - again getting wealth (5) LUCRE {LUCk}{RE}

4   Engineer can get time to crack problem in private room (7) SANCTUM {S{CAN*}{T}UM}

6   Possible threat in elevated apartment - it is not safe (9) DEATHTRAP {D{THREAT*}AP<=}

7   A weak person, unfortunately grounded (8) UNDERDOG*

8   Can Kelvin make a mistake inhaling drug? He likes to experiment (8) TINKERER {TIN}{K}{ER{E}R}

11 Heads of department argue: "Restricting knowledge is not fair" (4) DARK Acrostic Semi&lit

15 Noticing criminal stealing ring in disguise (9) INCOGNITO {NOTICING}* over {O}

17 Poet's first mail, describing a lover (8) PARAMOUR {Po..s}{AR{A}MOUR}

18 European is a retired teacher - one breaking slate (8) PARISIAN {A}{SIR<=}{1} in {PAN}

20 Retro song on English university (4) YALE {LAY<=}{E}

21 Cleanliness of superior fabric, say (7) HYGIENE (~high gene)

22 Expert poet, lacking oxygen and weak (6) VIDWAN {oVID}{WAN}

23 Gets racing in empty expressways and passes (6) EGESTS {GETS}* in {Ex...yS}

26 KrisKross had to go through rising stock trends (5) T?D?S (Addendum - TIDES {T{I'D}ES<=} - See comments)

Reference List

Plug = AD, Wicket = W, Horse = GG, With it = IN, At home = IN, Daughter = D, Royal = R, Hotel = H, Tense = T, About = C, Operating Theatre = OT, Small = S, Again = RE, Time = T, Kelvin = K, Drug = E, Slate = PAN, English = E