No 14229, Wednesday 17 Jul 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 23D 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   Focuses to cover stretch by measures (11) CENTIMETRES {CEN{TIME}TRES}

9   Share, distribute to fill empty pages with words, perhaps (7) PHRASES {Pag{SHARE*}eS}

10 Most secretive company hides loss, showing assets essentially and collects sales tax (7) CLOSEST {C{L}O}{asSEts}{ST} L/Loss?

11 Unlike parent, there's no money... (5) OTHER mOTHER

12 ...obviously lived yet somehow borrowing money essentially (9) EVIDENTLY {LIVED+YET}* over {moNey}

13 Age to split burden by 66% (5) RIPEN {RIP}{burdEN}

15 Shivering girl bent awkwardly to wrap Mackintosh primarily (9) TREMBLING {GIRL+BENT} over {Ma...h}

18 Orders to dispatch nearly ten screws at regular intervals (9) SENTENCES {SENd}{TEN}{sCrEwS}

21 Speed is useless, wicket is hard (5) HASTE (-w+h)HASTE

22 Mislead reserves in encounter heartlessly leading to case, perhaps (9) CONTAINER {CON}{TA}{IN}{En...eR}

24 Call 6 sons at Italy on time (5) VISIT {VI}{S}{I}{T}

26 Judge's note on release after collecting fine at the end (7) REFEREE {RE}{F{finE}REE}

27 Suggest getting a professional to model (7) PROPOSE {PRO}{POSE}

28 Protective glasses in car to stop and guard passengers eventually (11) WINDSCREENS {WIND}{SCREEN}{p...rS}

DOWN

1   Absurd cop breaks lockers (9) CUPBOARDS*

2   Direction mentioned in gate to leading hospital (5) NORTH {NOR}{To}{H}

3   Security for nurse can increase first in a riot (9) INSURANCE {NURSE+CAN+In...e}*

4   Direction to hold spades that is most comfortable (7) EASIEST {EA{S}{IE}ST}

5   Collect rupees for dinar from cheat (7) RECEIVE (-d+r)RECEIVE

6   Stood out and displayed reportedly (5) SHONE (~shown)

7  Guards' attempts to chase Senora given up halfway (8) SENTRIES {TRIES}<=>{SENora}

8   Delay support (4) STAY [DD]

14 A small tool to write on notebook finally shaped fine (8) PENKNIFE {PEN}{f...oK}{FINE*}

16 Boy! I have managed to get our response (9) BEHAVIOUR {B+I+HAVE}*{OUR}

17 Renown of Greek lunch, one without starter's shocking, sham basically (9) GREATNESS {GR}{EAT}{oNE}{Sh...g}{Sham}

19 Duke is gutted after cheat took million naira by force (7) CONDEMN {DukE}<=>{CON} and {M}{N}

20 Bands expose English singer missing in Germany (7) STRIPES {STRIP}{E}{Singer}

22 Auditor has money to procure vehicles (4) CARS {CA}{RS}

23 Flight at Heathrow fell off after an error in the tail (5) A?R?W (Addendum - ARROW {heatROW}<=>{A}{e..oR} - See comments)

25 Case at Supreme Court on gold heist on 2nd (5) SCORE {SC}{OR}{hEist}

Reference List

Money = M, Wicket = W, Hard = H, Reserves = TA(Territorial Army), Sons = S, Italy = I, Time = T, Note = RE, Gate = NOR, Hospital = H, Spades = S, Rupees = R, Dinar = D, Boy = B, Greek = GR, Million = M, Naira = N, English = E, Gold = OR, Fell = HEATH