Only done one Poins crossword before, so wasn’t sure quite what to expect. In the end it’s a mostly straightforward Sunday Indy. * indicates anagram.
No obvious themes or ninas as we’ve come to expect on most weekdays that I can see, but none the worse for that.
Across
| 1 Have second thoughts when proviso added to contract includes key disadvantages (10) | RECONSIDER | E (key) + CONS (disadvantages) in RIDER (proviso) |
| 7 Bendtner finally gets help in attack (4) | RAID | (Bendtne)R + AID. Is Poins another Gunner? |
| 9 Prospect for gold in this country (8) | PANORAMA | OR (gold) in PANAMA |
| 10 Reserved copies not left on time (6) | MODEST | No L(eft) in MODE(l)S + T(ime) |
| 11 Passage outside Poins’ cell (6) | GAMETE | ME (Poins) in GATE |
| 12 Key for room found next to counter (5,3) | SPACE BAR | SPACE (room) + BAR (counter) |
| 13 Muscle complaint (4) | BEEF | Double definition |
| 15 Nathan almost explodes over Ron’s initial quote for fuel (10) | ANTHRACITE | R(on) in NATHA(n)* + CITE (quote) |
| 17 Ends with leading pair gone after today’s qualifiers (10) | ADJECTIVES | AD (today) + (ob)JECTIVES (ends) |
| 20 Refuse shelter to son (4) | LEES | LEE (shelter) + Son Refuse as rubbish |
| 22 Form of address across Northern Ireland indicating a clergyman (8) | MINISTER | NI in MISTER |
| 24 Go back when soldiers surrender (6) | RECEDE | RE (Royal Engineers) + CEDE (surrender) |
| 26 Important element in a fastener (6) | STAPLE | Double definition |
| 27 Unfriendly claim spelt out after I returned home (8) | INIMICAL | I + IN rev + CLAIM* |
| 28 Frank is unattached (4) | FREE | Double definition |
| 29 Understood when treated badly after prison (10) | PENETRATED | PEN (prison) + TREATED* |
| Down | ||
| 2 Spring issue (7) | EMANATE | Double Definition |
| 3 Ooze out around new radiation screen (5) | OZONE | N in OOZE* |
| 4 Do without a section of replacement component (5,4) | SPARE PART | SPARE (do without) PART (section) |
| 5 Absolutely determined like the Bloomsbury Group perhaps (4,3) | DEAD SET | DEAD absolutely SET determined. Well I suppose they’re all dead. |
| 6 Somewhat humdrum barn dance (5) | RUMBA | Hidden in clue |
| 7 Correct about dead writer (3-6) | RED-PENCIL | RE about + D(ead) + PENCIL writer |
| 8 Isn’t Dicky to answer on books by Swift? (7) | INSTANT | ISNT* + A(nswer) + N(ew) T(estament) (books) |
| 14 Understandable after Bill gets outright ownership (3,6) | FEE SIMPLE | FEE (bill) + SIMPLE (understandable) |
| 16 Nearly all others strive foolishly to become one of those ready when needed (9) | RESERVIST | RES(t) + STRIVE* |
| 18 Split discovered in the German boat (7) | DRIFTER | RIFT(split) in DER(the in German) |
| 19 Dislike cutting Zola’s ending from translation (7) | VERSION | No end to (zol)A in AVERSION |
| 21 Play with spirit after goal (7) | ENDGAME | END (game) GAME (spirit) |
| 23 Oddly this at a higher level supports Einstein’s earliest correlation (3-2) | TIE-UP | Oddly ThIs + E(instein) + UP |
| 25 Displayed in church in Amish country (5) | CHINA | Hidden in clue |