Financial Times 16,154 / Jason

The scheduled blogger has IT problems and is unable to post so here is a quick analysis of the clues.

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Across
1 We sing in Oregon, America, with chaplain leading (6)
CHORUS – CH (chaplain) OR (Oregon) US (America)

5 Afterthought adult crammed into gift bag (8)
KNAPSACK – PS (afterthought) A (adult) in KNACK (gift)

9 Oddly your bit includes a note of closure? (8)
OBITUARY – an anagram (oddly) of YOUR BIT around A

10 He delivers reserve player, diamond geezer (6)
ICEMAN – ICE (reserce) MAN (player) and ICE (diamond) MAN (geezer)

11 Diversion badly routed (6)
DETOUR – an anagram (badly) of ROUTED

12 Hero’s lover is behind old shrub (8)
OLEANDER – O (old) LEANDER (Hero’s lover)

14 Contagious disease where runner has spike (8,4)
ATHLETES FOOT – def. & cryptic indicator

18 Mysterious senior cop relaxed (12)
SUPERNATURAL – SUPER (senior cop) NATURAL (relaxed)

22 Paper launched to cover partnership in union (8)
CONFETTI – cryptic def.

25 Quietly turn to support (6)
PREFER – P (quietly) REFER (turn)

26 Left with this shady deal would show you a tiro (6)
EARNER – if you add L (left) at the front you get a word meaning ‘a tiro’

27 I must leave housemaid adjusting for bedlam (8)
MADHOUSE – an anagram (adjusting) of HOUSEMA[i]D

28 Pike, say, going about always in a tizz (8)
FEVERISH – FISH (pike, say) around EVER (always)

29 First to sense a whiff of change in Thailand (6)
SATANG – S[ense] (first to sense) A TANG (a whiff of) – 1/100 of a baht

Down
2 He’ll settle on concoction for tongue? (6)
HEBREW – HE BREW (concoction) – it is a pity that ‘brew’ appears in the next clue

3 Budget brew’s purpose (9)
RATIONALE – RATION (budget) ALE (brew)

4 A problem for barefoot dabblers? Each run is spoiled (3,6)
SEA URCHIN – an anagram (spoiled) of EACH RUN IS

5 Door’s opening — important means of escape (7)
KEYHOLE – KEY (important) HOLE (means of escape)

6 The best team’s comment to the audience (5)
ASIDE – A SIDE (the best team)

7 Demanding back partner of St Eric, one might think (5)
STERN – two defs and ST ERN (partner of St Eric, one might think) – a reference to Morecambe & Wise

8 Cape Horn scattered escort (8)
CHAPERON – an anagram (scattered) of CAPE HORN

13 Girl dropping her first mug (3)
ASS – [l]ASS (girl dropping her first)

15 Needing a change I used ripe old dramatist (9)
EURIPIDES – an anagram (needing a change) of I USED RIPE

16 I left crumpled clobber clear (6,3)
FILTER OUT – an anagram (crumpled) of I LEFT followed by ROUT (clobber)

17 Motor with free facility for forgetful authors? (8)
AUTOSAVE – AUTO (motor) SAVE (free)

19 Georgina holds back deer (3)
ROE – hidden reversal in ‘gEORgina’

20 One seen in top on hot motorbike (7)
TRIUMPH – I (one) in TRUMP (top) H (hot)

21 Lecture given in the services (6)
LESSON – def. & cryptic indicator {church services}

23 Guard / who deals in hot stuff (5)
FENCE – double def., the first referring to a guard on a machine

24 Sailor is flipping bones (5)
TARSI – TAR (sailor) IS reversed