Across: 1. Yield to force of blow, surrendering leader of 27 (3) 3. Peak body of game rule strangely about leaders of a joint operation (5 6) 9. Suffering when gnats turn, and one gets put in one's place (5) 10,8dn. It's tough to get through this rubbish... can tune ever end? (9 5) 11. One in eight seasons starting in baseball is earning nowhere near income actually lauded! (8) 12. Something of a sleeze, a Lothario, and he's so keen! (6) 14. Battle lost at recess? (7) 16. Tenuous link? His must be strangest! (7) 18. Wrongdoing committed in 30 innings 6 to 8 (3) 19. 2 29 in 30 '19: before finals a song, so natty! (7) 21. Unusual niche: an urban setting (7) 23. "Sunbather" put second last among "those likely to make lots of dough" (6) 24. Not having deserts, why turn out to embrace opening of oasis? (8) 27. Unit hail a new nation (9) 28. Fleeces family with spurious exteriors (5) 30. 31 for lower sides around end of summer in 3 across 8 (5 6) 31. Loud 9 black 29 scandal perhaps (3) Down: 1. Bench player returns... public get on board (3) 2,29. Mensheviks love mystery American apparel (5 3) 3. 7 one follows, 7 mostly one of the 5 (7) 4. Musician and 19 star brought down by 30 31 (3 7) 5. Bolsheviks mostly dress differently (4) 6. Beholding their end, Senate unusually serious (7) 7. Retro enamel 'T' negatively depicted fellow (9) 8. see 10 across 11. Simple openings for inside crime a few baseballers get onto (5) 13. 5 in 30 '19: as they say: two wrongs, natty! (10) 15. Tickets changed with starts of rumours and reports of con (9) 17. Odds so laid may be odious (5) 20. Made a dog run on terra firma (7) 22. For example, I toss around self-serving characters (7) 23. Subordinate with force, finally, in blow (5) 25. If the action be criminal... (5) 26. ...keen on rolling a joint? (4) 29. see 2