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Cheers chrisE, that's interesting.

17a. Takes cover from explosive device in high sun
UNCAPS

15a. Matter involving legal system involved network
PLEXUS

6d. Current teammates bigger and fitter
INSTALLER

12d. Twelve holding calculators when periodic payments due?
MIDSUMMER'S DAY

Parses for the above please.

15 Lex, legal system,goes inside Pus, matter (yukky matter!)
6 I, currenct, (favourite in crosswords) NS - North and South, teammates in bridge ( a guess) and Taller, bigger. Installer, fitter.

12. Midday = twelve,wth Summers, calculators, people who're adding up, inside. I take it that 'periodic payments' used to be due on Midsummer's Day.

Thanks Malone - these crossword setters love their Bridge! Seen them make bridge references before with NSEW.

17a is CAP in an anagram (high) of SUN. A (percussion) cap is something you put in a toy gun to make a bang when you fire it. I used to use them when I was a kid playing Cowboys and Indians.

Thanks Quisling.
I remember caps - used to come in a small red rolled-up strip of paper... when i got bored with putting them in a toy gun, I used to hit them with a hammer or ignite them by flicking my fingernail against them, to make them go BANG.

Haha yes. I don’t think you’re allowed to play Cowboys and Indians any more. So let’s call it Cops and Robbers

23a. Outlaw can, if put on spot
LITTLE JOHN

26d. The girl in row five standing up?
ENID

20d. The Times abandoning superior booze
BEER

Parses for the above please.

26d is a reversal (down clue) of din, noise, row E (fifth in series, alphabet)

20d is better, superior, dropping the middle two Ts (times)

23a Little John was an outlaw, and can and John are both slang for lavatory. Presumably little means spot as in a little amount, eg spot of lunch, rain