The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC August competition voters’ comments
 
Clue no. 26: Nurse starts to treat man's fractured bone (7)

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A clue to STERNUM.
8 comments refer to this clue (from 7 competitors, 0 others)
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Here is the text

Comments on the clue
1.Cryptic reading works grammatically with starting instead of starts
2.3 pts. I originally had a clue virtually identical to this; I regret not submitting it now!
3.Good fluent surface
4.I liked this clue – the sense is good and to the point, and it’s just a little step trickier than some of the other anagram clues.
5.Well-structured anagram with convincing surface story.
6.Good surface; tight riddling.
7.NURSE, T, M is or are fractured? 3 points anyway, a neat clue.
 
Comments on the competition
1.
Not easy to clue given the limited number of suitable synonyms (which for me does not include 'breast'). Some labyrinthine word play in long clues which did not appeal to me, nor seem to be standard cryptic format. Credible surface stories were not that easy to find among valiant attempts to spice up the anagram fodder or disguise the definition. For me the oustanding clues were 24 26 and 46 which in their different ways ticked all the boxes needed for an excellent clue with {24} just shading it.