(SPEEDWAY 1)
GREAT Britain clinched the speedway Ashes Test series 2-0 thanks to a 49-41 victory over Australia at Lakeside.Reserve Ben Barker enjoyed a terrific night with 13 (paid 14) with Edward Kennett contributing 10 (paid 11) and points coming from all down the order in a solid GB display.Australia were well-served by Rory Schlein, Davey watt and Chris Holder but suffered a major blow when home star Adam Shields crashed out of the meeting in his first race.Barker said: “I’m really pleased and I really enjoyed it, everything felt good and I’m delighted with the result for the team. It was a big night.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
EDWARD Kennett has stressed his ambition remains to compete at the sport’s highest level – as he bids for British Championship success on Monday.Twice runner-up Kennett believes he can go one step further at Wolverhampton and also take the Wild Card position for the British Grand Prix at Cardiff.Kennett said: “I have been up there the last three years and I would love to get the Wild Card again. I won the Under-21 Championship twice and being British Champion would be fantastic, it would be nice to add the senior one.“My ambition is still to get in the GPs. It seems that I’m running out of time, it’s flying away and the next couple of years are very important. There are people who don’t think I’m ambitious, but I am.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
GLASGOW’S fourth away win of the Premier League season was overshadowed by a season-ending Heat 15 crash for rising Australian star Josh Grajczonek.The Tigers took a 45-39 victory at Plymouth with the meeting curtailed before the re-run of the last race after Grajczonek was taken to hospital with a broken thigh.Glasgow manager Stewart Dickson said: “This sport can be really cruel at times and this is something that Josh simply did not deserve. He was having the season of his life and to see him in the obvious pain he was is so cruel for the lad. “He is young and strong and very determined and he will come back in the fullness of time, but that will be small consolation for him. All our thoughts are with him at this time and we will await the medical bulletins over the next few days.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
SCUNTHORPE and Ipswich will replay their Premier League Knockout Cup tie after the Scorpions forced a dramatic aggregate draw.The Witches took a 20-point lead to the Eddie Wright Raceway – but the home side, who only led 25-23 after Heat 8, clawed back eighteen points in the last seven heats ending with a 5-1 from David Howe and Tero Aarnio to level the scores overall.Scorpions boss Richard Hollingsworth said: “It was a fantastic achievement by the whole team and hopefully next time we won’t leave so much to do in the second leg. “That was the first time we’d won by twenty points this season so it’s not something you can do easily. If we could halve that next time I’d be much happier. Anyhow we did it and it was great to see the fans so happy at the end.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
WORKINGTON skipper Tomas Topinka was ruled out of Friday night’s clash at Edinburgh after a bizarre collision with a mechanic on the parade lap.Despite being without Topinka and Peter Kildemand, who was competing in the Danish Championship, the Comets only just missed out on a point, going down 48-41.Workington boss Tony Jackson said: “It was a great effort from the five remaining riders to push the Monarchs all the way, we even led the meeting after heat 9, but in the end we just ran out of steam.”Edinburgh promoter John Campbell said: “We made hard work of it and the Comets were unlucky, but we were strong when we needed to be over the last few races.”
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY JUNE 4:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v King’s Lynn 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Leicester v Plymouth 7.30, Newport v Glasgow 7pm, Rye House v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Somerset 7pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Stoke v Buxton 7.30
SUNDAY JUNE 5:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Redcar 4pm, Newcastle v Somerset 6.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Dudley 3pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Mildenhall v Hackney 4.30
MONDAY JUNE 6:
BRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton 7.30
