RESULT: POOLE v KING'S LYNN

It wasn't just the cloud cover that stopped the stars from shining but the powerhouse performance of the ReadyPower Pirates as the Dorset side charged into second place in the Elite league table.

Although the visitors fell well short in the luck department, with German Kai Huckenbeck prohibited from taking his place in the Stars side despite being to hand at the stadium - his Federation having temporarily withdrawn his start permission, the Pirates showed no mercy for their visitors' plight and rattled off five maximum heat advantages in the first 8 heats.
One of those came when the Stars were attempting to haul themselves back in contention under the tactical rider rule, but a determined ride by young Brady Kurtz to get by and hold off the black and white helmeted Troy Batchelor and join fast-away Krzysztof Buczkowski, just about summed up the Stars' night.

The Pirates onlsaught with four straight five one advantages to close out the meeting came thick and fast, almost as fast as young Kurtz was showing on track as he hunted out the wide line and delivered a performance to impress his extended family and even number one Pirate Chris Holder, who, despite going unbeaten still missed out on the Darcy Ward selected Rider of the Night Award. Holder said "Brady was hot tonight and that will have done himself the world of good in terms of confidence, he reckons he hasn't been riding that well and he might be being a little hard on himself to be honest but you couldn’t fault that performance of his. It doesn’t bother me that I didn't get the vote tonight, it doesn’t matter when you are riding in a team that is all going well."
As a team performance it was indeed awesome. Bjarne Pedersen continued his massive haul of points from the reserve berth, going unbeaten in his four starts. Kyle Newman dropped just one point and Adam Ellis was unbeaten from his first three rides before running a fourth place (only the second of the night for the Poole side) in heat 11.
Captain Hans Andersen likened it to "a cricket score" before adding "imagine what it would have been had I got my act together" as he still looks to rediscover his early season form. But all the while his team-mates are delivering the scores as they did in this meeting then he can take his time with that rediscovery.
The corresponding fixture is staged tomorrow night when the Stars will again be without their number one Niels-Kristian Iversen whilst the Pirates have declared a full-strength outfit.

POOLE 65
C. Holder 2',3,3,3,3=14+1
A. Ellis 3,3,2',0=8+1
K. Buczkowski 0,3,2,2'=7+1
B. Kurtz 1',2',3,3,2'=11+3
H. Andersen 2,1,1',2'=6+2
B. Pedersen 2',2',3,2'=9+3
K. Newman 3,2,2',3=10+1
King's Lynn 25
C. Harris 1,0,3,1=5
R. Replacement =0
R. Lambert 3,0,1',1,0=5+1
R. Schlein 3,2,Mx,0,1=6
T. Batchelor 1,1,2,0=4
B. Morley 0=2
L. Rose 1,0,1,1,0,0=3

Ht 1 A. Ellis C. Holder C. Harris B. Morley 5-1 (5-1) (61.34)
Ht 2 K. Newman B. Pedersen L. Rose B. Morley (2min 15m hcap) 5-1 (10-2) (62.21)
Ht 3 R. Lambert H. Andersen T. Batchelor K. Buczkowski 2-4 (12-6) (61.75)
Ht 4 R. Schlein K. Newman B. Kurtz L. Rose 3-3 (15-9) (61.16)
Ht 5 A. Ellis B. Pedersen L. Rose B. Morley 5-1 (20-10) (61.59)
Ht 6 K. Buczkowski B. Kurtz T. Batchelor (TR) C. Harris 5-1 (25-11) (61)
Ht 7 C. Holder R. Schlein H. Andersen R. Lambert 4-2 (29-13) (61.33)
Ht 8 B. Kurtz K. Newman L. Rose B. Morley 5-1 (34-14) (61.31)
Ht 9 B. Pedersen A. Ellis B. Morley R. Schlein (2min disqualified) 5-1 (39-15) (61.78)
Ht 10 C. Harris K. Buczkowski H. Andersen L. Rose 3-3 (42-18) (60.97)
Ht 11 C. Holder T. Batchelor R. Lambert A. Ellis 3-3 (45-21) (60.41)
Ht 12 K. Newman B. Pedersen B. Morley L. Rose 5-1 (50-22) (62.41)
Ht 13 C. Holder H. Andersen C. Harris T. Batchelor 5-1 (55-23) (60.63)
Ht 14 B. Kurtz K. Buczkowski R. Lambert R. Schlein 5-1 (60-24) (61.35)
Ht 15 C. Holder B. Kurtz R. Schlein R. Lambert 5-1 (65-25) ()

Referee Dave Robinson
Gates: King's Lynn win toss and take 1&3, Poole took 1&3 in heat 15
POOLE 3 league points King's Lynn 0 league points

.Thursday teams (from)
King's Lynn: Troy Batchelor, Kai Huckenbeck (to be confirmed), Robert Lambert, Ben Morley (guest), Rory Schlein (capt), Nikolaj Busk-Jakobsen, Lewis Rose - Team manager Rob Lyon
Poole: Hans Andersen (capt), Krzysztof Buckowski, Adam Ellis, Chris Holder, Brady Kurtz, Kyle Newman, Bjarne Pedersen - Team manager Neil Middleditch