Premier League: Somerset Sharp Rebels 48, Birmingham Brummies 45
THE Rebels began their Premier League campaign on Friday night with a narrow victory over the team who had ended King's Lynn's 98-match unbeaten home record recently.
Birmingham were sure to be a threat, although they had Kyle Legault, Phil Morris and Jack Birkenshaw missing through injuries, so there was the prospect of a home win.
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After three heats, the Rebels had powered in three maximums to give themselves a useful, 12-point cushion. A cricket score looked likely at that stage.
The fightback came in heat four, when Adam Roynon flew round the first two bends, overtaking both Jordan Frampton and Brent Werner. Werner was also to lose third spot when Jack Roberts came roaring past.
Roberts, guesting for Birmingham at reserve, had a successful night, with paid nine points. He rides for Buxton in the Conference League and will be in great demand by Premier teams if his performance in this meeting was anything to go by.
Emil Kramer and Stephan Katt - the latter, like Frampton, now in the main body of the team following the revised averages - rattled in another 5-1 in heat five and Somerset were 14 points in front.
The biggest cheer of the night came in the eighth race when Henning Loof gained his first victory for the Rebels in his seventh outing for them. His paid six score was also his highest return for them.
Another heat advantage for Somerset in heat nine saw them clear by 18 points and there looked to be no way back for the Brummies.
However, Roynon went out for a tactical ride in heat 11 and duly took the six points available by winning. Frampton was holding second place until machinery gremlins set in, letting ex-Rebels' reserve Lee Smart through for a massive, 8-1 Birmingham heat advantage. Smart had been last in his previous three rides.
There was a cracking race in heat 12, when Jason Lyons just held on to win from Kramer. Hargreaves got the better of Werner for third place and another Birmingham heat advantage.
Werner still looks a shadow of his old self and even the reserve position, where the new averages have put him, didn't seem to help.
Heat 13 brought a maximum for Birmingham, when Roynon and Lyons took full control from Jason Doyle and Frampton.
With just five points between the teams, the next race was important and a blanket could have covered the four riders. Simon Walker, now at reserve, and Katt led, but Hargreaves and Roberts split the home pairing for a 3-3, as Walker won it. It had been the race of the night and Birmingham now needed a 5-0 to square the match.
Lyons won the nominated race from the ever-battling Kramer, with Roynon ahead of Doyle. The final margin of victory was three points and Somerset had just managed to hold on the face of Birmingham's late onslaught.
Scores: Somerset 48 (J Doyle 5r 10, H Loof 4r 5+1, E Kramer 5r 13, S Katt 4r 5+2, J Frampton 4r 4, S Walker 4r 8+1, B Werner 4r 3+1), Birmignham 45 (K Legault r/r, L Smart 4r 2+1, J Lyons 6r 14+1, J Holder (guest) 3r 1, A Roynon 6r 17, J Hargreaves 5r 5, J Roberts (guest) 6r 6+3).
The second half of the meeting saw Birmingham Bulls beat Somerset Giants 22-14. This was a good junior meeting, in which Jack Roberts was again the star.
On Friday (7.30pm), Newcastle Diamonds visit the Oak Tree Arena in the first leg of their Knockout Cup tie against the Rebels. The return is at Newcastle next Sunday (5.30pm).
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