Coventry claimed their first league points since their promotion to the top flight having previously lost four on the bounce in the league. Back-to-back wins in-fact for Jon Hardy’s side who followed up an eight point home victory over Wentworth with a 43-47 success at newly crowned Pairs Champions, Runcorn. Paul Hope was certainly suffering a hangover from his trophy victory, a season low 6+1 from five rides, with the Brickhill hero suffering non-finishes in both heats ten and 11 as the hosts slipped eight adrift of the Bohemians. Runcorn bounced back to level things with 5-1’s in successive races, but were undone by a 5-1 from Coventry in the last, Brandon Elijah (12+1) and Marcus Fireman (12+1) taking maximum points to clinch their side’s surprise victory. Dudley too picked up their first league points of the campaign, beating then leaders Linlithgow 54-36 at home, the Lions going without second string Mads Dahlby and teenage Swede’ Ola Renberg for that, a decision which means they retain their GSA’s of 6.19 and 3.09 for the next six weeks, having reached the first change with league averages of 8.00 and 4.21 respectively. Leeds take over from the Scot’s at the top of the pile courtesy of a 40-50 victory at Brickhill, that despite the Jaguars dropping Neil Burns—who’d been averaging 8.19—from their line-up. His replacement Joseph Mitchell scored five at reserve, which included three for a heat two victory in a 5-1 in his first ever league race for the Jaguars, Liam Carter also impressed at second string, scoring a season best 11+1.

Cradley Heath are back in the hunt for a Division One Cup semi-final place after taking a 42-48 win at Coventry. The Cobras—runners-up in each of the last two seasons—lost their home opener in the campaign to Runcorn, but a last heat 5-1 won by Owen Mitchell (14) at the Bohemians earned them the points which keeps their hopes of a fifth successive last four place alive.

A sixth career WSO meeting win for Daniel Lake (12)—but a first in six years—secured in the British semi-final at Coventry. Four wins out of five for the Leeds man, who topped the standings by a point from Owen Mitchell (2nd) and Wayne Porter (3rd). World number 14 Nathan Kay (9) qualified for the final from fourth, while two further SL32 GP participants Aaron Macaulay (12) and Morgan Bird safely made it through from the second of the semi-finals in Kelso. No such luck for world number 16 David Duckworth, who missed the cut after finishing last in heat 19 of the tie which was won by another Jaguars rider, Joshua Cartwright (14).

A fourth straight victory for Magnar Sobczak (15 from six) earned Calderwood an away win at Beverley. The 43-46 success takes the Cougars above their defeated hosts and out of the division two relegation zone. Also dropping into the bottom three are Greenhill, who lost at home to leaders Eastbourne, 43-47, the Seagulls closest challengers now Coalville, who climb from ninth to second with the help of a 42-48 win at Earley.