In a meeting billed as the top of the table clash as first met second the Bournemouth Buccaneers maintained their unbeaten league form to pull four points clear of their closest rivals Isle of Wight. Both teams were evenly matched on the night and the fortunes ebbed and flowed before Bournemouth's match winner Mark Baseby and busy reserve Jerran Hart combined to secure a 5-1 in the penultimate heat that assured the Dorset side the victory.
Hart was kept busy as he covered for an off-form Andrew Aldridge in one ride and also replaced the luckless Danny Warwick who blew both his motors during the meeting, the second when heading for a likely victory in heat 9. But he was forced to pull up gifting the Islanders a 5-1 in a heat when Aaron Baseby paid a 15metre handicap for a tapes offence. Elder brother Mark was in sparkling form and Jay Herne was headed home just the once, in heat one when the pacey Nick Simmons equalled the track record. Simmons very much had the speed in the early part of the meeting and the manner in which he blitzed by Jerran Hart in heat 6 was astounding. That victory levelled the meeting scores at 18-18 and there was nothing to choose between the two side until that desperate piece of Warwick misfortune in heat 9. Going behind by 4 points the Buccaneers needed to dig deep and an excellent win for Mark Baseby over that man Simmons in heat 10 set the tone and with Newman backing up in third half the deficit was trimmed immediately back. Herne and Adridge squared things up with a 4-2 in het 11 and Hart and Newman gave the visitors an interval lead by 2 points.
After the break Herne took the chequered flag for the third time on the night and whilst Hart was unable to contribute in that heat 13 he was back to winning ways in heat 14 shadowed home by Mark Baseby for that vital 5-1. Baseby featured again in heat 15 finishing third to Herne's win over Simmons to give the Pirates the extra point for an away win greater than 6 points to bolster the cushion at the top between them and the strong-looking Islanders.
Isle of Wight 41
N.Simmons 3,3,2,1',2=11+1
B.Johnson 1,1,3,0=5
T.Brown 3,2,3,2,=10
B.Hopwood Fx,1',2',1=4+2
C.Johnson 2,3,2,2=9
S.Meakins 0,F,0,=0
T.Hill 2,R,0,0,0=2
Bournemouth 49
J.Herne 2,3,3,3,3=14
A.Aldridge 0,1',1=2+1
K.Newman 1',1',1,1=4+2
M.Baseby 2,2,3,2'1=10+1
D.Warwick 3,R,R,=3
A.Baseby 1,0,1,=2
J.Hart 3,1,2,2,3,0,3=14
Referee: Mr M.Posselwhite
Gates:2+4 (Bournemouth lost toss) 2+4
1. Simmons Herne B.Johnson Aldridge 4-2 4-2 (68.1 equal track record)
2. Hart Hill A.Baseby Meakins (fell rem) 2-4 6-6 (71.3)
3.Brown M.Baseby Newman Hopwood (fell disqualified) 3-3 9-9 (70.7)
4.Warwick C.Johnson Hart Hill (rtd) 2-4 11-13 (70.0)
5. Herne Brown Hopwood A.Baseby 3-3 14-16 (69.4)
6. Simmons Hart B.Johnson Warwick (rtd) 4-2 18-18 (69.8)
7. C.Johnson M.Baseby Newman Meakins (fell) 3-3 21-21 (71.1)
8. B.Johnson Hart Aldridge Hill 3-3 24-24 (70.6)
9.Brown Hopwood A.Baseby (tapes 15m hcap) Warwick (rtd) 5-1 29-25 (72.3)
10. M.Baseby Simmons Newman B.Johnson 2-4 31-29 (69.3)
11. Herne C.Johnson Aldridge Meakins 2-4 33-33 (70.8)
12. Hart Brown Newman Hill 2-4 35-37 (70.0)
13. Herne C.Johnson Simmons Hart 3-3 38-40 (69.2)
14. Hart M.Baseby Hopwood Hill 1-5 39-45 (70.1)
15.Herne Simmons Baseby Brown 2-4 41-49 (69.4)