Silicone squad gear up to tackle BSB

REIGNING Isle of Man Senior Ttwinning squad Silicone Engineering Racing is gearing up for a return to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this season.

The team, which is based near Kendal in Cumbria, is widely regarded as one of the top road racing squads in the world thanks to its impressive run of results with rider Dean Harrison.

The team has risen to prominence over the last few years as multiple race winners at all the leading road race events with the ever-quick Harrison now one of the top two riders in the world.

While he may have missed out on the current Isle of Man TT lap record – which belongs to Peter Hickman after his incredible 135.452mph lap in 2018 – Harrison remains the last winner of the blue riband

Senior TT in 2019.

The international road races have always been the focus of Harrison and Silicone Engineering Racing but the team has spent the last few years contesting most rounds of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as extra track time and a chance for Harrison to hone his skills among the UK’S fastest short circuit riders.

Last year, it had planned a full season alongside its TT and other roads plans, but in the end it was all put on ice as the Covid crisis put paid to most of the year.

Following the TT cancellation and the shortening of the BSB calendar from 12 rounds to six, the team decided to withdraw for the season and instead focus on a 2021 return.

And despite the early cancellation of this year’s TT, team manager Jonny Bagnall was determined to get the squad back together as soon as possible to tackle BSB when it starts at the end of May.

Once again, it will field Harrison on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR in the series and plans are afoot to tackle a few road races if any happen this year.

“There are a few things we are looking at but returning to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship was always top of our list,” explained Jonny Bagnall. “We are pleased to be back on the grid for the 2021 season with Dean. The BSB Championship has played a huge role in our past success. The benefits of competing regularly with other riders of such a high calibre has proved an even more invaluable tool for developing the team, rider, and bike.

“Despite the 2021 IOM TT already being cancelled, the team is committed and looking forward to competing in the 2021 BSB championship on Kawasaki’s ZX-10RR and look forward to developing further still, with the help of our partners and sponsors.”

The 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship is due to kick-off at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the weekend May 29-31.

ZAK Crawley has declared himself fit for England’s third Test with India and ready to show his improvement after a big learning curve in Sri Lanka.

The Kent batsman scored only 35 runs across four innings in Galle and a “freak injury” saw him ruled out of the first two matches of this series.

Crawley slipped on a marble floor and sprained his right wrist ahead of a training session, but is available and could be used as an opener or line up in his preferred number three position on Wednesday.

“It is all about proving my fitness to the coaches but it feels a lot better and I am back batting now in the nets and doing stuff out in the field, so it is looking positive,” the 23-yearold said ahead of the day-night fixture.

“I was one of the first players to go out on to the field, with my spikes on, and basically my feet went out from underneath me.

“To protect my head I stuck my hand out and it was one of those freak incidents where my arm took all the weight. It was a real shame to do that and miss some Test cricket.”

While Crawley took a tumble on an uncovered surface, he confirmed a similar area near the India dressing carpet.

He is expected to play in Ahmedabad but where is up for debate with opener Rory Burns and Dan Lawrence, who was used at three, both under threat.

Crawley added: “I’ve batted in the top four for England so any of those positions and any chance to play again I will do whatever role is required. If I had a preference, it would probably be three but I have no problems at all with opening.”

It was during the two-match series with Sri Lanka in January that the right-hander was asked to bat at the top and he struggled against Lasith Embuldeniya.

Faced with the prospect of playing spin first up, Crawley was out in all four innings to the slow left-armer with a top score of 13 and could take on a similar challenge next week in the shape of Axar Patel, who claimed seven wickets on debut in the second Test.

But Crawley insisted: “I still back my game against spin, but it was a great learning curve for me that if I am a bit sharper and work on a few different things and do things that the best do, then there is room for improvement there.

“I am not going

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few dismissals change the way I play. I got a couple of good balls (in Sri Lanka), I mis executed (sic) one shot so for me there is no problem there.

“I will continue playing the way I play. He is a top quality bowler, Axar Patel, so obviously I am going to give him the respect he deserves, but for me it is not a problem in my eyes. I will keep trying to improve the way I play.”

Unlike in the first two games, spin could take a back seat at the new 110,000-capacity Sardar Patel Stadium, which will open its account in Test cricket with a daynight match.

SG’S pink variant is expected to offer plenty for the seamers and England could have Jofra Archer back after an elbow injury ensured he was absent for the chastening second Test defeat in Chennai.

“I faced him in nets yesterday and he seemed to be fine,” Crawley revealed. “It seems to be swinging more than the red ball and doing a bit more for the seamers.

“And it seems to be harder, so the spinners are skidding it on a bit more. It is definitely going to play a bit more different than the red ball and I expect to see a bit more seam in this game.”

LEICESTER TIGERS WASPS

27 8

WASPS director of rugby Lee Blackett believes Gallagher Premiership players have received a wake-up call after three red cards were shown during his side’s 27-8 defeat at Leicester.

Leicester back-rowers Jasper Wiese and Hanro Liebenberg and Wasps prop Kieran Brookes, a former Newcastle Falcon, were all dismissed at Welford Road. The red cards came the day after two players were sent off in Bath’s win at Gloucester.

Blackett said: “With the game getting bigger and faster, it’s becoming increasingly important to look after the players.

“All three players today made contact with the head so realistically there can be no complaints as players’ safety is paramount.

“I think the players are adapting to what is required but this weekend has been a wake-up call with two dismissed at Bath last night and another three here today.”

Wiese, Julian Montoya and Tommy Reffell scored Leicester’s tries, with Zack Henry kicking four penalties.

A penalty from Jimmy Gopperth, another ex-falcon, and a try from replacement Tom Cruse was Wasps’ response as the visitors were comprehensively outplayed by a committed Leicester team.

Blackett said: “From the offset we were a long way off the pace as they won all the collisions so we were never able to put any pressure on them.

“It’s a real tough one to take as there were no positives to take from the game as you can’t give away 19 penalties and expect to come away with anything.

“We were dispirited afterwards and we need to learn to have somewhere to go when things start to go against us.

Leicester’s head coach Steve Borthwick was delighted with his side’s performance.

“The players took huge steps forward today but we had a lot of ground to make up and there are still areas to work on,” he said.

“But we took on board the red card and continued with our game-plan and the maturity shown by the players on the pitch was outstanding.

“I’m not saying any of the sanctions that were given out today were wrong but I would point out there were over a hundred collisions in that game and only three were picked out.

“All three were for different types of offences but the referees have their protocols to follow.

“But what you can’t have is players jumping up and down and asking for red cards as I don’t think that is acceptable.”