Abandoned but Diamonds dazzle and maintain Panthers record

NEWCASTLE Diamonds maintained their unbeaten record against Peterborough Panthers this season when the SGB Championship meeting was abandoned after 10 races with the scores level, 30–30.

Under the sport’s rules, once 10 races have been completed the score is allowed to stand, so the Diamonds – the away team – get two points for the draw, while the Panthers get one.

After much rain in the area during the day, track conditions were never going to be ideal and eventually the referee abandoned the match after being asked to go down to the pits to talk to the riders.

The Diamonds were always looking likely to get something out of the match after Ashley Morris and ex-Newcastle No 1 Danny King, in as a guest for Robert Lambert, blasted away from the gate in the opening heat for a shock 5–1 over Ryan Douglas and former Grand Prix star Chris Harris. The lead did not last long though, with Panthers Paul Starke and Rory Schlein hitting back with a 5–1 over guest Kyle Newman and Ludvig Lindgren in Heat 3.

Steve Worrall and Alfie Bowtell restored the Diamonds’ advantage with a 4–2 in the next, and another fine effort by King to defeat Starke and Douglas kept Newcastle in front.

Harris, however, found his touch in the sixth and shot around the outside of Worrall to take the win while Douglas’ third place over Ben Hopwood levelled the scores again.

Newcastle slipped behind for the first time, 25–23, when Douglas defeated Morris in the eighth and Tom Bacon overtook Bowtell, but Worrall and Hopwood retrieved the situation with a 4–2 in the next to level the match again.

Only one more race was possible, which was won in sensational style by ex-Diamond Newman from Douglas and Harris, before proceedings came to a halt.