Swindon dispensed with the rider replacement facility, promoting James Purchase to the number two slot and in another points chase, they turned on an excellent performance to grab the bonus point, with Chris Johnson and Simon Walker remaining unbeaten. Supplying solid support throughout were double centurion Holloway, flying reserve Nathan Irwin and team man supreme Danny Warwick.

Wellie got proceedings underway by surging around his opposite number Paul Burnett on the first turn. Meanwhile, Purchase steamed outside as they entered the back straight to take up the lead. Swindon looked set for the perfect start, but Purchase seemed to slow over the final lap, leaving Holloway with little option than to move ahead. Going into the last bend, Purchase locked-up and impeded Burnett, causing the Buxton skipper to lay down his machine. Referee Richard Williams was quick to stop the race and award the points, with Purchase, although aggrieved, quite correctly excluded.

Buoyed by his career first maximum against Newcastle, Irwin used the outside line to good effect in heat two, making first place his own ahead of Carl Belfield exiting the car park corner. The ever-improving Jordan Frampton initially slotted into third position, but was passed by Charles Wright on the pits bend of lap two. Showing great tenacity, the Poole-born rider pursued Wright down the home straight, before reclaiming third place with a good outside sweep on the apex of the first corner.

A rocket start took Walker to victory in heat three, while Span made it a big 5-1 for the Sprockets after getting the better of a terrific scrap with Benji Compton. This saw the Spanish number one race inside Warwick on the back straight of lap one, with the upright Sprocket hitting back in the same place next time around. Belfield got the drop in heat four and despite getting out on the dirt line, he was passed by the in-form Johnson, who somehow found a way through the smallest of gaps by fence at the end of the initial lap. At the back, Irwin made a do or die endeavour on the last bend, but unfortunately ran out of track and collided with the air safety barrier.

Swindon stepped up the pace in heat five, with Walker and Warwick’s second 5-1 putting them 20-10 ahead. A brace of 4-2s followed, as Holloway and Johnson carded victories, pushing the score along nicely to 28-14. Buxton’s response was to give Burnett a tactical outing and a captain’s performance took the long-serving Hitman to the required six-points. Wright looked like making it an 8-1 for the visitors, only for Irwin to nip by on a fast outside line on the back straight of lap two.

Having reduced their deficit to nine-points, a second tactical move saw Buxton hand Belfield the black and white helmet colour in heat nine. Walker and Warwick surged ahead from the gate and while the former went on to triumph, Belfield ousted Span on the back straight. Warwick did have an opportunity to reclaim second spot on lap three, but the Buxton representative slightly locked-up on the first turn, causing the Sprocket to shut-off and lose momentum. Wellie continued his winning streak in heat ten, with Johnson stylishly following suit one race later.

Walker completed his full-house in heat twelve, while Irwin brilliantly swooped outside Belfield and Wright from gate four to give Swindon their third 5-1 of the match. Wellie and Johno took up the lead in heat thirteen, but the skipper unfortunately lost his back end on the pits corner and slid off, leaving his partner to competently notch his fourth win from Burnett and Wright.

Irwin and Warwick then combined for a maximum advantage in the penultimate race, their efforts giving the Team Artdeans Sprockets a one-point lead in terms of the aggregate score. That meant a 3-3 would do for the bonus point in heat fifteen, but Johnson and Holloway finished the job emphatically, as a classic team-riding demonstration produced a fifth 5-1 and wrapped up the lanky racer’s second full tally of a splendid night.     

MATCH REPORT BY ROBERT BAMFORD