An all-British final for the second successive season in this years European Cup as holders Eastbourne and SL27 winners Timperley successfully came through their last four ties this week. It’s a third final appearance for both, with Eastbourne looking to move second on the all-time winners list by lifting the trophy for a third time. They extended their excellent run in the competition with a semi-final second leg win in Oslo, a 44-46 victory on the Norwegian circuit secured with a last heat 5-1 from Harry Myers (11) and Kasper Larsen (10+1), a surprising result given the same pair had been on the wrong end of an Oslo maximum two races earlier when up against the same opponents, world number three Davin Bjorge (13) and Joel Scott (10+1). The victory is Eastbourne’s 12th in their last 16 meetings in the competition—they’ve drawn one of the remaining four—and takes them through to the decider by a comfortable 12 points. Much more nervy as far as Timperley were concerned, they into the last two for the first time since they were beaten in the final by Pila in SL28 after coming through their tie 92-88 on aggregate. Having been six down at the start, at one point Garry Robinson’s Titans deficit had grown to ten in the second leg, despite home advantage. A better second half of the clash though for the hosts began with a Petr Bonus (15) winning 5-1 in heat eight, he’d go on to score his first maximum in over three months, winning one of the four 4-2’s scored by his side in the space of five heats, plus the decisive 5-1 in the finale in which Tobias Schneider (12+1) finished second.

Are chinks in Timperley’s armour beginning to show? A defeat at bottom side Bullbridge last week and now a first home dropped point of the campaign this, the Titans are on their worse league run of SL31. Still they sit nine points clear at the top of division one, but Southampton’s draw at the Robinson Arena may have opened the door for others—or even themselves—to mount a late season title challenge, the Titans looking far from unbeatable as they let slip an eight point lead over the visitors in the final five heats of the clash. Southampton scored 4-2’s in heats 11 and 13, Sergey Guerk (17) winning both, the 37 year old Russian along with his experienced team mate Goran Seslar (10+2) then beat Petr Bonus (9+1) and Trevor Putnam (10+1) in the last to record the 5-1 which would bring the meeting scores level for the first time since the end of heat two. Southampton have now lost just one of their last six in the league, having struggled at the start of the campaign they have firmly ensconced themselves in the top five and are in a strong position to secure a European Cup place for SL32.

A winning return to the GP series for Italian Luca Romano (13) after a year away. After finishing third to Kasper Larsen and Sergey Guerk in heat two, the 29 year old Greenhill number one won his remaining four heats to comfortably take the European GP crown at Sunderland, finishing three points clear of defending world champion Dusan Hobler (2nd) and Brit’ Darren Corbett (3rd) who fought out a race-off for the minor podium positions. It was the first time Sunderland’s Boldon Stadium has hosted a Grand Prix round, the attendance of 14,204 was the lowest on these shores since Auckland hosted the corresponding meeting eight years ago.

More individual success for Greenhill with their reserve Petter Kalm winning the second of this season’s World Under 19 semi-finals in Plock. A dominant performance from the 18 year old Swede, who finished fourth in last years final while riding for Dundee, the rider—signed at the start of the year for £150,000— scoring a maximum to top the standings from Tom Bihl (13).

A run of six straight wins has taken Dundee eight points clear at the top of division two as they continue their bid for a second successive promotion. For the second time in SL31 Ian Creasey’s side inflicted a home defeat on pre-season favourites for the second tier title, Auckland, this time coming away from the Rosebank with a 43-47 victory under their belts. Tom Parsons (15) was the undoubted star for the visitors, he scoring his first full maximum of the campaign having managed three paid ones previously. Despite the defeat the Rhinos remain in touch with the promotion places, they just two points off the top three and part of a group from second to sixth separated by just four points. At the other end of the table a 43-47 win at Wednesfield for Wolverton sees them end the week outside of the relegation zone, to be replaced by their defeated hosts. In division three another good week for leaders Sunderland, who extended their advantage at the top to 13 points with the help of a 40-50 victory at basement side Bournemouth. Grangemouth slip out of the top three after behind held to a home draw by Stepps.