Houston will face another top flight side in the form of Lane End in the last four of the KO Cup. The side that hadn’t been beyond the first round in their two seasons prior to SL36 continuing on with a 57-32 home win over Long Ley, second string Gerik Maciejewski (11+1)—a mid season £200,000 signing from Medeswell—unbeaten in his first four for the Trappers as they raced to their biggest win in nearly a year to progress by 19. A big win too for West Ham, the Dockers—yet to be beaten in this years competition—continuing their bid to lift the KO Cup for a fourth successive season with a 54-36 win over Farnham. They go through by 24, their next opponents Liden by just two. They’ll make their semi-final debut after their maiden third round tie went their way thanks to a last heat 5-1 at Bracklesham. Lasse Hinsch (12+1) and Kende Ference (12+1) taking Craig Dickson’s side into the last four after the hosts looked to have nabbed the spot with maximums of their own in both heats 13 and 14.

For the first time in their 36 year history Peak Dean have won seven league meetings in a row in the same season. It’s a sequence that has taken them up to third and to within six points of leaders Swanage, who they visit in three rounds time, maybe looking to make it ten in a row?! They smashed Lane End 59-31 in their latest meeting, having earlier breezed to an eight point win at West Ham’s Custom Court, where 5-1’s in heats 13 and 15 from Mark Smith (13) and Krzysztof Olszewski (11+2) took them to their first victory in their last 20 league visits to the venue. The defeat leaves West Ham four points clear of Reading and the drop zone, the Whiteknights this week held to a home draw by second placed Putney. Elsewhere Kent recorded their first away win of the campaign on their trip to bottom side Desford, despite the 43-47 success the Steelers end the week some 13 points adrift of safety in ninth.

Herman Kocuvan (12) was the surprise winner of the second of this years GP meetings in Malmo. The series debutant taking the Swedish GP title by a point from Aarno Saarinen (2nd) and his team mate at Prague, Joshua Emison (3rd). Opening round winner Venedict Glinka (9) still leads the World Championship by four points.

A remarkable turnaround for Bilston who having been bottom all season are now up to sixth having won five in a row. Their latest victory came at Wirral, 38-51, where £253,000 early season signing Szever (10) raced to three of the visitors 12 heat victories from his position at second string. Wirral slip to a season low ninth having began the week outside of the relegation places, they would be rock bottom but for Bolsover also going down to a second home defeat of the campaign, Long Ley 43-47 victors at The Wreck. Daz Smith’s Lions moved back into second spot with that win, which was secured with a race to spare by reserve John Arthur (9+2).

Farnham’s run of just one league defeat in nine has taken them up into the promotion places in division three for the first time. A 42-48 success at Dudley Wood saw them leapfrog Warrington—who ended Houston’s five meeting winning run by beating the leaders 48-42 at home—into third spot, a last heat 5-1 from Jason Taylor (13+1) and Espen Askelien (9+1) earning Andy Fowler’s Falcons their third away victory of the campaign.