Having gone 11 years without a trophy it’s now four in as many seasons for defending league champions Hallamshire. Victory for the Sheffield club in their rookie European Cup campaign confirmed with a magnificent showing in the second leg of the final in Lublin, their heat leaders in sublime form as the British travellers cruised their way to a 38-52 victory to take the trophy by 16. They ripped up the script on a night in which the odds started against them, they having taken just a two point lead from the opening leg against a team that had already beaten Belfast home and away this season. A bit of luck got the ball rolling in heat one, the retirement of Lublin number one Eman Pulkrabek (10) handing the visitors pairing of Julian Harrison (14+1) and Kieran Armstrong a 5-1. Harrison’s victory was the first of six in the space of the opening seven heats for Hallamshire, the run culminating in a second 5-1 in heat seven, in which Kann Balle (11) and Kyle Math took the points. A couple of tactical substitutes for the hosts helped pull back some of their aggregate deficit—which had grown to 12—but Hallamshire would come again, Balle winning a heat 12 4-2 before Harrison and Marcin Jaworski (14+1) claimed a decisive third 5-1 in heat 13. Lublin’s hopes of landing a first European Cup were over, this night well and truly belonged to Matt Akers and his team, champions with two races to spare. Jaworski and Harrison would return to the track in heat 15 to score yet another 5-1 to complete their personal maximums and a 38-52 meeting win for the side, the margin of victory matching their own record for a British side away from home in the competition.

A fourth final of the season awaits Hallamshire (114) as they qualified for the SL16 4TT decider with a second round victory over Stourbridge (99), Balham (95) and Stoke (75). A first leg victory at the latter set Matt Akers side on their way to their fourth final in five years of a competition they have yet to win. Houston (122) were even more dominant in topping their second round group, they finishing 23 points clear of second placed Totton after scoring 41 out of a possible 46 in their home final leg. The Colts lifted the trophy as part of their quintuple winning season in SL10. Meanwhile two multi-winners Long Eaton (SL6,9,11) and Belfast (SL2,3,13,14,15) are back in the decider once more, with the Rifles qualifying for their first final in four years after topping Group B by a single point from the Sinks. Long Eaton won the second leg of the tie at Caversham with 32 points before scoring 40 to win the fourth leg at home and take the aggregate success. The three times defending champions had done more than enough to seal the qualification spot awarded to the highest scoring runners-up in the second round, a tenth final appearance in 11 years awaits Paul Hunt’s side.

Long Eaton also came out victors when they met Belfast in their top of the table clash at the Perksdome. Allan Robertson (13+1) raced to his highest league score of the season for the Rifles in the 51-39 win, a strong end to a tricky 16 month Rifles tenure for the Brit, who has since moved on to Chesterfield in a transfer deadline day beating deal. New Zealander Ethan Robertson joins the league leaders in exchange. Ethan signed of with 9+1 in his final home league fixture for the Coyotes, one they lost 40-50 to Houston, a club that ends the week third, just three points off Long Eaton who they host next. Second string Tabor Andros (9) was amongst the heat winners for the visitors in the success. Hallamshire remarkably drop from third to fourth despite winning home and away this week, the latter success returned at Caversham, 42-48, a side who are now on a losing run of six in all competitions.

Ten years on from winning the WU21 title Ianos Volk has a second major individual competition win to his name. Heath paid just £190,000 for the 29 year old at the start of the campaign, after three poor years with Totton a fresh start it seems has re-galvanized the Slovak’s stop-start career, he improving his average by two points since the switch to the third division outfit. Volk’s victory (12) came in the Swedish GP in Malmo, he topping the standings by a point after Reece Hopper (11) threw his chance away with a heat 20 retirement. Hopper would finish third on the night after losing out to Samuel Hill in a race-off. Finnish GP winner Hill now leads the World Championship standings by two points from Jeppe Hildebrandt (11), Volk is up to third.

Mansfield won their top of the table clash at Sedgley to end the week ten points clear at the head of the division two standings. 50-40 winners on the night, the Yorkies hit three 5-1’s in the closing three heats as they fought back from eight down at one stage to claim their fifth away league win of SL16. A draw at promotion rivals Southend meanwhile helped Harringay go top of division three for the first time this season.