A blow for Stowmarket’s title ambitions as they lost at home for the second time this season. They’d already conceded top spot with a huge 55-35 defeat at Coalville—their second loss by 20 points or more in three away meetings—prior to the visit of Eastbourne to Green Meadow, the Seagulls would add to their pain. Behind for most of the night, the hosts looked to have salvaged things when taking the lead with a heat 13 5-1, that though proved to be their only highlight of the closing stages. Two 4-2’s followed for the visitors as they clawed their way to a 44-46 victory, Alex Walton—who picked up a third in the first of those 4-2’s—finishing with impressive figures of 11+1 on his away league debut for the Seagulls at reserve, Stig Martinson (12) became the second Eastbourne rider to hit double figures by winning the last heat decider. Stowmarket end the week second, a point off leaders Leeds, Eastbourne remain fifth, but have cut their own deficit to the Jaguars from 12 to eight points.

Stowmarket’s (110) best hope of silverware this season may come in the 4TT. It’s a competition they have won in each of the previous three years and five times to date in total. They reached their tenth final in 12 years with a second round victory over Coalville (108), who’ll they meet again in the four-legged final, the Kings having done enough to secure the place reserved for the highest scoring runner-up at this stage of the competition. Coalville had actually led the tie heading into the final meeting at Derby, but four race wins in the first eight for Witches riders at the Bucks turned it back the way of the holders. Having already reached the decider of the Division Three Cup, Mid Cams (119) qualified for their second final of the season by winning Group B. Their super strong top four won both their home leg and the meet at Kelso to top the standings from two-times winners of the competition, Brickhill (106). Last years runners-up Leeds (105) complete the SL31 list of finalists after winning a closely fought tie by six points from Cradley Heath and Eastbourne.

Four meetings and four different winners in this years World Championship GP series. Eastbourne’s Stig Martinson (13) the latest to take top spot on the podium, a race-off win over Belal Fabian earning him success in the Danish round. World Championship leader Piotr Slusarski (11) was third, with leading Brit’ Aaron Macaulay (10) fourth on the night.

Runcorn’s run of 31 home meetings in division two without defeat came to a end with the visit of relegation threatened Margate. Nate Stoke’s (13) last heat victory over Vaino Koistien (15+1) secured a much needed 44-46 success for the Peers, who have cut their deficit to seventh placed Bradwell and division two safety to three points as a result. Visiting second string Andrey Spasskov (10) had won both 5-1’s scored by Terry Meech’s side earlier on in the meeting. Runcorn’s seven week run at the top of the standings has come to an end following the loss, however they remain seven points clear of fourth placed Greenhill in the promotion race. In division three both Hale and Earley boosted their own promotion hopes with their third away wins of the campaign, the latter taking the points at Small Heath, 42-48, while the Hornets recovered from 10-2 down after two heats to snatch a 44-46 win at Kelso.