Lasse Classen (13) and Oliver Schmidt (11) turned up the heat in this weeks final to earn Stowmarket (24) a third Club Pairs Championship title in four years. An unexpected success for the Witches given their form over rounds one and two, they sneaking through the qualifiers with third place finishes in both. It was a different story in the Coventry decider however, with 5-1’s in two of the first three over the partnerships from Runcorn (14) and Greenhill (17)—who’d topped the standings when the two met in the semi finals—seeing them head proceedings at halftime alongside Wentworth (21). The leading two would meet in the next round of races, after which it was advantage Stowmarket, with Bill Jones’ duo gaining a 4-2 after Classen battled to catch and then pass Fiske Wahlqist for the vital race victory. The Stowmarket pairing consolidated that success with the minor places behind Leeds’ Aaron Macaulay in the next, Daniel Lake falling in that one to sum up a terrible night for the Jaguars, who scored just a single point in their opening two races, leaving their bid for a record sixth title over before it really got going. Classen and Schmidt returned to the track in heat 19 to clinch their victory, a third 5-1—this time over Brickhill (16)—taking them over the line, leaving Wentworth and Eastbourne (19) to fight it out for the minor podium spots. Wentworth—who finished last in their only other final appearance three years ago—took the runners-up spot courtesy of a 4-2 over the Seagulls in heat 20, the five times winners having to settle for third overall on this occasion.

Stowmarket followed up their Pairs success with a victory at Linlithgow in the league. Their fifth win from six top flight meetings this season sees them end the week a point clear of Wentworth at the summit, who’d they beaten by the same 48-42 score-line at the start of the week. Lasse Classen (14) dropped just a point—that to Dirk Miller (13) in heat 13—as the Witches won for the third time in four league meetings at the Witches, although it was second string Grzegorz Kowalczyk (9) and reserve Hamish MacKay (8+1) who secured the visitors both league points with their side’s second 5-1 of the meeting in heat 14. The victory came despite the absence of Orban Vamos from the Witches line-up, Bill Jones omitting the 21 year old Hungarian from the side in order for him to maintain his 3.00 GSA at the first average change. It’s a move which keeps Jones’ preferred septet below the 47 team points limit, Wentworth’s side however is now over that mark, they the only side in the top flight to be forced into making changes next week. Elsewhere Wimbledon lost for the second time at home this season, they going down 43-47 to Coalville, who scored a last heat 5-1 to claim their first ever league points at the Dogs Bowl in 17 attempts!

Dudley are now the only side in the country unbeaten in the league this season. A Paul Hope (12+1) heat 15 victory over Robert Zemljic (15) saw them maintain their run at Earley, a draw a slightly disappointing result for the Tigers in the end, considering they’d led by six with just four races remaining. Dudley now lead the division two standings by three points from Hale.

Normanton’s reign as leaders of division three was a short one as they slip to fifth following their first league defeats of the season. Bolsover beat them at home, 44-46, a second place finish from Toni Lauri (14)—who’d won on his previous four outings to the track—enough to see the Tigers claim their first away victory of the season. A first home loss followed for Kevin Lilley’s side however, they going down 43-47 at Castle Park to Claygate after Daniel Bailey (14) and David Duckworth (10+2) combined for a last heat 5-1 for the visitors in that one, Lauri—who again had won four out of four going into heat 15—finishing last on this occasion. The success topped off a great week for the Bears, who’d earlier secured a spot in the Division Three Cup semi-finals at the earliest opportunity by winning their latest group fixture at Margate, 41-49. Thomas Sullivan (14+1) the unexpected star of that meeting, with the 21 year old scoring a maximum from second string. Back in the league there was a first away win of the campaign for Small Heath, who inflicted Swindon’s sixth straight league loss of SL32 on them, 42-48.

All four of the home nation SL31 Grand Prix Series contingent found themselves in the same British qualifier this week. All four though came through the tricky test to make it through to the final, with Leeds world number three Aaron Macaulay (15) leading the scoring at Brickhill with a maximum. Nathan Kay (9) and Owen Mitchell (9) finished equal fourth, Mark Jolly (8) took sixth. Wimbledon’s Bradley Fowler (12) won the second of this season’s semi-finals at Runcorn by a point from Morgan Bird (11), Daniel Lake (10) was third.