PREVIEW: BERWICK v OXFORD (Cab Direct Champ)

BERWICK have booked Erik Riss to stand in for the injured Rory Schlein when they host unbeaten Oxford in the Cab Direct Championship tonight (Saturday).

Schlein is out after suffering back spasms in Steve Worrall’s Testimonial on Wednesday and then missed his top-flight match for Wolverhampton the following evening.

Riss, who returned from a long injury lay-off against Berwick last Friday, dropped just one point from nine rides on his two Shielfield appearances for the Bears in 2022, including a maximum in the Knockout Cup tie between the sides.

New Bandits boss Kevin Little said: “Hearing that Rory wasn’t going to be fit was a big blow but that was softened when Erik agreed to the guest booking.

“He’s been a real thorn in our side at Shielfield both for Redcar and Edinburgh over the years but now the Berwick fans get a chance to cheer him on.”

Cheetahs manager Peter Schroeck said: “It’s easy when the Cheetahs and Chargers are in good form to get carried away, but in reality nothing within the camp has changed.

“We know how speedway can slingshot you back to square one in one night, so the boys remained focused and the table is irrelevant to us.

“There’s a good mix of youth and experience in the Berwick team, much like ourselves, so our first aim is to keep the scores close and then reassess the situation once we reach the closing heats.”

BERWICK: Erik Riss, Leon Flint, Jye Etheridge, Jonas Knudsen, Thomas Jorgensen, Jacob Hook, Connor Coles.
OXFORD: Sam Masters, Lewis Kerr, Cameron Heeps, Jordan Jenkins, Scott Nicholls, Henry Atkins, Ryan Kinsley.