Oxford Cheetahs v Berwick Bandits

Report

OXFORD kept on course for the Cab Direct Championship play-offs with a 53-37 win over Berwick to go back to second place in the table.

The Cheetahs’ opening combination of Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps were both unbeaten as they combined for 5-1s in each of their four outings together.

Masters raced to a 15-point maximum with Heeps adding 11+4 for a paid maximum, whilst Jordan Jenkins (11) dropped just one point from four rides and Scott Nicholls (9) was unbeaten but for losing a chain in Heat 13.

Lewis Kerr totalled 10 for the Bandits, recording their only two race wins, although they did prevent major damage by limiting last places.

Jenkins said: “It was a phenomenal performance by the team tonight. We’ve got a trump card in putting Cam at No.2, because he forms a really strong partnership with Sam at No.1.

“As a team we haven’t had it all our own way this season, but we’re a good team and we’ll carry on working hard.

“We will keep on pushing to reach the play-offs and then it starts all over again. We’ve got every chance this season.”

Berwick boss Stewart Dickson said: “We threw a couple of points away through riders not helping their team-mates on the first bend and not riding the best lines on the opening bends, even though we had talked about it before and again early in the meeting.

“On a positive note, we made Oxford work hard for their points, but we lacked a bit of class at times.”

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP
OXFORD 53: Sam Masters 15, Cameron Heeps 11+4, Jordan Jenkins 11, Scott Nicholls 9, Aston Boughen 3+1, Luke Killeen 3, Connor Coles 1
BERWICK 37: Lewi Kerr 10, Drew Kemp 6+2, Joe Thompson 6+2, Leon Flint 6+1, Danyon Hume 5+1, Jye Etheridge 4+2, Freddy Hodder 0

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Photo credit: STEVE EDMUNDS