SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE, ABBEY STADIUM

SWINDON ROBINS: Troy Batchelor (1-FX-3-3-FX)7, Nick Morris (R-3-1-2*)6+1, Simon Stead (3-2-2*-2*)9+2, Jason Doyle (0-0-3-FX)3, Hans Andersen (3-3-2-1-3)12, Robin Aspegren (2*-1-0)3+1, Peter Kildemand (3-FX-3-3-FX)9.

BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES: Bjarne Pedersen (2*-3-2-6^-2-2)17+1, Seb Ulamek r/r, Martin Smolinski (1*-0-0-1)2+1, Danny King (2-1-2-1-3)9, Ben Barker (3-2*-1*-1-0-1*)8+3, Josh Auty (1-2-FX-1-FX-2*)6+1, Chris Mills (0-1-0)1.

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Barker, Pedersen, Batchelor, Morris, 67.83 (5-1)

Ouch. That’s not a great start to the season for Swindon. Pedersen gates and Barker takes the lead on the back straight. A simple 5-1 for the visitors.

Heat 2: Kildemand, Aspegren, Auty, Mills, 67.56 (6-6)

From the gate. Perfect response from the hosts.

Heat 3 (re-run): Stead, King, Smolinski, Doyle, 68.21 (9-9)

King snuck into an early lead but Stead went wide and eventual passed the Brummies man on bend four. A two-tier race.

Heat 4 (awarded): Andersen, Barker, Mills, Kildemand (FX) (12-12)

Mills falls at the first bend but remounts and carries on. That proves crucial as Kildemand tries to get round Barker on bend four of lap three and comes a cropper. The race is awarded and Birmingham scrape a draw.

Heat 5: Pedersen, Stead, King, Doyle, 68.08 (14-16)

Brummies were on a 5-1 until Stead edged past King on bend two, lap three. The visitors looking decent so far.

Heat 6: Morris, Auty, Barker, Batchelor (FX), 68.77 (17-19)

Should have been a maximum for Swindon but Batchelor crashed wide out on bend four, lap three when leading. Not sure what happened there but the Aussie can't be enjoying this meeting much so far.

Heat 7 (re-run): Andersen, King, Aspegren, Smolinski, 67.95 (21-21).

Andersen warned. At the second attempt the Dane wins easily, while Aspegren tries his heart out in third.

Heat 8: Kildemand, Pedersen, Morris, Mills, 68.68 (25-23)

Swindon are in front for the first time and it's thanks to a cracking ride from Kildemand. The Dane performs a great defensive job to keep Pedersen in second for an entire race. Great stuff.

Heat 9 (re-run): Doyle, Stead, Barker, Auty (FX), 69.33 (30-24)

With Swindon on a 5-1, Auty suffers a spill on bend three and is excluded. On the second attenpt the tapes don't rise, but after a long delay it's third time lucky. Doyle gates and although Stead passes him at the start of lap three, Stead slows down at the line to allow the Aussie a race win.

Heat 10 (re-run): Batchelor, Morris, King, Smolinski, 68.80 (35-25)

A bit of a scrum at the second bend with King forced out wide, and it's all four back. On the re-run Morris gates but Batchelor and King carve past him on bend two. The Aussie teenager shows his tenacity by nipping past King on bend two lap two, and rides a brave race to stay ahead. Batchelor grabs his first victory out front.

Heat 11: Pedersen (tac), Andersen, Auty, Aspegren, 68.61 (37-32)

Pedersen gets a flyer from gate one, leaving Andersen in his wake. Birmingham making a case to come away with at least a point here.

Heat 12 (re-run): Kildemand, Stead, Smolinski, Auty (FX), 68.92 (42-33)

A heavy spill for Josh Auty on bend four lap two, with no one that near him. A shame for Kildemand who had absolutely smashed the start. But on the re-run the Dane does exactly the same, charging round the outside of Smolinski on bend two. Sensational. Stead does his defensive job to a T.

Heat 13: Batchelor, Pedersen, Andersen, Barker, 68.46 (46-35)

I’m not totally sure how that ended in a 4-2 to Swindon, but it did. Robins gated and Batchelor nearly wiped out Andersen altogether wide out on bend two, but the Dane just bumped into the air fence. Nevertheless, Andersen is relegated to the back, but he shows great guts to overhaul Barker for third. The skipper has words with Batchelor on the back straight as they ride along. I doubt he was delighted.

Heat 14 (re-run x3): King, Auty, Kildemand (FX), Doyle (FX), 69.96 (46-40)

Auty is warned. On the re-run King gates but as he goes wide he takes out Doyle with his back wheel. Doyle is excluded, and that’s a controversial call by referee Christina Turnbull. On the third attempt Kildemand seemed to crash almost in slow motion as he went wide on bend one lap two when last. Now we have the bizarre spectacle of watching two Brummies riders go round unapposed.

Heat 15 (re-run): Andersen, Pedersen, Barker, Batchelor (FX), 69.96 (49-43)

The chances of the Robins getting three points are all but gone as Batchelor suffers his second crash of the night on bend three. On the re-run Andersen gets out first and despite a wobble on the inside at bend two, holds on easily.

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