'Tremendous' Peterborough Panthers push the Premiership leaders all the way

Benjamim Basso was in exciting form for Panthers at Ipswich.

Crendon Panthers went down 46-44 as they took another league point, having fought back from eight points down with five races remaining.

The meeting went ahead following a two-minute silence to mark the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

As at King’s Lynn last week, regular team members Chris Harris, Benjamin Basso and Scott Nicholls all hit double figures, with Harris recovering from engine trouble in Heat 1 to drop just one point from his remaining five rides.

Nicholls teamed up with Jordan Jenkins for a 5-1 in Heat 2 and went on to total paid 14, whilst Basso put in another action-packed display on his way to 10 (paid 13) from six rides.

That included a 5-1 with Nicholls in the penultimate race over Rohan Tungate which cut the gap down to just two points.

However, Basso has been struggling with a shoulder injury in recent weeks and further wrenched it during the meeting, meaning that having ridden in Heats 13 and 14, he did not feel physically able to contest Heat 15.

With Nicholls out of rides – as a two-minute disqualification in Heat 10 counted as one of his maximum seven outings – Panthers paired Harris with guest Drew Kemp, who had raced to an impressive win in Heat 11.

Whilst Harris became the first rider on the night to defeat Jason Doyle, Kemp’s efforts were to no avail as Doyle and Danny King secured a narrow win for the Witches.

Harris and Basso are due to represent Panthers in Monday’s Premiership Pairs at Belle Vue, with Jenkins at reserve, and the club are scheduled to complete their campaign at home to the Aces next Thursday.

IPSWICH 46: Jason Doyle 14, Danny King 11+1, Rohan Tungate 6+2, Aaron Summers 5+1, Anders Rowe 4+2, Troy Batchelor 3, Cameron Heeps 3.

PETERBOROUGH 44: Chris Harris 14+1, Scott Nicholls 13+1, Benjamin Basso 10+3, Drew Kemp 3, Jordan Jenkins 3, Simon Lambert 1, Michael Palm Toft r/r.