REPORT: Opening pair unbeaten, as Cheetahs move back to second

MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs returned to action for the first time in four weeks and registered a comfortable 53-37 victory in the Cab Direct Championship over battling Berwick Bandits at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday).

The victory moves Cheetahs back up to second place in the table, a single point behind league leaders Poole Pirates.

With Oxford Chargers’ star Jody Scott not quite recovered from a wrist injury, Cheetahs brought in Connor Coles at No 7. It is hoped Scott will fit to ride for Chargers at Middlesbrough on Friday evening.

Cheetahs led from the off and were 28-20 ahead after eight races, before back-to-back 5-1s in Heats 9 and 10 put them in total control.

Both Sam Masters (full 15-point maximum) and Cameron Heeps (11+4 paid maximum) were unbeaten by a Bandit and this pair scored four 5-1s during the evening, commencing in Heat 1 when both overtook Danyon Hume.

Skipper Scott Nicholls also looked in unbeatable form, breezing past Berwick guest Joe Thompson in Heat 4 and Lewis Kerr in Heat 11. But he was denied a maximum when he was left on the startline by a broken chain in Heat 13.

Jordan Jenkins was terrific form for Cheetahs, winning three of his four outings on his way to a 11-point-haul, dropping his only point to Kerr in Heat 5, after a slow getaway. Jenkins competed his night by passing both Leon Flint and Thompson in stunning style in Heat 14.

16-year-old Ashton Boughen – elevated from reserve for the first time – started slowly, but showed his class in Heat 9, when he rounded Jye Etheridge in stunning style on the final lap and took a paid win behind Jenkins.

For Bandits, much interest was on Kerr and Drew Kemp, both returning to Cowley after being released by top-flight Oxford Spires. Kerr recovered from a last place in Heat 1 to top score for Bandits with 10 points, while Kemp scored 6+2.

Jordan Jenkins said: “I’ve been working hard on a few things, such as getting out of the start better. I made a couple of starts tonight. I felt happy and was pleased with my evening.

“It’s nice to have a race like Heat 14 when I passed both the Berwick riders to win it, although I would prefer to win it from the start. But the outside gate in Heat 14 can quite often be tricky, so I had a plan and made a couple of changes to the bike and they worked. I had plenty of speed, while It was a real racer’s track tonight. It was just how we like it.

“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.”

The next action at Cowley sees OXS Oxford Spires host the Birmingham Brummies next Thursday (August 1) in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets are already on sale at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 53: Sam Masters 15 (full maximum), Cameron Heeps 11+ 4 (paid maximum), Ashton Boughen 3+1, Jordan Jenkins 11, Scott Nicholls 9, Luke Killeen 3, Connor Coles 1.

Berwick Bandits 37: Lewis Kerr 10, Danyon Hume 5+1, Drew Kemp 6+2, Leon Flint 6+1, Jye Etheridge 4+2, Freddy Hodder 0, Joe Thompson 6+2.

PHOTO: A familiar sight last night – Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps on a 5-1 (pic: Steve Edmunds)