Post by Genghis on Oct 17, 2007 23:35:06 GMT
Monday, October 15, 2007
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 56 PLYMOUTH DEVILS 38
Oxford win 93-92 on aggregate
(Conference League Play-Off Semi-Final, 2nd leg)
WHAT A NIGHT!!!!!
Oxford Cheetahs qualified for the Conference League play-off final by the narrowest of margins after a night of high drama, tension and emotion at Sandy Lane, in a match where every single point was fought over. The word "classic" is sometimes overused, but this match fully deserves that title - it is a meeting that will go down in Oxford Speedway folklore.
It all boiled down to the final race, with the LCD Publishing Cheetahs needing nothing less than a 5-1 to progress - anything else and the Plymouth Devils were through.
Danny Betson blitzed from the tapes, but Seemond Stephens held second place for Plymouth on the opening lap. However, Stephens left a hole on his inside on the fourth turn, and rival skipper Lee Smethills was through in a shot, accompanied by a huge cheer from a very vocal Oxford crowd.
Smethills then came under increasing pressure from the chasing Tom Brown. On the final bend, Brown went for one final desperate lunge around the outside, real "do or die" stuff – and ended up in a pile in the air fence, as the victorious Cheetahs pair crossed the line.
Fortunately a battered and bruised Brown got to his feet, at which point the celebrations really began in earnest. When interviewed by presenter Richard Palmer, Oxford promoter Allen Trump was briefly overcome by the emotion of it all.
Quite an extraordinary night in what is one of the most extraordinary seasons in Oxford Speedway's 59-year history. It's remarkable to think that a little over fours months ago, all seemed lost, after the previous promotion pulled out and left the fans in the lurch after a disastrous start to the season. Enter Trump, the club's saviour, who resurrected the Cheetahs in the Conference League, and the rest is history.
There had been a couple of times during this match when it had looked unlikely that the Cheetahs were going to haul back the 17-point deficit from first leg.
An early blow came in Heat 2, when the Devils reserves took a 5-1, and extended the aggregate lead to 19 points.
The next few races were dominated by the home side, with the Cheetahs taking three 5-1s and a 4-2.
Jordan Frampton thrust inside Stephens on the first bend of the final lap of Heat 5 to join Andrew Bargh for a 5-1, and Sam Martin overhauled Nicki Glanz during Heat 6 to follow home team-mate Smethills.
The Devils still had plenty of fight left, and a tactical substitute ride for Brown in Heat 8 resulted in a 5-3 to the visitors, after both Brown and Ben Hopwood passed Brendan Johnson.
Glanz then showed plenty of aggression to deal with the previously unbeaten pair of Frampton & Bargh in Heat 9, and when Martin ran a last in Heat 10, the Cheetahs looked up against it.
Nominated as a tactical ride, Stephens led Heat 11, but crucially Betson flew under him on the third bend and the race was shared as a 4-4.
Oxford took their first heat advantage in six races with a 4-2 from Bargh & Johnson in Heat 12, and followed up with the same result in Heat 13, as Smethills rounded Glanz at the end of the opening circuit to grab third place.
Frampton won a shared Heat 14, and that left the Cheetahs three behind on aggregate heading into that dramatic final race.
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 56
Lee Smethills 3 3 3 1 2* (12+1)
Sam Martin 1 2* 3 0 (6+1)
Andrew Bargh 3 3 1* 3 (10+1)
Jordan Frampton 2* 2* 2 3 (9+2)
Danny Betson 3 3 3 3 3 (15)
Scott Campos 1 0 1 (2)
Brendan Johnson 0 1 0 1 0 (2)
Team manager: Peter Oakes
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 38
Seemond Stephens 2 1 4! 2 1 (10)
Tim Webster FX FX R (0)
Tom Brown R 2 4# 2 2 F (10)
Rob Smith 1 1* 1* 2 (5+2)
Nicki Glanz 2 1 3 0 (6)
Jaimie Pickard 2* 0 0 0 (2+1)
Ben Hopwood 3 0 1* 1* (5+2)
Team manager: Mike Bowden
Referee: Tony Steele
! = tactical ride
# = tactical substitute from 15m
HEAT DETAILS:
1: (Re-run) Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), 62.57 (4-2; 41-56).
2: Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), Campos (O), Johnson (O), 64.25 (5-7; 42-61).
3: Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Smith (P), Brown (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 63.57 (10-8; 47-62).
4: Betson (O), Glanz (P), Johnson (O), Hopwood (P) (fell, remounted), 63.06 (14-10; 51-64).
5: Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Stephens (P), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (19-11; 56-65).
6: Smethills (O), Martin (O), Glanz (P), Pickard (P), 62.62 (24-12; 61-66).
7: (Re-run) Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Campos (O), 62.65 (27-15; 64-69).
8: Martin (O), Brown (P) (t/s - off 15m), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.56 (30-20; 67-74).
9: Glanz (P), Frampton (O), Bargh (O), Pickard (P), 62.91 (33-23; 70-77).
10: Smethills (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Martin (O), 62.16 (36-26; 73-80).
11: Betson (O), Stephens (P) (tactical ride), Campos (O), Webster (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 62.65 (40-30; 77-84).
12: Bargh (O), Brown (P), Johnson (O), Pickard (P) (fell, remounted), 63.63 (44-32; 81-86).
13: Betson (O), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Glanz (P), 61.69 (48-34; 85-88).
14: Frampton (O), Smith (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.41 (51-37; 88-91).
15: Betson (O), Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Brown (P) (fell), 62.69 (56-38; 93-92).
HEAT 1: Lee Smethills bolted from the tapes and was leading Seemond Stephens and Sam Martin, when Tim Webster clipped the back of Martin's bike entering the third turn and took a pearler. Webster was OK, but excluded from the re-run, which was led all the way by Smethills, with Martin threatening on Stephens's outside but unable to get through into second place, as the Cheetahs started the night with a 4-2.
(Re-run) Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), 62.57 (4-2; 41-56).
HEAT 2: This race was a 5-1 all the way to the Devils reserve pairing of Ben Hopwood and Jaimie Pickard - as the Cheetahs slipped to 19 points behind on aggregate.
Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), Campos (O), Johnson (O), 64.25 (5-7; 42-61).
HEAT 3: Andrew Bargh & Jordan Frampton jetted into the lead, with Tom Brown in pursuit of Frampton. However, Brown went too wide on the third bend of lap 3 and came down, remounting in fourth place behind team-mate Rob Smith. A 5-1 to the Cheetahs - who regained the lead on the night.
Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Smith (P), Brown (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 63.57 (10-8; 47-62).
HEAT 4: For the second race running, it was the Cheetahs who were fastest from the tapes, with Danny Betson & Brendan Johnson first & second into the first bend. Johnson moved wide to stop Hopwood's outside run on the second bend, but Nicki Glanz spotted the gap and came roaring through on the inside. Fourth-placed Hopwood slipped off on the second bend of lap 2, while trying to close the gap on Johnson, as the Cheetahs took another two points out of Plymouth's aggregate lead.
Betson (O), Glanz (P), Johnson (O), Hopwood (P) (fell, remounted), 63.06 (14-10; 51-64).
HEAT 5: Bargh gated, and then rode an aggressive second bend to put a stop to Stephens's outside charge. Frampton then took up chase of Stephens, and got closer and closer, before forcing a way through on the first bend of the final lap. As the leading three riders headed down the back straight, the red lights came on, as fourth-placed Webster had fallen on the final bend of lap 3. Ironically, Webster remounted just as the lights came on, so the race could have reached its conclusion. Referee Tony Steele considered his options, before awarding the race as a 5-1 to the Cheetahs.
Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Stephens (P), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (19-11; 56-65).
HEAT 6: Another sharp start from Smethills, while second-placed Glanz was soon under pressure from the wide-riding Martin. Martin closed in, and at the conclusion of the second lap, swooped around the outside and shot past the Dane. Another 5-1 to the Cheetahs, who closed to just five points behind on aggregate.
Smethills (O), Martin (O), Glanz (P), Pickard (P), 62.62 (24-12; 61-66).
HEAT 7: Betson was quickest away, however there was a slight contact between Betson & Smith entering the first bend, and Smith came tumbling down. A straightforward "first bend bunching" decision for Tony Steele. In the re-run, Betson again beat the Plymouth pair into the first bend, who followed him home in the first shared heat of the evening.
(Re-run) Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Campos (O), 62.65 (27-15; 64-69).
HEAT 8: Plymouth team manager Mike Bowden introduced Tom Brown as a tactical substitute off the 15m marker. Martin & Johnson beat Hopwood from the tapes, and Hopwood was quick to allow Brown into third place. Johnson did his best to resist, but couldn't stop a charging Brown from blasting around him on the back straight of lap 2. Brown realised that race-leader Martin had an uncatchable lead, and instead played a tactical game on the final lap, slowing down and getting in the way of Johnson. As a result, Johnson slipped wide on the final bend and Hopwood snatched third place. A 5-3 to the Devils - and the Cheetahs still had plenty to do.
Martin (O), Brown (P) (t/s - off 15m), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.56 (30-20; 67-74).
HEAT 9: Glanz made a good start from the inside, and then showed plenty of aggression as he moved both Frampton and Bargh wide on the second bend. Glanz became Plymouth's second heat-winner, while Frampton and Bargh were both beaten for the first time.
Glanz (P), Frampton (O), Bargh (O), Pickard (P), 62.91 (33-23; 70-77).
HEAT 10: Another tapes-to-flag for Smethills ahead of Brown, but all eyes were on Martin's pursuit of third-placed Smith. However, Martin drifted too wide on the second bend of the final lap, and Plymouth's aggregate lead remained at seven points.
Smethills (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Martin (O), 62.16 (36-26; 73-80).
HEAT 11: Stephens, nominated as a tactical ride, produced a terrific start from gate 2 and shot into the lead, but a highly determined Betson roared inside Stephens on the third bend in no uncertain style and then roared away to win the race. With Scott Campos holding third place, Webster fell on the fourth bend of lap 1, and although he remounted, the bike was damaged and he soon retired. With Stephens's two points doubled to four, the resultant 4-4 left Oxford still seven points behind on aggregate, with only four heats left...
Betson (O), Stephens (P) (tactical ride), Campos (O), Webster (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 62.25 (40-30; 77-84).
HEAT 12: Bargh led for all four laps, although second-placed Brown was never too far away. Meanwhile, Johnson beat Pickard into the first turn, who then slid off and remounted half a lap behind. Oxford's first heat advantage since Heat 6.
Bargh (O), Brown (P), Johnson (O), Pickard (P) (fell, remounted), 63.63 (44-32; 81-86).
HEAT 13: Real rough stuff on the first corner. Betson emerged in front, while Smethills slipped to the back after a shoulder barge from Stephens. Smethills recovered quickly, and shot around Glanz on the fourth turn. He then took up chase of Smethills, but ran out of time, as the Cheetahs took a second successive 4-2, and the tension moved up yet another notch.
Betson (O), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Glanz (P), 61.69 (48-34; 85-88).
HEAT 14: The Devils needed a heat advantage to wrap it up, but Frampton got clear of Smith after half a lap and disappeared into the distance to keep Oxford's hopes alive. Fourth-placed Johnson closed in on Hopwood, but then made a mistake and dropped back. A shared race, as Plymouth stayed three points ahead on aggregate heading into the final race...
Frampton (O), Smith (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.41 (51-37; 88-91).
HEAT 15: The maths were very simple - only a 5-1 would do for the Cheetahs, anything less and they were out. Oxford team manager Peter Oakes selected Smethills to accompany the unbeaten Betson, while Plymouth, as expected, plumped for Stephens & Brown. The Cheetahs won the toss and chose gates 2 & 4. Betson emerged from the opening turns in front, but Stephens was in second place. If it remained like that, the Devils would have gone through. But third-placed Smethills was a man on a mission, and when Stephens left a gap on the inside on the fourth bend, Smethills bustled his way through to the accompaniment of a huge roar from the Cowley crowd. Stephens then dropped to fourth, as Brown took up chase of Smethills. Welshman Brown started to close in, and it looked like there could be one final dramatic twist. Heading into the third bend of the final lap, Brown was close to Smethills and went for a "do-or-die" charge around the outside. He didn't make, baling out halfway around the turn and thudding into the air fence. The Oxford riders charged across the line in first and second, although the celebrations became a little muted when it realised that Brown was still flat out on his back on the track. A bumped and bruised Brown took a couple of minutes to get to his feet, and then Betson & Smethills were mobbed by their team-mates, mechanics and track staff. A quite remarkable night.
Betson (O), Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Brown (P) (fell), 62.69 (56-38; 93-92).
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 56 PLYMOUTH DEVILS 38
Oxford win 93-92 on aggregate
(Conference League Play-Off Semi-Final, 2nd leg)
WHAT A NIGHT!!!!!
Oxford Cheetahs qualified for the Conference League play-off final by the narrowest of margins after a night of high drama, tension and emotion at Sandy Lane, in a match where every single point was fought over. The word "classic" is sometimes overused, but this match fully deserves that title - it is a meeting that will go down in Oxford Speedway folklore.
It all boiled down to the final race, with the LCD Publishing Cheetahs needing nothing less than a 5-1 to progress - anything else and the Plymouth Devils were through.
Danny Betson blitzed from the tapes, but Seemond Stephens held second place for Plymouth on the opening lap. However, Stephens left a hole on his inside on the fourth turn, and rival skipper Lee Smethills was through in a shot, accompanied by a huge cheer from a very vocal Oxford crowd.
Smethills then came under increasing pressure from the chasing Tom Brown. On the final bend, Brown went for one final desperate lunge around the outside, real "do or die" stuff – and ended up in a pile in the air fence, as the victorious Cheetahs pair crossed the line.
Fortunately a battered and bruised Brown got to his feet, at which point the celebrations really began in earnest. When interviewed by presenter Richard Palmer, Oxford promoter Allen Trump was briefly overcome by the emotion of it all.
Quite an extraordinary night in what is one of the most extraordinary seasons in Oxford Speedway's 59-year history. It's remarkable to think that a little over fours months ago, all seemed lost, after the previous promotion pulled out and left the fans in the lurch after a disastrous start to the season. Enter Trump, the club's saviour, who resurrected the Cheetahs in the Conference League, and the rest is history.
There had been a couple of times during this match when it had looked unlikely that the Cheetahs were going to haul back the 17-point deficit from first leg.
An early blow came in Heat 2, when the Devils reserves took a 5-1, and extended the aggregate lead to 19 points.
The next few races were dominated by the home side, with the Cheetahs taking three 5-1s and a 4-2.
Jordan Frampton thrust inside Stephens on the first bend of the final lap of Heat 5 to join Andrew Bargh for a 5-1, and Sam Martin overhauled Nicki Glanz during Heat 6 to follow home team-mate Smethills.
The Devils still had plenty of fight left, and a tactical substitute ride for Brown in Heat 8 resulted in a 5-3 to the visitors, after both Brown and Ben Hopwood passed Brendan Johnson.
Glanz then showed plenty of aggression to deal with the previously unbeaten pair of Frampton & Bargh in Heat 9, and when Martin ran a last in Heat 10, the Cheetahs looked up against it.
Nominated as a tactical ride, Stephens led Heat 11, but crucially Betson flew under him on the third bend and the race was shared as a 4-4.
Oxford took their first heat advantage in six races with a 4-2 from Bargh & Johnson in Heat 12, and followed up with the same result in Heat 13, as Smethills rounded Glanz at the end of the opening circuit to grab third place.
Frampton won a shared Heat 14, and that left the Cheetahs three behind on aggregate heading into that dramatic final race.
OXFORD LCD PUBLISHING CHEETAHS 56
Lee Smethills 3 3 3 1 2* (12+1)
Sam Martin 1 2* 3 0 (6+1)
Andrew Bargh 3 3 1* 3 (10+1)
Jordan Frampton 2* 2* 2 3 (9+2)
Danny Betson 3 3 3 3 3 (15)
Scott Campos 1 0 1 (2)
Brendan Johnson 0 1 0 1 0 (2)
Team manager: Peter Oakes
PLYMOUTH DEVILS 38
Seemond Stephens 2 1 4! 2 1 (10)
Tim Webster FX FX R (0)
Tom Brown R 2 4# 2 2 F (10)
Rob Smith 1 1* 1* 2 (5+2)
Nicki Glanz 2 1 3 0 (6)
Jaimie Pickard 2* 0 0 0 (2+1)
Ben Hopwood 3 0 1* 1* (5+2)
Team manager: Mike Bowden
Referee: Tony Steele
! = tactical ride
# = tactical substitute from 15m
HEAT DETAILS:
1: (Re-run) Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), 62.57 (4-2; 41-56).
2: Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), Campos (O), Johnson (O), 64.25 (5-7; 42-61).
3: Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Smith (P), Brown (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 63.57 (10-8; 47-62).
4: Betson (O), Glanz (P), Johnson (O), Hopwood (P) (fell, remounted), 63.06 (14-10; 51-64).
5: Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Stephens (P), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (19-11; 56-65).
6: Smethills (O), Martin (O), Glanz (P), Pickard (P), 62.62 (24-12; 61-66).
7: (Re-run) Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Campos (O), 62.65 (27-15; 64-69).
8: Martin (O), Brown (P) (t/s - off 15m), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.56 (30-20; 67-74).
9: Glanz (P), Frampton (O), Bargh (O), Pickard (P), 62.91 (33-23; 70-77).
10: Smethills (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Martin (O), 62.16 (36-26; 73-80).
11: Betson (O), Stephens (P) (tactical ride), Campos (O), Webster (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 62.65 (40-30; 77-84).
12: Bargh (O), Brown (P), Johnson (O), Pickard (P) (fell, remounted), 63.63 (44-32; 81-86).
13: Betson (O), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Glanz (P), 61.69 (48-34; 85-88).
14: Frampton (O), Smith (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.41 (51-37; 88-91).
15: Betson (O), Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Brown (P) (fell), 62.69 (56-38; 93-92).
HEAT 1: Lee Smethills bolted from the tapes and was leading Seemond Stephens and Sam Martin, when Tim Webster clipped the back of Martin's bike entering the third turn and took a pearler. Webster was OK, but excluded from the re-run, which was led all the way by Smethills, with Martin threatening on Stephens's outside but unable to get through into second place, as the Cheetahs started the night with a 4-2.
(Re-run) Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Martin (O), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), 62.57 (4-2; 41-56).
HEAT 2: This race was a 5-1 all the way to the Devils reserve pairing of Ben Hopwood and Jaimie Pickard - as the Cheetahs slipped to 19 points behind on aggregate.
Hopwood (P), Pickard (P), Campos (O), Johnson (O), 64.25 (5-7; 42-61).
HEAT 3: Andrew Bargh & Jordan Frampton jetted into the lead, with Tom Brown in pursuit of Frampton. However, Brown went too wide on the third bend of lap 3 and came down, remounting in fourth place behind team-mate Rob Smith. A 5-1 to the Cheetahs - who regained the lead on the night.
Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Smith (P), Brown (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 63.57 (10-8; 47-62).
HEAT 4: For the second race running, it was the Cheetahs who were fastest from the tapes, with Danny Betson & Brendan Johnson first & second into the first bend. Johnson moved wide to stop Hopwood's outside run on the second bend, but Nicki Glanz spotted the gap and came roaring through on the inside. Fourth-placed Hopwood slipped off on the second bend of lap 2, while trying to close the gap on Johnson, as the Cheetahs took another two points out of Plymouth's aggregate lead.
Betson (O), Glanz (P), Johnson (O), Hopwood (P) (fell, remounted), 63.06 (14-10; 51-64).
HEAT 5: Bargh gated, and then rode an aggressive second bend to put a stop to Stephens's outside charge. Frampton then took up chase of Stephens, and got closer and closer, before forcing a way through on the first bend of the final lap. As the leading three riders headed down the back straight, the red lights came on, as fourth-placed Webster had fallen on the final bend of lap 3. Ironically, Webster remounted just as the lights came on, so the race could have reached its conclusion. Referee Tony Steele considered his options, before awarding the race as a 5-1 to the Cheetahs.
Bargh (O), Frampton (O), Stephens (P), Webster (P) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (19-11; 56-65).
HEAT 6: Another sharp start from Smethills, while second-placed Glanz was soon under pressure from the wide-riding Martin. Martin closed in, and at the conclusion of the second lap, swooped around the outside and shot past the Dane. Another 5-1 to the Cheetahs, who closed to just five points behind on aggregate.
Smethills (O), Martin (O), Glanz (P), Pickard (P), 62.62 (24-12; 61-66).
HEAT 7: Betson was quickest away, however there was a slight contact between Betson & Smith entering the first bend, and Smith came tumbling down. A straightforward "first bend bunching" decision for Tony Steele. In the re-run, Betson again beat the Plymouth pair into the first bend, who followed him home in the first shared heat of the evening.
(Re-run) Betson (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Campos (O), 62.65 (27-15; 64-69).
HEAT 8: Plymouth team manager Mike Bowden introduced Tom Brown as a tactical substitute off the 15m marker. Martin & Johnson beat Hopwood from the tapes, and Hopwood was quick to allow Brown into third place. Johnson did his best to resist, but couldn't stop a charging Brown from blasting around him on the back straight of lap 2. Brown realised that race-leader Martin had an uncatchable lead, and instead played a tactical game on the final lap, slowing down and getting in the way of Johnson. As a result, Johnson slipped wide on the final bend and Hopwood snatched third place. A 5-3 to the Devils - and the Cheetahs still had plenty to do.
Martin (O), Brown (P) (t/s - off 15m), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.56 (30-20; 67-74).
HEAT 9: Glanz made a good start from the inside, and then showed plenty of aggression as he moved both Frampton and Bargh wide on the second bend. Glanz became Plymouth's second heat-winner, while Frampton and Bargh were both beaten for the first time.
Glanz (P), Frampton (O), Bargh (O), Pickard (P), 62.91 (33-23; 70-77).
HEAT 10: Another tapes-to-flag for Smethills ahead of Brown, but all eyes were on Martin's pursuit of third-placed Smith. However, Martin drifted too wide on the second bend of the final lap, and Plymouth's aggregate lead remained at seven points.
Smethills (O), Brown (P), Smith (P), Martin (O), 62.16 (36-26; 73-80).
HEAT 11: Stephens, nominated as a tactical ride, produced a terrific start from gate 2 and shot into the lead, but a highly determined Betson roared inside Stephens on the third bend in no uncertain style and then roared away to win the race. With Scott Campos holding third place, Webster fell on the fourth bend of lap 1, and although he remounted, the bike was damaged and he soon retired. With Stephens's two points doubled to four, the resultant 4-4 left Oxford still seven points behind on aggregate, with only four heats left...
Betson (O), Stephens (P) (tactical ride), Campos (O), Webster (P) (fell, remounted, ret), 62.25 (40-30; 77-84).
HEAT 12: Bargh led for all four laps, although second-placed Brown was never too far away. Meanwhile, Johnson beat Pickard into the first turn, who then slid off and remounted half a lap behind. Oxford's first heat advantage since Heat 6.
Bargh (O), Brown (P), Johnson (O), Pickard (P) (fell, remounted), 63.63 (44-32; 81-86).
HEAT 13: Real rough stuff on the first corner. Betson emerged in front, while Smethills slipped to the back after a shoulder barge from Stephens. Smethills recovered quickly, and shot around Glanz on the fourth turn. He then took up chase of Smethills, but ran out of time, as the Cheetahs took a second successive 4-2, and the tension moved up yet another notch.
Betson (O), Stephens (P), Smethills (O), Glanz (P), 61.69 (48-34; 85-88).
HEAT 14: The Devils needed a heat advantage to wrap it up, but Frampton got clear of Smith after half a lap and disappeared into the distance to keep Oxford's hopes alive. Fourth-placed Johnson closed in on Hopwood, but then made a mistake and dropped back. A shared race, as Plymouth stayed three points ahead on aggregate heading into the final race...
Frampton (O), Smith (P), Hopwood (P), Johnson (O), 63.41 (51-37; 88-91).
HEAT 15: The maths were very simple - only a 5-1 would do for the Cheetahs, anything less and they were out. Oxford team manager Peter Oakes selected Smethills to accompany the unbeaten Betson, while Plymouth, as expected, plumped for Stephens & Brown. The Cheetahs won the toss and chose gates 2 & 4. Betson emerged from the opening turns in front, but Stephens was in second place. If it remained like that, the Devils would have gone through. But third-placed Smethills was a man on a mission, and when Stephens left a gap on the inside on the fourth bend, Smethills bustled his way through to the accompaniment of a huge roar from the Cowley crowd. Stephens then dropped to fourth, as Brown took up chase of Smethills. Welshman Brown started to close in, and it looked like there could be one final dramatic twist. Heading into the third bend of the final lap, Brown was close to Smethills and went for a "do-or-die" charge around the outside. He didn't make, baling out halfway around the turn and thudding into the air fence. The Oxford riders charged across the line in first and second, although the celebrations became a little muted when it realised that Brown was still flat out on his back on the track. A bumped and bruised Brown took a couple of minutes to get to his feet, and then Betson & Smethills were mobbed by their team-mates, mechanics and track staff. A quite remarkable night.
Betson (O), Smethills (O), Stephens (P), Brown (P) (fell), 62.69 (56-38; 93-92).