Poole Pirates 53, Oxford Cheetahs 37 JT/FOX Oxford Cheetahs' preparations for their league title bid suffered a blow with an emphatic defeat in the Craven Shield at Poole.

Oxford were always going to be up against it without Todd Wiltshire.

Lukas Dryml and Andrew Appleton did return to the side although they were clearly race rusty.

Poole took the early advantage in heat one with a 4-2, and it was a lead that was never to be surrendered.

It was, however, not going to be a night of classic action as the track preparation left a lot to be desired with great plumes of dust flying into the air on both bends.

A good ride from Ales Dryml in heat two saw him get pushed wide on the first turn, only to ride a cracking line along the back straight to get past Craig Watson and hold a shared heat with Appleton.

The Pirates opened up a four-point advantage in the next heat after Lukas Dryml made a good gate and was holding second place until he was forced to retire with engine problems.

Cheetahs were given some hope in heat four when an electric gate from Ales Dryml saw him beat Tony Rickardsson to the first turn.

A demonstration of the state of the track followed, as despite Rickardsson trying everything he knew to pass, there was no grip for him to do so.

Leigh Adams tucked in for third and the gap was back to just two points.

With a fine rain falling very heavily, conditions started to deteriorate and the faster-gating Pirates hit the Cheetahs with two maximum heat wins in the next three heats to extend the lead to ten points.

Oxford continued to struggle and another Pirates maximum in heat 11 sealed the win.

**Poole: Havelock 7+2, Walasek 11, Stonehewer 6+2, Zetterstrom 8, Rickardsson 10+1, Gunnestad 9+2, Watson 2

**Oxford: Andersen 2, L Dryml 4+1, Johnston 10, Adams 11, Appleton 2, A Dryml 8+1.

**HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Walasek, Andersen, Havelock, Appleton. 60.4. Heat 2: Gunnestad, Appleton, A Dryml, Watson. 60.2. Heat 3: Stonehewer, Johnston, Zetterstrom, L Dryml. 60.3. Heat 4: A Dryml, Rickardsson, Adams, Watson. 59.8. Heat 5: Zetterstrom, Stonehewer, Johnston, Andersen. 60.5. Heat 6: Adams, Walasek, Havelock, Appleton. 60.1. Heat 7: Gunnestad, Rickardsson, Johnston, L Dryml. 61.2. Heat 8: Walasek, A Dryml, Watson, Andersen. 60.8. Heat 9: Adams, Zetterstrom, Stonehewer, Appleton. 60.4. Heat 10: Havelock, L Dryml, Walasek, Johnston (rtd). 61.2. Heat 11: Rickardsson, Gunnestad, A Dryml, Andersen. 61.3. Heat 12: Adams, L Dryml, Watson, Stonehewer (rtd). 61.8. Heat 13: Rickardsson, Havelock, Adams, A Dryml. 63.9. Heat 14: Johnston, Zetterstrom, Gunnestad, L Dryml. 62.7. Heat 15: Johnston, Walasek, A Dryml, Zetterstrom. 62.0.