Oxford Cheetahs 54, Poole Pirates 36

A 2,000-plus crowd, the best for years, saw rampant Cheetahs scuttle the Pirates in this blistering Elite League clash at the Stadium last night.

League leaders Poole never knew what hit them as Cheetahs had the meeting virtually won by the interval.

Both clubs had to do without riders because of the Danish championships, while Poole also missed skipper Gary Havelock with flu. But I doubt if it would have made any difference.

The Buckaroos, Todd Wiltshire and Steve Johnston, Cheetahs' club and team captains respectively, were back on top form.

Both have been struggling this season, but in the last couple of meetings have started to fire on all cylinders - and the fans saw their real talents against the south coast outfit last night.

Wiltshire, gating like the man we know, and Johnston demonstrated some superb team riding as they plundered two 5-1's in their opening rides.

It got even better for Wiltshire in heat six as he and Lukas Dryml wiped the floor with three-times world champion Tony Rickardsson who minutes earlier had posted 57.9 secs, the fastest time of the season.

Cheetahs were flying now and the Pirates were forced into using tactical subs from heat seven.

It looked to be paying off in heat eight as Rickardsson and Craig Watson stole a march for what looked a certain 5-1. That is, until Lukas Dryml powered through on the inside off the last bend to bring the klaxon horns a-blasting.

Rickardsson gained his revenge for the Wiltshire defeat earlier, but he had to scrap for it the early stages of heat nine as Wiltshire flew by, only to go wide and allow the Swede to hit back in style.

In heat ten, Lukas Dryml, one of the most improved riders of the season, again showed he has learned a lot by keeping the red hot Pole Krzystof Cegielski in control, as he drew level down the back straight to stay with Johnston for Cheetahs fifth maximum of the night.

By now, any chances of the Pirates raising the Jolly Roger, even though Cegielski showed his talents in heat 12 by relegating Wiltshire to second, though Ales Dryml took care of Greg Walasek to share the heat.

Leigh Adams again showed his class by taking Jason Lyons and Rickardsson on the outside, coming out the second bend in heat 13 as Lukas Dryml dropped a chain soon after the start.

However, brother Ales more than made up for his misfortune by team-riding with Johnston to hold off the determined challenge of Cegielski in the penultimate heat.

Rickardsson won the last, but it didn't matter as Johno and Wiltshire are back - and how! Oxford: Adams 14+2, Wiltshire 13+1, Johnston 11+4, L Dryml 9+2, A Dryml 7+1, Appleton 0. 54 pts.

Poole: Rickardsson 14+1, Cegielski 7+1, Watson 6+1, Lyons 6, Walasek 2+1, Gunnestad 1. 36 pts.

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: L Dryml, Adams, Watson, Lyons (ret). 59.3 secs.

Heat 2: Watson, Walasek, A Dryml, Appleton. 59.8.

Heat 3: Wiltshire, Johnston, Cegielski, Gunnestad. 59.5.

Heat 4: (re-run) Rickardsson, A Dryml, Adams, Watson. 57.9.

Heat 5: Johnston, Wiltshire, Gunnestad, Lyons. 60.5.

Heat 6: Wiltshire, L Dryml, Rickardsson, Walasek. 59.3.

Heat 7: Adams, Lyons, Cegielski, Appleton. 58.73.

Heat 8: Rickardsson, L Dryml, Watson, A Dryml. 59.7.

Heat 9: Rickardsson, Wiltshire, Johnston, Walasek. 58.7.

Heat 10: Johnston, L Dryml, Cegielski, Gunnestad. 60.5.

Heat 11: Adams, Lyons, Watson, Appleton. 59.3.

Heat 12: Cegielski, Wiltshire, A Dryml, Walasek. 60.8.

Heat 13: Adams, Lyons, Rickardsson, L Dryml (ret). 59.3.

Heat 14: A Dryml, Johnston, Cegielski, Watson. 60.9.

Heat 15: Rickardsson, Adams, Wiltshire, Cegielski. 59.4. BIRDSEYE VIEW: Aussies Todd Wiltshire and Steve Johnston rule the roost as Cheetahs thrash leaders Poole