Oxford Cheetahs 47, Poole Pirates 43

GRESHAM Cheetahs 'Kangaroo Kid' Jason Crump sent his fellow 'Roos' packing in a dramatic all -Aussie final heat to lift his team off the bottom of the table at the Stadium last night.

The Elite League victory was all the more meritorious as Cheetahs had to cope without England star Paul Hurry who crashed heavily in heat nine and took no further part in the meeting. The paramedics diagnosed trapped nerves in the lower back, but he went off to hospital for check-up.

Few fans gave Cheetahs little chance after that, as they were already without Todd Wiltshire and guest Scott Nicholls was not proving an adequate guest.

But to their credit, the team pulled out all the stops ,with a superb per formance from reserve Jan Staechmann, who finished on paid 14 points and some exhilarating speedway from Steve Johnston.

The crunch came in heat nine where Hurry mounted the grass verge at the first bend, straightened up and hit the fence hard. He was excluded for his pains and in the re-run Johnston came from third to first in breathtaking style.

First he picked off Lars Gunnestad, and with a super human effort off the last bend, pipped Mark Lemon by no more than tyre's width on the line.

The home fans were warming to to their heroes as both Johnston and Steachmann were at it again in heat 12 where they turned a 5-1 against into a 3-3 after both picked off Gunnestad. A four rider pile-up in the heat 13 looked curtains for Cheetahs as Crump and Boyce tangled at the first bend and both went crashing. With Schofield and Lemon laying their bikes down, it looked a sorry mess.

Fortunately, Crump, who was still limping badly from his ankle injury, was first up, but it was full ten minutes before they got the re-run into action - and only then after Crump and Schofield had to change bikes.

However, Crump won the re-run and Cheetahs clung to their slender two point lead as Staechmann and Johnston again shone in heat 14.

Crump teamed up with Johnston in the showdown and, after seeing off a tigerish Lemon at the first bend and with Johnston tucking in third, it was cheers all the way as Cheetahs edged off the foot of the table. Oxford: Crump 14+1, Staechmann 11+3, Johnston 8+1, Schofield 5+1, Hurry 5, Nicholls 4+1. 47 pts.

Poole: Lemon 15, Jorgensen 9, Sullivan 8, Boyce 7, Gunnestad 3, Zetterstrom 1. 43 pts.

HEAT DETAILS

Heat 1: Crump, Boyce, Jorgensen, Nicholls 57.7 secs. Heat 2: Schofield, Steachmann, Zetterstrom, Gunnestad 60.6. Heat 3: Crump, Sullivan, Boyce, Johnston 58.7. Heat 4: Lemon, Hurry, Staechmann, Zetterstrom 59.9. Heat 5: Jorgensen, Boyce, Johnston, Schofield 59.6. Heat 6: Lemon, Gunnestad, Crump, Nicholls 60.0. Heat 7: Hurry, Schofield, Jorgensen, Sullivan 60.8. Heat 8: Steachmann, Nicholls, Jorgensen, Zetterstrom 59.8. Heat 9: (re-run) Johnston, Lemon, Gunnestad, Hurry (f/exc) 60.8. Heat 10: Lemon, Nicholls, Crump, Sullivan 60.2. Heat 11: Jorgensen, Staechmann, Boyce, Schofield 60.4. Heat 12: Sullivan, Johnston, Staechmann, Gunnestad 61.0. Heat 13: (re-run) Crump, Lemon, Boyce, Schofield 60.8. Heat 14: Sullivan, Staechmann, Johnston, Gunnestad 61.2. Heat 15: Crump, Lemon, Johnston, Boyce 60.0. STORMING ROUND: Oxford's Jason Crump (left) is about to overtake Ryan Sullivan in heat three

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