Premier League
Somerset Rebels 52, Scunthorpe Scorpions 38
SOMERSET Rebels stormed to a 14-point win over Scunthorpe at the Oaktree Arena on Friday.
The protagonists from the 2012 Premier League Grand Final were meeting for the fourth time since that epic encounter, and in the intervening years the Rebels have had the better of their battles at the Oak Tree Arena.
The first two meetings after the Grand Final were tight affairs, but the 2014 renewal saw a resounding victory for the Rebels, so predicting a result in this rekindling of the rivalry would not be as easy as you may think.
With the Rebels at full strength, the Scorpions were missing three of their original septet, with Josh Auty, David Howe and Ellis Perks all sidelined with injury, throw in the return of former Rebel Alex Davies, with the introduction of the ever improving and exciting reserve Nike Lunna, and you have the makings of a fascinating affair. Ben Barker and Matt Williamson filled the spots of Auty and Perks, with Howe’s absence being covered by rider replacement.
Whilst the Somerset Rebels always appeared comfortable and you never had the impression that they would lose the meeting, the Scorpions never let them out of their sights for a long period of the match and the Rebels had to be at the top of their game.
One lapse of concentration could have seen their slender early lead wiped out, or worse lose it completely.
As it transpired they finally broke the Scorpions at a decisive time in the match, leaving them struggling to take anything away for their endeavours.
Brady Kurtz once again top scored with 12-points for the Rebels, but his first heat failure saw his chance of a second successive full maximum at the Oaktree Arena disappear.
He was fully backed by the remainder of the team, with Charles Wright and Josh Grajczonek posting 10-points each, Paul Starke paid 10points (7+3), and Leigh Lanham paid nine points (8+1).
For the visitors, Alex Davies showed his knowledge of the fastest way to negotiate the Highbridge circuit, with a 10pt haul, backed up by Ben Barker and Theo Pijper, with paid 9pts apiece (8+1).
Kurtz performance earned him the ‘Rider of the Night’ award, presented by Steve Carpenter, the representative of the 'Cases' Somerset Rebels ‘Company of the Month’ award winners, David Salisbury Conservatories of Highbridge.
The Rebels take on the Newcastle Diamonds at the Oaktree Arena on Friday.
Somerset Rebels - 52
1 Brady Kurtz - 0, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 12
2 Leigh Lanham - 3, 1, 2, 2* = 8+1
3 Richie Worrall - 0, 0, 1*, 3 = 4+1
4 Charles Wright - 3, 3, 2, 2 = 10
5 Josh Grajczonek - 3, 3, 2, 1, 1 = 10
6 Paul Starke - 3, 1*, 1*, 1, 1* = 7+3
7 Benji Compton - 1, 0, 0 = 1
Scunthorpe Scorpions - 38
1 Ben Barker (Guest) - 1*, 2, 3, 2, 0 = 8+1
2 Theo Pijper - 2, 2, 1*, 3, 0 = 8+1
3 Rider Replacement
4 Carl Wilkinson - 1*, 2, 0, 0, 3 = 6+1
5 Alex Davies - 2, 2, 3, 1, Flx, 2 = 10
6 Matt Williamson (Guest) - 0, 0, 0 = 0
7 Nike Lunna - 2, 1*, 1*, 0, 2, 0 = 6+2
SCB Referee: Christina Turnbull
Heat Results
Heat 01: Lanham, Pijper, Barker, Kurtz (3-3) (3-3) 57.57
Heat 02: Starke, Lunna, Compton, Williamson (4-2) (7-5) 57.75
Heat 03: Wright, Pijper, Wilkinson, Worrall (3-3) (10-8) 57.81
Heat 04: Grajczonek, Davies, Lunna, Compton (3-3) (13-11) 57.19
Heat 05: Wright, Barker, Pijper, Worrall (3-3) (16-14) 58.62
Heat 06: (Re-Run) Kurtz, Davies, Lanham, Williamson (4-2) (20-16) 57.56
Heat 07: Grajczonek, Wilkinson, Lunna, Compton (3-3) (23-19) 58.00
Heat 08: Pijper, Lanham, Starke, Lunna (3-3) (26-22) 58.56
Heat 09: Davies, Wright, Worrall, Williamson (3-3) (29-25) 58.22
Heat 10: (Re-Run) Kurtz, Lanham, Davies, Wilkinson (5-1) (34-26) 57.65
Heat 11: Barker, Grajczonek, Starke, Pijper (3-3) (37-29) 58.79
Heat 12: Worrall, Lunna, Starke, Wilkinson (4-2) (41-31) 58.59
Heat 13: (Re-Run) Kurtz, Barker, Grajczonek, Davies (Fell-Exl) (4-2) (45-33) 58.91
Heat 14: Wilkinson, Wright, Starke, Lunna (3-3) (48-36) 59.78
Heat 15: Kurtz, Davies, Grajczonek, Barker (4-2) (52-38) 57.81
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