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Somerset Rebels v Stoke Potters
Premier League, 25 August 2006
Oak Tree Arena, Somerset

Somerset 58
1Magnus Zetterstrom23333 ..140
2Glen Phillips0120. ..30
3Stephan Katt002*2*. ..42
4Emil Kramer3333. ..120
5Glenn Cunningham33311 ..110
6Simon Walker302*1. ..61
7Ben Barker2*2*13. ..82
Stoke 34
1Paul Thorp31*0^22 ..81
2Trent Leverington1231. ..70
3Paul Clews1*1*1*1. ..43
4Robbie Kessler2224^0 ..100
5Mark Lemon121.. ..40
6Barrie Evans10000 0.10
7(g)Matthew BatesF00.. ..00

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Somerset were at full strength for this match but Stoke had Matt Bates as a guest at number seven in place of Luke Priest.

Stoke were handicapped by a virus infection from which Mark Lemon was suffering which caused him to pull out of the match after his third ride. The Potters were already struggling at that point trailing by 12 points and, with both their reserves contributing nothing by way of points, they went down to a heavy defeat.

In the opening heat Paul Thorp created a bit of a sensation by becoming the first rider to beat Magnus Zetterstrom round the Oak Tree Arena since Ross Brady for Rye House in heat 10 of the Premier League match on 14 July. Trent Leverington took third place so the Potters took a 2-4 heat advantage. Their joy didn’t last long as the Somerset reserves took a 5-1 in heat 2 to put the Rebels two points in front but Kessler and Clews followed Emil Kramer home for a shared heat 3. Heat 4 produced another 5-1 for the home side as Cunningham and Barker finished ahead of Mark Lemon taking the score after four races to 15-9.

Paul Thorp touched the tapes in heat 5 (!) so had to go from 15 metres back. Emil Kramer won the race but Trent Leverington held up Katt sufficiently for Thorp to make up the handicap and pass Katt for a shared race. Mark Lemon split the Zetterstrom/Phillips pairing in heat 6 for a 4-2 to the Rebels then Glenn Cunningham won heat 7 from Kessler and Clews for a shared race. Trent Leverington won heat 8 for another shared heat which took the score to 28-20.

Kramer and Katt scored a 5-1 ahead of Mark Lemon in heat 9 but that was the end of the action for Lemon who withdrew from the meeting feeling unwell. Zetterstrom won heat 10 but for the third time running Kessler and Clews filled the minor places after a great tussle with Phillips to share the points. Twelve points down Stoke gave Paul Thorp a TR in heat 11 but he finished last as Cunningham and Walker added another 5-1 stretching the Rebels’ lead to 16 points. The Potters then fell 20 points in arrears as Ben Barker and Stephan Katt added another maximum in heat 12 with both riders passing Paul Clews, the early race leader, taking the score to 46-26.

Paul Thorp threatened to beat Magnus Zetterstrom again by leading the Somerset number 1 for three laps in heat 13 but Zetterstrom passed him for a 4-2 with Cunningham finishing third. As usual with Stoke, Robbie Kessler took a TR in heat 14 but he was no match for Emil Kramer who completed his four ride maximum. Kessler finished second but had a job on his hands in beating Simon Walker to do so. The heat was shared 4-4. Finally Magnus Zetterstrom beat Paul Thorp again in heat 15 and the Rebels finished with a 4-2 when Glenn Cunningham made a last gasp pass on Robbie Kessler to earn them a 24 point lead for the bonus when the teams meet at Loomer Road next month.

Match Report by Merlin