Ipswich Witches duo Jason Doyle and Troy Batchelor brought the Foxhall Stadium house down, after winning round two of the Premiership Pairs at Foxhall Stadium.

The two Aussies won a thrilling final against Sheffield as the first Pairs meeting for many decades came to Ipswich.

Ipswich lined up in the final against a Sheffield side who had impressed in the heats and made their way straight into the final, while the Witches and Belle Vue Aces met in the semi-final won by the Witches.

It was a fitting and exciting finale for the home fans who saw plenty of hard racing in this newest of competitions.


It was a warm night at Foxhall Heath with all six Premiership clubs represented, King's Lynn having won the first round at Peterborough.

Sheffield got off to a flier in heat one with a 7-2 victory over Wolverhampton, before Troy Batchelor was squeezed out on turn one as partner Jason Doyle won for the Witches.

How it all unfolded on the night

Hans Andersen was excluded after sliding off in the next, as King's Lynn netted a maximum. Both Sheffield and Ipswich used their rising star reserves in heat four, with Connor Mountain beating Danyon Hume, with Doyle winning again.

Sam Masters produced Wolves first win as Peterborough struck gold in heat six with a maximum. The Foxhall crowd were on their feet in the next as Batchelor and Doyle left Masters in their wake. King's Lynn continued to pack minor placings as they kept the lead in heat eight.

Sheffield continued to impress with another maximum, and Belle Vue did the same a heat later, in race 10 to re-ignite their hopes of victory.

Maximums were now coming thick and fast, Sheffield doing it again to take a commanding lead in the meeting.

Doyle remained unbeaten for the home side as the teams went into the last set of races.

Masters won again for Wolves, but with Douglas passed by Harris, it was the Wolves who went out.

Doyle produced a stunning pass on Lawson to nick third place for the Witches in the final heat 15 to put the Witches into the semi-finals with Belle Vue, with Sheffield straight into the final.

The Witches won a thrilling semi-final with Doyle leading and Batchelor just pipped by Zagar, but hanging onto third, before the grand finale that sent the home crowd home happy.

Scores

Belle Vue: Matej Zagar (2*,0,4,2) = 8+1; Brady Kurtz (3,2,4,3*,4) =16+1; Tom Brennan (0) =0. TOTAL = 24

Ipswich: Jason Doyle (4,4,3*,4,2*) = 17+2; Troy Batchelor (0,4,0,3) =7; Danyon Hume (0) =0 TOTAL= 24

King's Lynn: Richard Lawson (4,2*,2*,0) =8+2; Josh Pickering (3*,3,3,2,4) =15+1; Jake Mulford (0)=0 TOTAL =23

Peterborough: Hans Andersen (f/x,3*,2*,3,) =8+2; Chris Harris (2,4,2,3,2*)= 13+1; Jordan Jenkins (0)=0 TOTAL =21

Sheffield: Tobiasz Musielak (3*,3,4,4,3)=17+1; Adam Ellis (4,3*,3*,0) =10+2; Connor Mountain (2*) = 2 TOTAL =29

Wolves: Sam Masters (2,4,2,2,4) =14; Ryan Douglas (00,f,0) =0; Leon Flint (0)= 0 TOTAL =14

Standings after round two: King’s Lynn 16, Sheffield 16, Ipswich 14, Belle Vue 12, Wolverhampton 4, Peterborough 2.

Heat details

1. Ellis, Musielak, Masters, Douglas 56.4

2. Doyle, Kurtz, Zagar, Batchelor 56.3

3. Lawson, Pickering, Harris, Andersen (f/x) 57.1

4. Doyle, Musielak, Mountain, Hume 57.3

5. Masters, Pickering, Lawson, Flint 57.0

6. Harris, Andersen, Kurtz, Brennan 57.7

7. Batchelor, Doyle, Masters, Douglas 57.9

8. Kurtz, Pickering, Lawson, Zagar 57.6

9. Musielak, Ellis, Harris, Jenkins 56.7

10. Zagar, Kurtz, Masters, Douglas (f) 58.0

11. Musielak, Ellis, Pickering, Mulford 57.4

12. Doyle, Harris, Andersen, Batchelor 57.9

13. Masters, Andersen, Harris, Douglas 58.0

14. Kurtz, Musielak, Zagar, Ellis 57.7

15. Pickering, Batchelor, Doyle, Lawson 58.0

Semi-final: Doyle, Zagar, Batchelor, Kurtz 58.1

Final: Doyle, Musielak, Batchelor, Ellis 57.9