Danyon Hume says that his Berwick Jewson Bandits side means business after rattling in seven heat maximums in winning the the first leg of the Border Trophy 56-34 in the Borders.
The winter signing, one of five Bandits’ debutants on the night, top scored with 12 points and set the home side on their way with a stunning victory over visiting big guns Craig Cook and Claus Vissing in the opening heat.
Cook crashed out of the meeting with a suspected broken thumb in his second ride and that misfortune, as well as costing Workington a 5-1, put their inexperienced middle order under huge pressure.
Former Bandit Vissing and. to a lesser extent Troy Batchelor. kept Workington afloat, two 5-1s from the final three heats giving the scoreline a sheen of respectability.
Bandits showed strength in depth with reserves Bastian Borke and Freddy Hodder rattling in eight points each. Jye Etheridge was also among the points and Berwick dominated despite modest returns from their top two of Rory Schlein and Lewis Kerr.
Finnish racer Antti Vuolas was the pick of Comets debutants and and German Celina Liebmann was gifted her first professional point in Britain when teammate Sam McGurk suffered mechanical problems.
Drew Kemp was unlucky to shed a chain at the start of heat three and was fined by referee Graeme Hunter for not leaving the track. Hunter put on the red lights with Kemp parked next to the kerb at the start line with Vuolas and Tate Zischke on a 5-1. Workington’s sense of injustice was heightened when Etheridge took a tapes to flag victory in the rerun.
Young Dane Borke overcame some sluggish gating with two tremendous swoops off the fourth bend banking at Shielfield while Hodder’s bravery to roar past Batchelor down the back straight had a healthy opening night crowd roaring its approval.
The second leg of the challenge match is scheduled for Workington on Sunday and Hume added: “It was an enjoyable night both personally and as a team.
“Winning well is a good start to the season and I think we showed that Berwick are a solid team unit and also that we mean business this season.”
Glasgow Tigers are the next visitors to Shielfield Park on Saturday in the BSN Series.
Bandits: Lewis Kerr 4+2, Danyon Hume 12, Jye Etheridge 10+1, Drew Kemp 7+1, Rory Schlein 7+1, Freddy Hodder 8+3, Bastian Borke 8+2
Comets:Â Craig Cook 2, Claus Vissing 13+1, Antti Vuolas 4, Tate Zischke 2+1, Troy Batchelor 8+2, Sam McGurk 4, Celina Liebmann 1
PICTURE: Action from Saturday in the Borders by Taz McDougall
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
