Sheffield Tigers Speedway: Tigers win again as Dan Gilkes hits form against strengthened Peterborough

For the Tru Plant Tigers, the 48-42 victory was a good night for rising star Dan Gilkes, who recorded seven points from four rides at number seven. But for the Panthers, Chris Harris returned to their line-up with 16 points from six rides, sending a message to his former club Leicester, who had dropped him as they made changes to their line-up.

Harris recorded the three fastest times of the evening, beaten only by the Tigers’ three time former world champion Tai Woffinden, who got the better of him twice, in heats 11 and 15.

Woffinden, riding his second home meeting since joining Tigers as an injury replacement for Jack Holder, would have scored more than his eight, paid nine if not for a mechanical failure in heat four which forced him out of that race while in second position. Until that point he had looked likely to team ride the Tigers to a 5-1 with Gilkes, who held off big name Niels Kristian Iverson to hold on to first place.

Tigers most dramatic performance of the night came from skipper Kyle Howarth in heat 10, as he passed Ben Cook on the final bend, with the point that overtake gained by securing his third place giving Tigers a 4-2 heat advantage.

Tigers had the meeting won by the end of heat 12, in which Adam Ellis and Dan Gilkes secured a 4-2 heat advantage to put the home side 10 points clear at 41-31, but Panthers narrowed the gap to six points after putting Harris into heat 14 as a tactical substitute for Jordan Jenkins, Harris and Ben Cook winning the heat 5-1.

That set up a close run final heat, Woffinden beating Harris in a 3-3 heat score.

Tigers remain fifth in the Sports Insure Premiership on 26 points, a point behind Ipswich, but having ridden four fewer meetings

The Witches scheduled Thursday trip to Kings Lynn was postponed.

Sheffield: Tobiasz Musielak 10; Tai Woffinden 8 (1); Kyle Howarth 7 (2); Dan Gilkes 7; Adam Ellis 6(1); Josh Pickering 5 (1); Lewis Kerr 5 (1)

Peterborough: Chris Harris 16; Benjamin Basso 7; Ben Cook 6 (2); Niels-Kristian Iversen 6; Vadim Tarasenko 3 (1); Patryk Wojdylo 3; Jordan Jenkins 1 (1)