Speedway: Sheffield secure bonus point in last heat decider but Craig Cook scores big for Oxford

Sheffield’s big guns ensured a win and a bonus point in a Rowe Motor Oil Premiership win over Oxford, but the visitors’ Craig Cook made Tigers work hard for the victory.

The Tru7 Group Tigers led throughout the meeting, right from Grand Prix series leader Jack Holder and skipper Kyle Howarth’s heat one 4-2 victory over Maciej Janowski and Erik Riss.

And the victory on the night was virtually secured by the end of heat 13, which saw Holder and Tigers’ three time former World Champion Tai Woffinden secure a 5-1 advantage over Janowski and Chris Harris.

But Oxford kept the fight for the aggregate bonus point alive, after bringing Cook into heat 14 in a reserve switch for Ashton Boughen. Cook, who was a Tigers rider in 2022, and was making his Oxford debut after coming in as a short term replacement for the injured Louis Kerr, had ridden superbly, and had won three of his four heats going into what was the penultimate heat.

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He and Rohan Tungate led the Sheffield pair of Josh Pickering and Dan Gilkes from the gate, and looked as though they could pick up a 5-1, after Pickering had a particularly slow start. But the Tigers’ Aussie number four came roaring back to pass Tungate, but could not quite catch Cook.

It meant Oxford needed a 5-1 in the last heat to beat Tigers to the bonus point. And although Cook continued his winning return to the Premiership by winning again, a second place for Holder and a third place for Woffinden, ahead of Tungate, secured the bonus point for the Tigers.

The bonus point means Tigers jump above Oxford, and move up to second in the table, two points behind leaders Ipswich, who have ridden one more meeting then the Tigers.

Sheffield 49: Tai Woffinden 12+1, Jack Holder 11+2, Chris Holder 10, Dan Gilkes 5+1, Kyle Howarth 5, Josh Pickering 4, Jason Edwards 2.

Oxford 41: Craig Cook 16, Rohan Tungate 10, Erik Riss 7, Maciej Janowski 4, Chris Harris 3, Charles Wright 1+1, Ashton Boughen 0.

Sheffield win the aggregate point 92-88.

League table: Ipswich Meetings 6 Points 11, Sheffield 5 9, Leicester 7 9, Oxford 7 9, Belle Vue 6 8, Birmingham 8 3, Kings Lynn 5 2.