Speedway: Winning start for Sheffield as Tiger cubs begin National Development League campaign

Sheffield’s new National Development League side got off to a winning start with victory over Middlesbrough.

After a slow start, the club’s junior side, run as a joint junior team with Scunthorpe, the Sheffield Autocraft Tiger Cubs battled back to win at Owlerton, on a night that the senior Sheffield side saw their own Premiership meeting with Ipswich rained off.

Having trailed 15-21 after heat six, the youngsters appeared to settle down on the Sheffield track as the meeting progressed, turning the tables to win 48-42 in the end.

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Riding at number one, Jack Smith, a Tigers senior rider in 2018, top scored for the cubs, dropping only one point during the evening ,to finish on 14, while Ace Pijper, who rode a senior Premiership meeting for the Tigers as a guest last season, scored 12, paid 14.

Sheffield: Jack Smith 14, Ace Pijper 12+2. Stene Pijper 6+1, Luke Harrison 5, Mickie Simpson 4+1, Sheldon Davies 4, Kean Dicken 3

Middlesbrough: Ben Trigger 11, Jamie Halder 10,Jake Mulford 7, Danny Phillips 5+1, Ben Rathbone 4+2, Kai Ward 4+1, William Hockaniuk 1+1.