MATCH REPORT: Northern 4’s Round 3
Report by Rob Mawhood, photos courtesy of Bury CSC
Bury Comets extended their lead in the Northern 4s League with a third successive win at Heckmondwike. Stockport had to withdraw, with riders again unavailable. Meaning sixteen of the 24 races featured three riders only. Bury riders won 10 of the 16 races they competed in to finish eight points clear. Harry Radford raced unbeaten, as did Reece Pollitt (though he did get a tapes exclusion). Mike Baldock (2) and Danny Taylor (1) also won races in an all round team performance.
There was a battle royal for second place. Hull pipping Astley by one point when Lewis Foxley completed his maximum score by defeating John White in the very last race. Jack Lister also won three races for Hull, while Astley’s top scorer was super vet Steve Harris, winning three of his four races. John White (2) and Charlie Burgess (1) also recorded race wins for Astley. Hosts Heckmondwike took 4th place ahead of Sheffield, with Darren Kent finishing ahead of Kielan Burton in the final race. The Saints and Stars managed only one race win between them, Pawel Idziorek victorious in heat 18.
Scores
Heckmondwike Saints (39)
Mark Rushby 11, Darren Kent 10, Dan Green 10, Justin Naylor 4, Patrick Beacock 4.
Hull (45)
Jason Keith 7, David Cooper 6, Jack Lister 15, Lewis Foxley 16, Noah Lyon 1.
Sheffield Stars (37)
Pawel Idziorek 9, Kielan Burton 8, Emily Burgess 6, Laura Watson 5, Kyle Holland 9.
Stockport (0)
Astley and Tyldesley (44)
Charlie Burgess 10, Steve Harris 14, Duncan Whalley 9, John White 11, Owen Simcock DNR.
Bury Comets (53)
Reece Pollitt 12, Harry Radford 16, Mike Baldock 13, Danny Taylor 12, Tom Dunphy DNR.
Referee – Andy Schofield (Hull)
Current Northern 4s Table
Bury Comets 15 (161)
Hull 11.5 (143)
Sheffield Stars 8.5 (126)
Astley and Tyldesley 7 (124)
Heckmondwike Saints 4 (104)
Stockport 0 (0)
Sheffield Stars then went on to win the Northern Junior Grand Prix, Will Banyard (Div Two) and Laura Watson (Womens) both winning their categories with 16 point maximums.
The Junior Grand Prix started with the under 10s and 13s ladder series. Bobby Dunphy (under 10s) and Jayden Hancock (under 13s) were once again top of their age groups, both increasing their overall lead.
Scores
Under 10
Bobby Dunphy (Bury) 16
Eddie Owalabi-Oshea (Sheffield) 15
Lincoln Ackroyd (Sheffield) 14
Jayden Bennett (Hull) 13
Elwood Harrison (Hull) 12
Alex Lawless (Astley) 11
Elijah Rechembei (Astley) 10
James Vanner (Heckmondwike) 9
Polly Gowans (Hull) 8
Under 13
Jayden Hancock (Bury) 16
Oliver Banyard (Sheffield) 15
Elliott Long (Heckmondwike) 14
Harry Gibson (Hull) 13
Will Hollich (Hull) 12
Frazer Burmo (Heckmondwike) 11
Charlie Harrison (Hull) 10
Joseph Green (Heckmondwike) 9
Charlie Taylor (Sheffield) 8
Raganvie Kakumani (Heckmondwike) 7.
Referee – Darren Kent (Heckmondwike)
Five riders contested the under 16s, providing some very close racing. Tom Dunphy (Bury) won three races but lost out to first place with a last race tapes exclusion. Duncan Whalley (Astley) profiting by winning with 14 points. Duncan moves into the overall lead by one point.
John White (Astley) won all four races in the under 19s to win with a maximum score, and moves five points clear in the overall standings.
Laura Watson (Sheffield) did the same in the Womens event, winning all four races for a maximum score. The win takes Laura into the overall lead, two points ahead of Kacey Bennett (Hull) and Lacey Ackroyd (Sheffield).
The Division Two event saw Will Banyard (Sheffield) race to his third successive 16 point maximum score, extending his overall lead over Darren Kent (Heckmondwike) who lost out to team mate Dan Green.
Scores
Under 16
Duncan Whalley (Astley) 14
Tom Dunphy (Bury) 12
Noah Lyon (Hull) 10
Liam Bennett (Hull) 8
Joe Brownell (Sheffield) 5
Under 19
John White (Astley) 16
Kielan Burton (Sheffield) 12
Owen Simcock (Astley) 7
Ryan Tompkinson (Hull) 5
Womens
Laura Watson (Sheffield) 16
Lacey Ackroyd (Sheffield) 12
Kacey Bennett (Hull) 8
Ellice Metcalfe (Heckmondwike) 4
Division Two
Wil Banyard (Sheffield) 16
Darren Kent (Heckmondwike) 15
Dan Green (Heckmondwike) 14
Pat Beacock (Heckmondwike) 13
Justin Naylor (Heckmondwike) 13
Patrick O’Shea (Sheffield) 10
Mark Radford (Bury) 9
Kieran Hale (Sheffield) 8
Stuart Hardacre (Heckmondwike) 7
Lee Warhurst (Heckmondwike) 0 (injured in first race fall).
Referee – Kyle Holland
Team scores
Sheffield 131
Heckmondwike 116
Hull 99
Astley 58
Bury 53
League Table (after 3 rounds)
Hull 13 (387)
Sheffield 12 (318)
Heckmondwike 8 (274)
Astley 8 (196)
Bury 4 (145)
Stockport 0 (0)
Round 4 is at Stockport on July 30th.