Berwick Bandits 48 Ipswich Witches 45

Ben Barker roared to an 18-point maximum as Ipswich Witches grabbed a Premier League point at Berwick on Saturday night.

The Ipswich No.1 produced his best performance in a Witches jacket since joining the team, sealing his fifth win of the night in the final heat as the Witches battled back from 10 points down to salvage something from this clash. Things could have been even brighter for the visitors from Suffolk had Morten Risager managed to link-up with Barker in the final race for a maximum score. But Risager couldn’t manage it, despite three stirring heat wins in his previous three races.

Barker was used as a tactical rider in heat five with the visitors already 10 points down and he and Cameron Heeps reduced the deficit with a 7-2 heat victory.

Better was to follow for the visitors in heat seven as Risager and Rohan Tungate netted a maximum race win to reduce the deficit to just three.

But despite Witches riders winning the last six heats, they couldn’t get the heat advantages to take all the points.

Scorers: Berwick: C Cook 8+1, D Bellego 6+2, R Aspegren 10, M Wethers 6, K Smith 8+1, P Starke 4, N Barrett 6+3.

Ipswich: B Barker 18, R Hawkins 1, R Tungate 7+1, M Risager 9, L Lanham 4, A Ellis 0, C Heeps 6.

Heat details

1 Barker, Cook, Bellego, Hawkins, 64.6 3-3; 2 Starke Barrett, Heeps, Ellis, 66.8 8-4; 3 Aspegren, Tungate, Wethers, Risager, 67.0 12-6; 4 Smith, Barrett, Heeps, Lanham, 66.6 17-7; 5 Barker*, Wethers, Heeps, Aspegren, 65.1 19-14; 6 Cook, Lanham, Bellego, Ellis, 65.4 23-16; 7 Risager, Tungate, Starke, Smith (f\x), no time, 24-21; 8 Bellego, Heeps, Barrett, Hawkins, 66.3 28-23; 9 Aspegren, Lanham, Wethers, Ellis, 66.2 32-25; 10 Risager, Cook, Bellego, Tungate, 65.3 35-28; 11 Barker, Smith, Hawkins, Starke, 66.2 37-32; 12 Tungate, Aspegren, Barrett, Heeps, 66.3 40-35; 13 Barker, Smith, Cook, Lanham 65.2 43-38; 14 Risager, Wethers, Heeps, Starke (f/x) 65.9 45-42; 15 Barker, Aspegren, Smith, Risager 65.5, 48-45.

*tac ride points count double Berwick 2pts. Ipswich 1pt.