Ipswich Witches got their season off to a flying start with a four-point victory at King's Lynn on opening night of the 2021 season.
The Suffolk side were in imperious form from the off, flying from the starts time after time - their Norfolk opposition simply had no answer.
The start time was put back 45 minutes because of the big queues that had built up. But it was certainly nice to see fans back in stadia.
But when the action got underway it was the visitors who flew from the tapes - young Anders Rowe starring with a succession of heat wins.
Lynn had no response as the Suffolk side had the meeting sewn up with three races to go.
The Witches got off to the best possible start in a heat one that took three times to take place. Eventually Danny King and Jason Crump led from the front to give the Witches a 5-1
Anders Rowe, in his first ever Witches race shot up the inside of Lewis Bridger to lead all the way in a drawn heat two. Both Witches were away well in the next, but Thomas Jorgensen swept around Heeps in another 3-3.
Rowe was at it again in heat four, gating and beating Stars top man, Erik Riss, as the Witches took a six-point lead.
Crump fell in heat five as the Stars hit back with a maximum of their own, but then the visitors struck two maximums of their own, as their fine gating continued, heat seven a great race between Bridger and Heeps, who passed and swapped places, with Heeps coming out on top.
The Witches continued to turn the screw as Crump and Rowe gained another maximum in heat eight, before bad luck befell the Stars in heat nine.
Kerr and Jorgensen looked set for a 5-1 but Kerr hit the fence and retired with a puncture. And on the final bend King flew round the outside of Jorgensen to win by inches on the line.
The Witches went into the break with a healthy lead 14 point lead and it stayed that way in the next after Rowe passed Bridger to share the spoils in heat 11.
The Witches were closing in and they won the meeting in heat 12, Rowe again the star, heading home Jorgensen with Heeps third.
The visitors finished strongly with maximums of their own, but their opening half of the meeting had cost them and it was the Witches fans in the crowd who went back home to Suffolk delighted.
The Witches are at home to Belle Vue on Thursday night.
Scorers:
King's Lynn Stars:
Craig Cook 1, 1, 3, 3, 3 ... 11
2. Ty Proctor Ex, 0, 1, 1... 2
3. Thomas Jorgensen 3, 3, 2, 2.... 10
4. Lewis Kerr (c) 0, 2*, ef, 3 .... 5+1
5. Erik Riss 2, 1, 3, 2*, 2* ... 10+2
6. Lewis Bridger ex, 2, ef, 0, 0, 2*... 4+1
7. Ryan Kinsley 1*, fell, 0... 1+1
Ipswich Witches
1. Jason Crump 2*, fell, 3, 2, 0, ex 7+1
2. R/R
3. Cameron Heeps 2, 1, 2*, 0, 1... 6+1
4. Ulrich Ostergaard (g) 1*, 3, 2, ex... 6+1
5 Danny King (c) 3, 1, 3, 3, 1, 1.... 12
6 Anders Rowe 3, 3, 2*, 1*, 3... 12+2
7 Drew Kemp 0, 2*, 1, 1.... 4+1
* = bonus point
Heat details
1. King, Crump, Bridger, Cook, Proctor (ex tapes) 59.2 1-5
2. Rowe, Bridger, Kinsley, Kemp 62.8 4-8
3. Jorgensen, Heeps, Ostergaard, Kerr 64.4 7-11
4. Rowe, Riss, King, Kinsley (f) 65.0 9-15
5. Jorgensen, Kerr, Heeps, Crump (f) 65.2 14-16
6. King, Kemp, Cook, Proctor 65.3 15-21
7. Ostergaard, Heeps, Riss, Bridger (ef) 65.0 16-26
8. Crump, Rowe, Proctor, Bridger 64.517-31
9 King, Jorgensen, Kemp, Kerr (e/f) 65.3 19-35
10 Cook, Ostergaard, Proctor, Heeps 65.4 23-37
11. Riss, Crump, Rowe, Bridger 65.0 26-40
12 Rowe, Jorgensen, Heeps, Kinsley 65.0 28-44
13 Cook, Riss, King, Crump 64.8 33-45
14 Kerr, Bridger, Kemp, Ostergaard (fx) 64.3 38-46
15 Cook, Riss*, King, Crump (ex) 64.8 43-47
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