Steve Worrall’s injury a blow for Wolves

Worrall pulled out with back trouble after taking second place in heat one with the Parrys International Wolves, already without the services of Ryan Douglas who crashed on Wednesday, reduced to five men and denied the use of injury rider replacement (IRR) due to Worrall’s complaint being deemed an existing injury.

A clarification on the rule was issued in July stating that the facility could only be used for fresh injuries, something that had not previously been detailed in speedway’s rule book, meaning it was used for old injuries earlier this season.

It meant Wolves could not use Luke Becker or Nick Morris – Wolverhampton’s top two scorers on the night – in place of Worrall, only reserves Drew Kemp and Leon Flint.

The match was level after six heats but back-to-back Witches 5-1s, each led by Aaron Summers, in heats seven and eight did the damage, the second victory coming against Kemp and Flint in a heat that Worrall had been due to ride in.

Sam Masters, fresh from his victory in the Championship League Riders’ Championship 24 hours earlier, and Worrall made good starts to the opener only for 2017 world champion Jason Doyle to steam into the lead round the second bend.

Danyon Hume and Summers racked up Ipswich’s first maximum of the night but Wolves hit straight back to level through Morris and Becker.

Morris made it two on the bounce but Hume passed Flint for the first of three straight shared heats that featured Masters battling manfully to hold off Danny King in heat five and Kemp repassing Paul Starke at the back in heat six. Summers blitzed to the next two with Troy Batchelor holding firm under incessant pressure from Becker in the seventh and then Ipswich went 10 up in heat nine with King getting the better of Morris at the back while Rohan Tungate jetted away up top.

Becker passed Starke for second in heat 10 but could do nothing about Doyle in another Witches 4-2, although tactical substitute Morris and Masters teamed up for a 5-1 that gave Wolves hope in the 11th.

It proved short lived as King and Hume gated in heat 12, Becker again splitting them by nudging past the home reserve on the line, and attempts to bag a consolation point all but went when Doyle and Batchelor’s team riding opened up a 14-point gap in heat 13.

Summers secured win number three in the penultimate race with Tungate passing Flint on the line for a 4-2 with Becker taking his fifth second spot from six races behind Batchelor in heat 15.

Ipswich 53: Jason Doyle 11+1, Troy Batchelor 11+1, Aaron Summers 11+1, Danyon Hume 7+2, Danny King 7, Rohan Tungate 5+1, Paul Starke 1.

Wolverhampton 37: Nick Morris 12, Luke Becker 11+1, Sam Masters 7+2, Drew Kemp 2+1, Leon Flint 3, Steve Worrall 2, Ryan Douglas R/R.