Swindon at last started their Premiership title defence with a big and probably unexpected 52-38 league win at many people’s title favourites Poole.

The CFS Filtration Robins took the lead in the opening race and never looked back with a composed display against the Pirates.

Nick Morris and a revitalised Troy Batchelor contributed 28 points but the whole top five provided the perfect stage, writes Phil Rice.

Tobiasz Musielak, David Bellego and Adam Ellis all notched paid nine points apiece as a change in riding order did the trick.

And despite Zach Wajtknecht and Mitchell Davey only contributing a handful of points at reserve, the Robins secured all four points with only Swindon asset Peter Kildemand providing consistent opposition and his heat 13 pass round the boards was vintage Kildemand. Pirates manager Neil Middleditch must have been disappointed with the displays of Brady Kurtz and Josh Grajczonek.

SCORERS

POOLE 38: Peter Kildemand 14, Mateusz Szczepaniak 8+2, Kacper Woryna 6, Linus Sundstrom 5+1, Brady Kurtz 3+1, James Shanes 2+1, Josh Grajczonek 0.

SWINDON 52: Nick Morris 14, Troy Batchelor 12, Tobiasz Musielak 8+1, David Bellego 7+2, Adam Ellis 7+2, Zach Wajtknecht 3, Mitchell Davey 1.

24 hours later on a Blunsdon track described by Niels-Kristian Iversen as one of the smoothest he’d ever ridden on in Britain, Swindon, ten points up after six races seemed to be set for a routine win over a much changed King’s Lynn side.

But two 5-1’s and a 4-2 for the Stars in the following three races suddenly saw the sides all square.

But whilst he only scored five points it was young reserve Zach Wajtknecht who drew the crowd’s applause as he followed Tobiasz Musielak to s 5-1 ahead of Iversen and Lewis Kerr. In the next race he replaced the struggling reserve Mitchell Davey. Troy Batchelor took the win but the young Saltford star kept Ty Proctor, with paid eight in his previous three races, at bay as Swindon took a 40-32 lead.

Nerves fluttered a little as Swindon suffered a 4-2 reverse in race 13 but the previously underpower David Bellego took heat 14 and Wajtknecht’s third place secured the match points.

Nick Morris and Batchelor headed the home score chart with Morris following a quick Adam Ellis for 5-1’s in races one and six but nobody would begrudge the Stars for the well earned consolation match point.

SCORERS

SWINDON 48: Nick Morris 11+2, Troy Batchelor 11, Adam Ellis 8, Tobiasz Musielak 7, Zach Wajtknecht 5+1, David Bellego 5, Mitchell Davey 1

KING’S LYNN 42: Robert Lambert 10, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8, Ty Proctor 7+1, Lewis Kerr 7+1, Thomas Jorgensen 7, Kasper Andersen 3+1, Lewis Rose r/