South East champions Ipswich made the journey across the border to their Norfolk neighbours looking to secure their second win of the season, fresh from victory over an improved East London team in the first weekend of racing. The Suffolk side knew they were in for a sterner test on the tight Hethersett track and with two key members missing from the squad in Brooke and Chittock the Ipswich management drafted in two of the young guns from the SE2 squad, Matty Hill and Will Clark. This meant the Ipswich team lining up with four riders of sixteen and under in their line-up, to face a strong looking Hethersett side which boasted riders of the calibre of Myhill ,Cossey and L.Grange.
Ipswich themselves welcomed back captain Richard Williamson back from holiday and making his long awaited debut new signing Ian Grange. On paper Hethersett most probably had the stronger looking team – but from the first heat the Suffolk side took control of the match taking the first heat 6-3 after Adams was excluded for being the cause of the stoppage after an unfortunate fall coming out of the fourth bend bringing down Grange. In the re-run it was Grange who went on to secure his first heat win in an Ipswich jersey and was to go on to score fourteen well earned points and with his partner Leon Mower went on secure three heat advantages and scoring nineteen points as a pairing.
Hethersett not to be out done hit back in the second when Grange/Collins recorded a fine 6-4 ,back came Ipswich in the third which saw Pike and the ever improving Lewis (robertski) Roberts take a 6-4 to edge them into three point lead ,in the fourth Hethersett once again hit back with another 6-4 over Grange and Matt Hill only after the young Hill was a little over enthusiastic in attacking Adams in front when sitting a 5-5 only to over cook the bend and done well to stay upright but went from second to last .
Heat five saw Ipswich’s Stant and Mower restore their three point advantage with another 6-4 ,but the home team were not going to go away quietly and hit back again Cossey /Chambers riding to a 6-4 win in heat six ,it was only in heats seven and eight that at long last some daylight came between the two sides firstly with Pike/Roberts 7-3 over Adams/Martin with the young Roberts ordering his senior partner Pike to come round and then looked after the two Norfolk riders ,heat eight saw Mower/Grange see off brother Lee Grange and Collins 6-4 to open up a seven point cushion ,in the final heat before the break it was damage limitation from captain Williamson and the young Matt Hill they were up against it in the shape of Chambers /Myhill partnership a 6-4 in favour of the home team so we went into the break Hethersett 42 Ipswich 47 .
Half-time’s team talk was a simple message – same again but don’t get carried away as we knew that they were capable of turning it around in the second half. Heat ten turned up to be eventful with Ipswich lining up with Stant and Ashley Hill on the outside grids against Cossey and Hamill this was a crucial heat for the Suffolk side not to let Hethersett back in the match , but coming out of bend four three riders Hamill Stant and Hill came together with Hill giving a nudge on Hamill which saw the Norfolk rider end up outside the track and was eventually excluded and to had insult to injury was unable to take part in his final heat due to injured ribs ,in fairness on another day the decision could have easily gone against the Suffolk rider.
The re-run ended 5-4 Ipswich to move six points clear ,a tactial change in heat eleven saw Myhill come in for Collins to pair up with Grange in a bid to claw some points back and stop the Pike/Roberts pairing from doing even more damaged but the move back fired with Myhill unable to finish the race leaving the Suffolk team to record a 7-2 heat win and move them into a eleven point lead. Adams /Martin saw off Williamson/Hill 6-4 to reduce the lead to nine but back came Ipswich through Grange/Mower 7-3 to open up the lead once again.
Heat fourteen saw Collins not finish leaving Myhill to win the heat,5-4 to Ipswich. Fifteen saw Hethersett win 6-4 ,heats 16 ,17 were shared and the final heat saw Ipswich cruise to a 7-2 heat win after Lee Grange front wheel slipped bringing down team mate Cossey allowing the Ipswich pairing to ride to take the points.
Final score Hethersett 79 Ipswich 96 ,and with news of Great Blakenham losing away to East London ,this was a remarkable win for the Suffolk side in their bid to hold on to their title.