POOLE Pirates sent a bumper crowd away happy with a dominant 57-33 victory over Oxford Cheetahs, in the club’s first home meeting of the 2023 season.

Richard Lawson led the way for the hosts, beaten by an opponent just once on the night, contributing 13+1, with Ben Cook (11+2) also impressing as Poole racked up six maximums.

Sam Masters starred for the visitors, winning his first four races in succession, before ending with 15 points in total.

The win sees Poole move to five points in their BSN Series group, having also collected an aggregate bonus with this score tallied up alongside the 46-43 win in the reverse fixture on Wednesday night.

Pirates face two meetings with Plymouth Gladiators to round off the group phase later this month, looking to book their spot in the semi-finals.

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There was a delay to the start of proceedings to allow the crowds to make their way into the stadium in the Good Friday sunshine.

Last season’s top scoring Championship rider Masters took the honours in a shared heat one, before Pirates began to assert their authority.

Adam Roynon collected his first race win in Pirates colours, leading Kyle Newman home to a maximum after Luke Killeen fell at the back.

Aussie brothers Ben and Zach Cook then repeated the trick in heat three. Jordan Jenkins ran out of room and touched the air fence going around bend two, but ended up in third after teammate Lewis Kerr’s bike packed up halfway through the race.

Lawson then took a tapes-to-flag win in heat four, Poole racing into a 17-7 lead before the first track grading pause.

Masters was dominant again, ahead of the Cooks in an all-Australian heat five, Cameron Heeps at the back.

Cheetahs team boss Peter Schroeck made a tactical substitute in the following heat, putting Masters back out again. And he made it three wins from three, leading Scott Nicholls home to a 5-1 as Rowe and Worrall struggled.

But Poole hit straight back with back-to-back maximums of their own. In-form Newman and Lawson did the job in heat seven, before Rowe then collected his first race win as a Pirate. Roynon did well to hold off a strong challenge from Heeps.

The hosts were on for a third straight 5-1, Ben Cook out in front, but wily Nicholls, who scored a five-ride maximum in the reverse fixture on Wednesday, reeled in Zach Cook to take second.

Worrall finally showed the type of form the Wimborne Road faithful have come to expect with a dominant win in a shared heat 10, the hosts 38-22 ahead.

The visitors then recorded just their second heat advantage of the night. Masters and Lawson went wheel-to-wheel, the Aussie eventually coming out on top, while Heeps battled past Newman in the minor placings.

Kerr then reeled in Ben Cook to win heat 12, before Pirates clinched victory on the night as Lawson dominated to win a power-packed heat 13, becoming the first man to beat Masters all night in the process.

Pirates racked up their fifth maximum of the night in the penultimate heat, Newman and Zach Cook combining to extend to 20 the overall lead.

And there was time for one more. Masters took the front, only for Lawson to brilliantly duck up the inside and move ahead of him. Ben Cook then took overtook his fellow Aussie to end the night on a high.

Pirates 57: Steve Worrall 6, Anders Rowe 5+1, Ben Cook 11+2, Zach Cook 7+2, Richard Lawson 13+1, Kyle Newman 8+1, Adam Roynon 7+2.

Oxford 33: Sam Masters 15, Cameron Heeps 2, Lewis Kerr 6, Jordan Jenkins 3+1, Scott Nicholls 6+1, Henry Atkins 1, Luke Killeen 0.