Berwick take all three points.

Kirkland Carpets' Berwick Bandits' riders, management and fans left Shielfield Park well and truly satisfied, having seen a meeting with a bit of everything. A fine home win - an excellent battle for the bonus point, and above all top class racing, with some sheer brilliant heats of speedway to savour.

Most of the excitement came from those races starring the returnee, Scott "Scud" Smith, who has lost none of his enthusiasm or his ability to thrill as he rattled up a very creditable 7 points - not bad for his first competitive speedway meeting for 18 months, coming back from a serious injury.

Berwick opened up with a solid 5-1 in Heat 1, aided by Viking, Paul Thorp, who had been pressing for 2ndat the time, shed a chain and fell on lap 3, leading to the race being awarded.

Heat 2 provided a second rock-solid maximum for Berwick, with Viking guest, Jamie Robertson of Newcastle falling early on. (10-2) before the gas was turned sharply up for Heat 3, when Hull's Emil Kramer and Berwick's Michal Makovsky battled throughout, the former only just grabbing the 3 points for himself right on the finish line in a great finish. 2-4 (12-6).

Heat 4 was looking like a comfortable 3-3 'till Robertson took bend 2 of the 4th lap too wide, bouncing off the safety fence. He remained on board, but lost a position to Kugelmann of Berwick giving them the 4-2 (16-8) with Rymel winning in the fastest time of the year so far.

Let the fireworks begin as the race of season began in the guise of Heat 5. Out in front on bend 1 was the Scud, Scott Smith, very closely followed by Viking Thorp. With all 4 riders close enough to hid with a blanket, Thorp shot past Smith in fine style late on in the lap, whilst behind Makovsky and Sanchez kept the temperature high with a series of passes and re-passes to keep the most demanding of fans happy, but it was far from over as Thorp's engine gave up big style at the end of lap 3 allowing the 3, still tightly-locked following pack of riders to zip past him, Smith holding of for a famous and thrilling victory, the 2nd and 3rd still a matter of feet behind. Breath-taking stuff! 5-1 (21-9).

Tactical ride time in Heats 6 and 7 for double points, Stead going first, but despite putting up the very hardest of chases on the 2nd placed Pietraszko he could only muster 1 doubled up to 2, although the excitement he generated was worth a whole lot more. 5-2 (26-11), whilst Kramer went 2 better in the next making a superb gate to wipe out the opposition on bend 1 to lead and hold that to the end, again despite some excellent pursuit going on from Kugelmanns behind to give the Vikings a heat advantage 3-6 (29-17).

4-2 to Kugelmann and Schramm over a very fine ride from Robertson for 2 points. Young Jamie was in no way outclassed by the winner Pietraszko and his points were thoroughly deserved. (33-19).

The Scud was launched again on Heat 9, and up went the excitement value once more as he led for most of the race as Stead snapped around his ankles behind until a slight error on bend 4 of the last lap gave Stead the chance to pass, as he did through a non-existant gap right up against the fence to win and bring the house down again. 3-3 (36-22).

Straight-forward max for Berwick in Heat 10, (5-1 41-23) before Thorp scored his only points of the match in heat 11 scorching from the gate to beat convincingly Schramm and Makovsky in a shared race (3-3 44-26).

Heat 12.... Smith again.... Thrills again! Thorp replaced Dicken as a tactical substitute for double points off the 15m back-marker, and for all intents and purposes looked like he moved just before the tapes went up, but the heat was allowed to continue by Grand Prix referee Tony Steele with Thorp well up of the rest by bend 2, but with the superb Robertson well in control out in front, there was an epic battle of wits and tactics going on behind worthy of the world chess champion, due to it's intricacies. Smith, nicely installed in 2nd was shielded by his highly intelligently-thinking partner Kugelmann, who kept Thorp at bay by confounding each of the Vikings' moves one step ahead of him in a master class of strategic speedway to secure the 3-3 and prevent any double point-scoring. (47-29).

More hot fun in 13 as Stead, last into bend 1, took the widest line possible to roar around the outside of the field to lead off bend 2, and that was it, or so it seemed, but no! Czech Adrian Rymel never gives up, and reaps the rewards of such a theology time and time again as he did here. From absolutely no where, and stuck in 3rd, he wound open his throttle to the max, rounded his partner to take Stead completely unawares round the last bend of the race to grab 3 of the most well-earned points ever seen. Immaculate riding from Rymel! 4-2 51-34.

Heat 14 saw Robertson again lead an excellent 3 laps, hounded by Makovsky like a whippet after a hare, but in this battle the hound didn't take his pray down, but passed him in another thrilling outside move on the big banking of bend 4 on lap 3 to shoot into the lead and hold it to the end, (3-3 54-34) before Robertson was given a very worthy entry into the nominated Heat 15, finishing 3rd after Rymel, chasing a 6-ride maximum, fell on bend 4 of lap 2. That 3-3 gave Berwick the match 57-37, and the aggregate bonus point by 99-91 in a truly memorable meeting for all the right reasons.