Bandits Second In Pairs at Poole

Wimborne Road in Poole may be a track that holds faint fond memories for some Berwick fans, but in recent seasons it would be fair to say that traditionally hasn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds for the boys in Black and Gold.

With that being said, 2026 has been a little bit different having already knocked the Pirates out of the Knockout Cup and with the RED Bandits, powered by STS top two of Nick Morris and Peter Kildemand coming ever so close to claiming Cab Direct Championship Pairs glory there last night, another happy memory can be added to Shielfield folklore.

The evening didn’t get off to the ideal start for the Berwick pair, with the Scunthorpe and Glasgow pairings getting the better of Peter Kildemand and Nick Morris having a slow start to his night, failing to score in his first two outings.

Morris found his groove in heat 12, and with Kildemand maintaining his consistency for another second place to claim a maximum 7-2 heat advantage over Plymouth pair Danny King and Ben Barker to propel themselves into a more favourable position and give real hope of making the all-important semi-finals.

Heat 15 produced more of the same as Kildemand picked up his first race win of the night, this time ably backed by Morris to get the better of Edinburgh pairing Dan Thompson and Kye Thomson for another 7-2 to confirm their place in the semi-finals on 20 points alongside Oxford (26), Glasgow (19) and home favourites Poole (23).

Kildemand and Morris took on Pirates pairing Zach Cook and Richard Lawson and whilst Cook would win the race, Morris would place second and Kildemand third to keep Lawson at bay with some ruthless manoeuvres as the Bandits pair to a 5-4 heat advantage to set up a final against Oxford, who themselves has claimed a 6-3 semi-final victory over Glasgow’s Chris Harris and Leon Flint.

It was heartbreak in the final for the Bandits pair as Oxford pair Sam Masters and Anders Rowe flew from the gate and despite Peter Kildemand splitting the duo, Nick Morris was unable to fire himself into a scoring position to give the Cheetahs fans the spoils of victory with a 6-3 heat advantage.

The Cheetahs were deserving winners on the night and unquestionably the most consistent pairing on the night, but Bandits fans can be very proud of their teams’ efforts as they perhaps wouldn’t have started the evening as favourites, especially after the first two blocks of races.

Riders scores : –

Scunthorpe Scorpions = 17   (6th)

1. Josh Pickering – 4, 3, 4, 4 = 15
2. Luke Harrison – 2, 0, 0, 0 = 2

Berwick Bandits = 20  (Runners Up)

3. Peter Kildemand – 3, 3, 3, 4, 2, 3  = 18
4. Nick Morris – 0, 0, 4, 3, 3, 0  = 10

Glasgow Tigers = 19   (4th)

5. Chris Harris – 2, 2, 3, 0, 3  = 10
6. Leon Flint – 3, 4, 2, 3, 0  = 12

Workington Comets = 10    (9th)

7. Troy Batchelor – 0, 2, 2, 2  = 6
8. Drew Kemp – 4, 0, 0, 0 = 4

Redcar Bears = 16    (7th)

9. Charles Wright – 2, 4, 3, 4 = 13
10. Jason Edwards – 0, 3, 0, 0 = 3

Oxford Cheetahs = 26  (Winners)

11. Sam Masters – 4, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4  = 22
12. Anders Rowe – 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2  = 16

Edinburgh Monarchs = 14   (8th)

13. Dan Thompson – 3, 3, 2, 2 = 10
14. Kye Thomson – 0, 0, 4, 0 = 4

Poole Pirates = 23   (3rd)

15. Richard Lawson – 4, 3, 3, 2, 0  = 12
16. Zach Cook – 2, 4, 2, 3, 4  = 15

Plymouth Gladiators = 17   (5th)

17. Danny King – 4, 2, 2, 4 = 12
18. Ben Barker – 2, 0, 0, 3 = 5

Focus now shifts to Saturday night’s crucial BSN Series semi-final clash with Redcar, where the Bandits aim to overturn a 27-point deficit from the first leg to set up another potential cup final date with destiny against the Poole Pirates.

Fans should be aware that Season Passes are not valid for this meeting. Holders can claim admission for £18 either by booking a concessionary ticket online or on production of their pass at the turnstiles or Box Office on Saturday. As always accompanied under-16s are admitted free.