Gin Pit was the venue for the Preliminary Round of the British Team Cup, cycle speedway's equivalent of the F.A. Cup, on Sunday. Having lost heavily at Sheffield the previous Sunday, Astley & Tyldesley Miners' Welfare / CTA Direct Cycle Speedway team were under no illusions that they faced a tough task against Sheffield.

However, A & T welcomed back skipper Damien Hack and drafted in British Ladies Tandem racing champions, the Airstone sisters, for their team debut. The result was a much more positive performance from A & T. Hack won three of his five races, dropping just two points, with the Airstones weighing in with vital points. A & T's youngsters all performed well, with Rob Longworth, Becky Heslop, Chris Heslop and John Nuttall all beating Sheffield's youngsters and making valuable contributions to the team score.

Sheffield boasted a solid scoring top six, with Jason Burke unbeaten, and Martin Gamble, Spencer Wright and Martin Cain losing only to Damien Hack. Peter Pearson and Robert Hudson both scored well.

The track was made heavy by torrential rain prior to the start, but improved as the match progressed.

British Team Cup Preliminary Round final score:

Astley & Tyldesley Miners' Welfare / CTA Direct 80  Sheffield Stars 100

A & T scorers:

Damien Hack 18, Mike Hack 14, Rob Longworth 11 (plus 1 bonus), Beren Airstone 11, Rusine Airstone 8 (1), Becky Heslop 7, Chris Heslop 6 (3), John Nuttall 5 (2).

Sheffield scorers:

Spencer Wright 17 (2), Jason Burke 16, Martin Gamble 15, Martin Cain 15, Robert Hudson 14 (1), Peter Pearson 13 (2), Jamie Brown 5, James Reeves 5.