LEICESTER No.1 Ryan Douglas scored a faultless 15-point maximum in a 57-33 home win over Northampton in their opening match of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership league campaign.
Douglas went through the card with five wins out of five for the Watling JCB Lions who put in a strong all-round display against a Foxes side who were hit by injury in their middle order.
But the Lions have a concern of their own after Dan Thompson fell awkwardly in Heat 10, and was in pain as he left the track for further checks.
That was the only downer of a convincing evening which had seen Douglas and Thompson race to 5-1s in their first two heats together.
Kyle Howarth and Nick Morris also combined for maximum points in Heat 3, meaning the Lions led 24-12 after six races, the visitors having had a couple of wins with Nicolai Klindt winning Heat 4 from the back and Jaimon Lidsey taking the flag in the next.
But Klindt fell in Heat 7 as Sam Masters gained revenge for an earlier defeat, with the Lions captain enjoying his best home display of the season so far.
Foxes Rising Star Luke Harrison produced an excellent ride to jon Troy Batchelor for a surprise 5-1 to the visitors in Heat 8, but Howarth won the next for the Lions when Lidsey was taking a tactical substitute ride.
Thompson’s accident came on the fourth bend of Heat 10 as he lost control when trying to move Michael Palm Toft aside and team up with Douglas for another maximum.
But the Lions did pull well clear with three 5-1s in the next four races, including some fine team riding from Drew Kemp and Masters in Heat 11 as Lidsey was relegated to the back.
Douglas and Masters also delivered maximum points in Heat 13, and Howarth and Kemp did likewise in the next.
Masters was kept at the back of Heat 15 as Douglas completed his full maximum, with Troy Batchelor and Lidsey packing the places for the Foxes.
The meeting marked the comeback from injury for Dan Gilkes, who picked up a point from his first ride in a good scrap with Harrison, and was also in the scoring mix on other occasions – and quickly remounted after a fall in Heat 12.
Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “Dan’s crash has given us a cause for concern. We don’t know the extent yet but he was certainly in pain, and fingers crossed we get positive news tomorrow.
“That aside, it was a pretty good night with some good racing, and Northampton kept us honest in the first eight or nine races.
“We came into our own in the second half of the meeting, so I’ve got to be pleased and it’s a good start to the league campaign.
“Dougy was excellent, I know there was talk in the winter that he maybe wasn’t a No.1 in this league, but as far as I’m concerned he’s still getting better and I still don’t think he’s reached where he can get to. It was a fantastic 15-point maximum, and I’m pleased for him.”
Next up for the Lions is a crunch clash with King’s Lynn at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park on Thursday May 14, which features the first return for former skipper Max Fricke.
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1
LEICESTER 57: Ryan Douglas 15, Kyle Howarth 11, Sam Masters 9+2, Drew Kemp 9+1, Nick Morris 7+2, Dan Thompson 5+2, Dan Gilkes 1.
NORTHAMPTON 33: Troy Batchelor 9, Jaimon Lidsey 7+1, Kye Thomson 6, Michael Palm Toft 4+2, Luke Harrison 4+1, Nicolai Klindt 3, Matej Zagar r/r.
