Australia edge first test.

Australia's world title fancy Jason Crump slammed in an unbeaten performance of true world class to make the difference between two reasonably evenly matched sides in the opening GB-Australia test at Ipswich's Foxall Stadium.

Crump led from the front four times and sacrificed a win in heat nine to help home team-mate Shane Parker. On this form he'll take some stopping in the upcoming British Grand Prix.

Team Great Britain gave a debut to Peterborough youngster David Howe and a recall for former world champion Gary Havelock, but the paid had an ineffective evening scoring just three points between them from reserve. In contrast, their counterparts Shane Parker and Steve Johnston scored ten which, when added to the Crump masterclass, meant the Aussies had the important
in-depth strength that was lacking from the home squad.

A very tight meeting to the half way stage. Six of the seven first heats were shared with Australian riders coming home first in five of them. After heat seven, the Australians held a narrow two-point lead, which came after Johnston won heat two with Parker in third place after he was denied second place on the line by Havelock. Team GB looked odds-on to slip six behind as Crump and Johnston led heat four, before Johnston found a little too much grip in mid-race, locked up and went from second to last.

Three shared heats followed until Australia took command with a 4-2 advantage in heat eight, which was immediately followed by a 5-1 advantage featuring Crump's fine shielding of Parker. And when Craig Boyce and Todd Wiltshire took first and third places in heat ten, it looked certain that Australia would be extending their lead to ten points. That was until world champion Mark Loram put in one of his 'specials' to stalk Boyce before sweeping around the outside of him on the second lap to win the heat - but with Paul Hurry in last place Team GB still trailed by eight points.

Loram was immediately brought in to heat eleven in a tactical substitution move to partner Scott Nicholls, and it had the maximum effect, as the British pair shot from the start to comfortably outpace Leigh Adams and Ryan Sullivan to narrow the gap to just four points and throw the meeting wide open again.

A shared heat was followed by another win for the untouchable Crump and, when Adams caught Loram on the line to claim third place, it was Australia by six points with just two heats left.

In a last throw of the dice, Middleditch made a double tactical substitution, pitching in Ipswich team-mates Chris Louis and Scott Nicholls, but the move looked to have backfired as, although Nicholls lead from tapes to flag, Louis was stuck at the back behind the team-riding Australian pair. But Louis drew on his experience and track knowledge to pick his moment to perfection and slice between them both and in to a crucial second place, secure the 5-1 and force a last heat decider.

With the scores at 41-43 it meant Team GB required a second consecutive maximum heat advantage to win the meeting and with Australia putting out Crump that result looked very unlikely. The Aussie duly sped from the outside gate position and went away to complete his classy maximum and make the final score Australia 47 Team GB 43.

TEAM GB 43
Scott Nicholls 14, Mark Loram 11, Chris Louis 9, Paul Hurry 3, Carl Stonehewer 3, Gary Havelock 2, David Howe 1

AUSTRALIA 47
Jason Crump 14, Craig Boyce 8, Leigh Adams 7, Ryan Sullivan 5, Shane Parker 5, Steve Johnston 5, Todd Wiltshire 3

Heat 1 - Loram, Sullivan, Adams, HurryHeat 2 - Johnston, Havelock, Parker, HoweHeat 3 - Boyce, Louis, Stonehewer, WiltshireHeat 4 - Crump, Nicholls, Howe, JohnstonHeat 5 - Adams, Stonehewer, Louis, SullivanHeat 6 - Crump, Loram, Hurry, ParkerHeat 7 - Nicholls, Wiltshire, Boyce, HavelockHeat 8 - Sullivan, Hurry, Johnston, HoweHeat 9 - Parker, Crump, Louis, StonehewerHeat 10 - Loram, Boyce, Wiltshire, HurryHeat 11 - Loram, Nicholls, Adams, SullivanHeat 12 - Louis, Boyce, Parker, HavelockHeat 13 - Crump, Nicholls, Adams, LoramHeat 14 - Nicholls, Louis, Johnston, WiltshireHeat 15 - Crump, Nicholls, Adams, Louis