‘Joker’ nets Aussies Sheffield speedway win

Britain’s speedway team will have to battle through a last-chance qualifier this week if they are to be crowned world champions.

They finished second in a rain-shortened qualifying round at Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium on Sunday after looking on course for a shock victory over Australia.

Britain led from the opening heat and had a seven-point advantage over the Aussies, the defending champions and red-hot favourites, by Heat 17 of 24.

But a crazy ruling allowed the Aussies to bring in top rider Ryan Sullivan as a ” joker ” – like they used to have on cheesy 70s TV show ‘It’s a Knockout’.

Sullivan’s three points for winning the heat were doubled, without him even needing to start with a handicap, and Australia were back in the hunt.

Three consecutive wins after that, as heavy rain made the track dangerous, put the Aussies into a four-point lead.

Mark Loram was one victim of the conditions, catching a back wheel he was flung headfirst into the start gate. Although he walked away, Loram injured his neck in the crash and he’s almost certainly out of the next international on Thursday August 8.

English referee Mick Bates decided soon after Loram’s crash that the track was unsafe and declared the meeting over, with the Australians on top and Britain second. The Czech Republic was third and Germany fourth.

That puts Australia into the final, to be held at Peterborough on Saturday, August 10, while Britain must go to the same track 48 hours earlier and take on four other losers for a place in the final.

The second qualifying round at Poole, Dorset, August 5, pits the highly-fancied Swedes against Denmark, Finland and Hungary. And Eastbourne stages Poland v United States v Russia v Slovenia on August 6.