Wonderful guest

Wasps recorded their third successive home Premier League win - with a great deal of help from welcome guest Neil Collins.

The 42-year-old Somerset rider - appearing for the injured Tony Atkin, still recovering from a broken arm - was second-top scorer behind skipper Craig Watson with a paid 15 from six rides.

Watson got 16 from the same number of rides, twice edged out by King's Lynn's number one, Tomas Topinka.

Neil Street, Wasps team manager, declared: "What a wonderful guest. Young riders could learn so much from him."

And there was praise, too, for Collins from Newport promoter Tim Stone, who said: "He is obviously a very experienced rider, but he is also very skilful, and at Newport, which is a thinking man's track, he can exploit all the weaknesses in opposition riders.

"The team looked more balanced. It looked good on paper -and, more important, it was good on the track.

"It is quite a while since we won by 50 points at home and all riders made great efforts, sometimes in terrible conditions, to get the result.

"So far as the track was concerned King's Lynn should realise that good riders adapt to the track conditions.

"It was a superb meeting - probably one of the best we have had."

Street added: "It was a very good result for us. It looks as though at long last there is light at the end of the tunnel, and once we get Tony back, but that could still be a few weeks, we will look even better."

Rain caused delays throughout the afternoon, and after only three heats the visitors were complaining about the amount of dirt on the track.

Street added: "They come from the grippiest track in the league and they wanted the dirt removed - but they cannot dictate to us and tell us what to do."

There was a 20-minute delay before heat one got under way but Watson and Collins teamed up for a 4-2, but in heat six he held off reserve Paul Lee's challenge and then shepherded Kristian Lund home for a maximum, which opened up a six-point advantage.

Stone added: "That was a tremendous piece of riding and a key point in the meeting."

But his win, almost on the line, over Adam Allott four heats later, had the crowd on their feet - well, those sitting down - and it was yet another example of his determination, Allott displaying obvious annoyance at being pipped.

Carl Wilkinson did not return in a blaze of glory, but he gained a valuable third place in his fourth ride, recovering from a 15-metres handicap start for tape-touching and overhauling Allott as Lund gained his first Wasps' heat win and increased their overall advantage to four points when two points separated the teams at the end of the previous heat.

Wasps: Pavel Ondrasik (rider replacement), Tony Atkin (guest Neil Collins) 13+2 (6), Kristian Lund 8+3 (5), Mads Korneliussen 10 (5), Craig Watson 16 (6), Carl Wilkinson 3 (5), Karl Mason 0 (3).

Stars: Tomas Topinka 12 (5), Shaun Tacey 2+1 (4), Adam Allott 3 (4), Kevin Doolan 7+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 3 (4), Trevor Harding 8+1 (5), Paul Lee 9+2 (4).