WASPS team manager Neil Street will need an improved return from his next guest rider if he is to steer his team into the Knockout Cup final.

Injury to Craig Watson has left the Wasps struggling despite his high average.

That gives them plenty of potential match-winners to choose from but so far it is not working.

Hull's Robbie Kessler failed to flatter in a Wasps jacket at the weekend and last night free-scoring Andrew Appleton proved a flop.

The Reading rider scored just three points from his four rides but Street insisted the choice of guest had not been wrong.

"We're not having a great deal of good fortune. Craig is normally good for ten or a dozen points on his travels and the riders we've brought in are capable of that but on the day just haven't delivered."

Things looked grim for the Wasps on the tight Craven Park circuit in last night's semi-final first leg when they conceded four 5-1s in the opening six races.

Only reserve Shane McCabe had managed a victory and there seemed no way back.

But Aussie Scott Smith, who's nicknamed 'Taz', won Heat Seven and then led Carl Wilkinson to a 5-1 in the following race as a tactical substitute to narrow the gap to six points.

Hull hit back immediately with another 5-1 of their own but, with the next five races all drawn, Paul Thorp and Robbie Kessler's 4-2 in the last heat means the Wasps have only a 12-point deficit to overcome in the second leg a week on Sunday.

"We've got to be happy with that, considering how it was going," said captain Frank Smart.

"It is going to be hard work but if we get a decent guest we'll be in there fighting."

Top scorer Smith paid tribute to Grand Prix title challenger Jason Crump for his 11-point return.

"I spent all day with him sorting out a good clutch. I missed the start in my first race and it's impossible to overtake at Hull. But I made a couple of decent starts after that and I'm reasonably happy with how it went.

"It's going to be hard to haul back 12 points at home because Hull always go well there.

"But I feel as if I'm back to my best form after my injury and should get double figures along with Frankie (Smart). Carl Wilkinson was also scoring well until the last couple of weeks so if he gets it together we'll run them very close."

Hull: R Kessler 14 (5), E Kramer 4+2 (4), P Thorp 13 (5), J Smith 9+3 (4), G Stead 9+1 (4), L Smethills 2 (5), C Branney 0 (3).

Newport: A Appleton 3 (4), L Dicken 2+1 (3), E Lindqvist 4+3 (5), S Smith 11 (6), F Smart 10 (6), S McCabe 4 (3), C Wilkinson 5+3 (3).