Wasps 54 Essex 36

NEWPORT Wasps' fans showed their generosity yesterday by raising some £1,600 for former home hero Lawrence Hare who is facing spending his life in a wheelchair.

The ex-Wasp has discovered he has been paralysed after a horror crash while riding for new outfit Exeter Falcons at Hayley Stadium last Sunday.

It has cast a shadow over the sport with Wasps' promoter Tim Stone eager to do everything possible to help the fallen rider.

"We're all 100% behind him and I have to say thank you to the fans for their kind help yesterday," said Stone.

Hare, whose family from Ipswich has been at his Royal Gwent Hospital bedside, was injured after attempting to overtake Newport's Craig Watson and crashed into the safety barrier.

Stone, meanwhile, has already rejected any immediate need for a review of the stadium's barriers, pointing out the club's impressive safety record.

He plans a Hare benefit meeting on May 26 and is appealing for sponsors to help support the event.

Meanwhile, Wasps opened their Premier League season with an impressive 18-point victory over Arena Essex yesterday.

Home hero Frank Smart blazed to a 15-point maximum from his five rides, his second in consecutive Sundays.

And Sky sports pundit Kelvin Tatum must be sick of the sight of him. The Arena Essex rider was passed by Smart in both heats 11 and 13.

Smart said: "It was good to get a second maximum, Kelvin is very quick around this track and I was a bit lucky.

"I got round the outside of him, then managed to do it again, but he's a fair rider, he left me some room to do it."

Smart was ably supported by Chris Neath and Craig Watson who scored 11 and nine respectively.

Wasps began by getting the best possible start, building up a 8-4 lead after two heats with Smart and Barrie Evans both winning.

It was an evenly matched race until heat eight when Newport really took control of the meet and opened up a ten-point lead they were never to lose.

In the heat eight re-run, Lee Dicken and Carl Wilkinson combined for a 4-2 win, but Neath and Smith did some damage with a 5-1 win in the next heat.

Newport Wasps: C Watson 9 +1 (5), L Dicken 8 +1 (4), C Neath 11 (4), S Smith 5 +1 (4), F Smart 15 (5), B Evans 4 (5), C Wilkinson 2 (3).

Arena-Essex Hammers: K Tatum 10 (6), A Galvin 4 (4), C White 4 +2 (4), S Tacey 6 (6), L Lanham 8 (5), S Walker 1 (3), L Herne 2 + 1 (3)

* In the picture: Wasps Carl Wilkinson, right, battles against Essex's Andy Galvin.