Maximum man Colin White led Arena Essex to a fine victory in a match against traditionally-tough rivals Reading that was littered with excitement and tinged with controversy.

Hammers, who saw John Wainwright and Leigh Lanham fall in heat one, responded with their own maximum, from reserves Gary Corbett and Matt Read.

Paul Clews earned the applause of the home fans when he fell two heats later but pluckily got up to haul his machine away, allowing the race to continue.

Petri Kokko provided Reading with just one of their three wins, outgating Lanham in heat six, before partner Colvin restored the Racers' lead at 19-17. White and Corbett levelled, but Arena suffered a 5-0 reverse in heat eight when Wainwright retired and Read was excluded to put Reading 26-21 ahead.

Hammers guest rider Graeme Gordon was denied a maximum night when he gated first in heat nine but suffered a dropped chain, leaving Roger Lobb to head off Kokko at each turn.

Then two successive heat advantages left the Hammers 33-32 up with four races left, before Gordon gained his third win.

Then a tense start to the rich drama of heat 13 saw Kokko thrown out for touching the tapes.

White soon chalked up a good lead, with Mullett and Lanham locked in a scrap when Lanham came down on the third bend as he appeared to go inside Mullett.

Referee Gay could apportion no blame, so, amazingly, he ordered a four-rider re-run, with White and Lanham plundering a one-two.

Corbett and Lobb collected a 5-1 heat 14 advantage, leaving Arena needing four points from the final heat to pick up a bonus point for an 11-point winning margin overall.

White and Lanham delivered - but the latter had to come from behind by squeezing past Mullett.

Arena now head their group in the Premier National Trophy.

Scorers - Arena Essex: L Lanham 9+1, J Wainwright 2+1, G Gordon 9, R Lobb 5+1, C White 15, G Corbett 8, M Read 2.

Reading: D Mullett 8, J Elkins 6+2, P Morris 6, M Norris 3+1, P Kokko 9, Colvin 3+1, P Clews 4+3.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.