THE four home nations - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales - converged on Gin Pit on Saturday for the annual Home International Cycle Speedway match.

Torrential rain the previous evening, when two inches fell in two hours, would have rendered many circuits unrideable. However, the Gin Pit circuit drained superbly and although the track was softer than usual, there was never any danger of the match being called off. England quickly set the standard, winning the opening four races, with Wales in hot pursuit. Ireland lost the services of their veteran captain, Joe McLaughlin, who was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collar bone and concussion, after a bizarre crash in heat two, when his front wheel dug into the ground on the pits bend, pitching him head first over his handlebars as his bike snapped in two, with no other rider involved.

Team mate Mick Docker was in the wars in the next race, falling heavily on the back straight after the chain came off his machine, although he took his next two races before another heavy fall in heat 11 ruled him out of the match.

It was always an uphill struggle for the Irish but they had a titanic battle with the Scots throughout to determine the third place in the match.

Wales rode well throughout and were never threatened for second place.

The match was well handled by referee Frank Finnigan, with the sport once again grateful to the Tyldesley Division of the St. John Ambulance for their prompt treatment of the injured riders. The match was sponsored by the Eagle School of Motoring, Astley.

Presentations were made to all competitors and the referee by: the match sponsor, Steve Mills; the British Cycling Cycle Speedway Administrator, Brian Furness; the Astley & Tyldesley Club chairman, Bill Phillips.