STOKE ‘A.R. Richards Ltd’ Potters down to a 57-33 defeat against current league champions Birmingham in the National Trophy at Perry Barr on Friday night.

Ben Wilson took victory in the opening heat for the Potters before the Potters fell behind early on with two quick fire 5-1 heat advantages for the Brummies as they opened up an eight point lead as firstly Jack Parkinson Blackburn and Jack Smith got the better of Ryan MacDonald and Lewis Millar and then Darryl Ritchings and Tom Bacon took maximum points from Danny Phillips and Shaun Tedham leaving the Potters trailing 13-5 after three races.

Stoke gained their first heat advantage in heat five as Wilson took his second victory of the evening edging out Darryl Ritchings with Chris Widman taking third place for a 4-2 reducing the Brummies lead to six points as the Potters trail 21-15.

Birmingham extended their lead with a maximum 5-1 heat advantage in heat eight from Danyon Hume and Jack Parkinson Blackburn over Widman with the score 29-19 in favour of the Midlands outfit.

Danny Phillips gained a race win for the Potters in heat 10 over Ritchings and Hume for a drawn heat, Phillips holding off a strong challenge from Ritchings as he took the chequered flag.

The Potters were hit hard in the final four heats as the Brummies gained three maximum 5-1 heat wins in the final four races with only Ben Wilson splitting a Brummies partnership in heat thirteen as he gained second place over Hume for a Birmingham 4-2.

Potters boss Malcolm Vasey commented “ I’m disappointed that we fell away towards the end of the meeting as we did because we were still in with a chance of a point from the meeting up until heat eleven when we really suffered losing out to three 5-1’s and a 4-2 in those final four heats and that cost us dearly in the end. It was always going to be a difficult opening fixture against Birmingham they are a very good side, we will now look forward to our meetings against Buxton in a few weeks time.”

BIRMINGHAM 57: Tom Perry 15+1, Darryl Ritchings 14+1, Danyon Hume 9+1, Jack Parkinson Blackburn 8+3, Tom Bacon 6+4, Jack Smith 5+1, Zac Wajtknecht r/r
STOKE 33: Ben Wilson 10, Tony Atkin 10, Danny Phillips 6, Chris Widman 3+1, Shaun Tedham 2+1, Ryan MacDonald 2, Lewis Millar 0
National Trophy points: Birmingham 3 Stoke 0