On a very slick surface, passing was at a premium, and gating was always going to be the main factor in deciding the outcome of this meeting. With the Rebels utilising the rider replacement facility for Paul Fry, and Chris Mills as reserve guest for Jason King, the opening six heats were very processional. A 4-2 to the home side in heat two was the only difference between the teams, as the scores stood at 19-17 to Reading after heat six. The only moment of any drama came in heat five. Somerset's Magnus Zetterstrom and Jamie Smith managed to gate ahead of the Reading duo of Tresarrieu and Masters, only for Smith to lock up on the apex of the first turn and come to grief. Although he did remount and continue the race, it was more in hope of somebody else dropping out than a chance of getting back on terms. More drama Somerset's Ritchie Hawkins led Reading's Matej Zagar in heat seven for the first lap, only for the Slovenian to make a move and take the lead as the riders entered the second lap. Behind this battle, Jamie Smith had eased past Reading reserve Chris Johnson on the back straight of the opening lap. The sixth shared heat out of the first seven races was the outcome, taking the scores to 22-20 in favour of Reading. Drama ensued in heat eight as Jamie Smith led the field, only to be wiped out by Reading's Richard Wolff. There was concern for the Somerset fans, as Smith stayed down for quite a length of time. He received medical treatment, before finally getting to his feet and making his way back to the pits unaided to prepare for the rerun. With Simota winning the rerun for Reading, Chris Mills and Smith took the minor places to keep the Rebels within two points of their hosts. Heat nine saw Somerset draw level, courtesy of a 4-2 from Glenn Cunningham and guest Chris Mills. The Rebels' joy was short-lived, however, as Reading hit back with a maximum 5-1 heat advantage in the following heat. The imperious-looking Zagar won heat 11 from Somerset skipper Magnus Zetterstrom, but with Zorro keeping check on partner Jamie Smith in third place, the shared heat kept the Rebels in with a chance of still taking the match. This became even more of a reality in heat 12 with Ritchie Hawkins and Chris Mills scoring a 4-2 over Steve Masters and Richard Wolff, the latter not even getting away from the start line as he shed a chain as the tapes rose. With the meeting still finely in the balance, Reading re-established a four-point lead as Zagar made one of the rare passing moves of the night, coming past Zetterstrom on the second lap. The final heats Holding a four-point advantage with only two heats remaining, Reading were looking favourites to take the match victory, but this was all turned on its head in a dramatic heat 14. In the first running of the heat, Wolff 'collected' Somerset's Chris Mills on turn four, who was leading the race at the time. With Wolff excluded from the rerun, the sole Racer, Frenchman Mathieu Tresarrieu, made a lightning start to head the Hawkins/Mills partnership for Somerset. However, Tresarrieu's engine gave up on him, and the Rebel duo swept past for an untroubled heat victory. So, it all came down to the final heat, as the scores stood poised at 42-all. From the tapes, Zagar made yet another perfect start to head Zetterstrom, but could never rest easy with Zorro hot on his tail for the whole four laps. This drama was mirrored in the battle for third and fourth place, with Simota being under constant pressure from Cunningham in his bid to score the vital point that would give the Rebels a well-deserved draw on the night. However, with the track being so slick, it was always going to be a nigh impossible task to overtake and the Reading duo held on for a 4-2, which gave them the match victory by 46-44. | 
